President Donald Trump has refiled a lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) over its assertion that Trump sent convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein a lewd birthday card in 2003.
The WSJ published the allegations last year. Newsweek described it as having “several lines of typewritten text surrounded by the outline of a naked woman, sketched in marker,” in honor of Epstein’s 50th birthday.
“The illustration also includes two small arcs representing breasts, with Trump’s signature written below the waist and resembling pubic hair, the report said,” per Newsweek.
“This is not me. This is a fake thing. It’s a fake Wall Street Journal story. I never wrote a picture in my life. I don’t draw pictures of women. It’s not my language. It’s not my words,” Trump said at the time, making it clear that he planned to sue WSJ.
“The Wall Street Journal, and Rupert Murdoch, personally, were warned directly by President Donald J. Trump that the supposed letter they printed by President Trump to Epstein was a FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued,” Trump wrote on Truth Social at the time.
Vice President JD Vance also dismissed the allegations as “complete and utter bullshit.”
Darrin Gayles, a U.S. district judge for Florida’s Southern District, initially dismissed the defamation suit, asserting it did not rise to “actual malice” standards for public figures alleging defamation, as Trump argued. However, Trump has refiled the $10 billion defamation lawsuit. The suit claims Trump suffered “overwhelming” damage – both financially and reputationally – due to the “defamatory” accusations of the report.
The Trump White House has continued to deny the accusations. Last September, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt took to X, writing, “The latest piece published by the Wall Street Journal PROVES this entire ‘Birthday Card’ story is false. As I have said all along, it’s very clear President Trump did not draw this picture, and he did not sign it.”
“President Trump’s legal team will continue to aggressively pursue litigation. Furthermore, the ‘reporter’ @joe_palazzolo who wrote this hatchet job reached out for comment at the EXACT same minute he published his story giving us no time to respond,” she continued. “This is FAKE NEWS to perpetuate the Democrat Epstein Hoax!”
