President Donald Trump on Thursday ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the release of more case materials related to the late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The order follows days of withering criticism mostly from conservative and MAGA influencers online after the Justice Department released a memo last week stating that there was no “Epstein client list,” no conspiracy surrounding his apparent suicide while in custody in a New York City jail, and that no additional information would be forthcoming despite campaign pledges to release all info related to the financier.
“Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval. This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
On Thursday, Bondi posted online that she was ready to petition the court to have the documents unsealed by Friday, but it’s not clear that a judge will agree, Politico reported.
Meanwhile, former DOGE boss Elon Musk has come to Trump’s defense following the publication of a “birthday letter” the president allegedly sent to Epstein around 2003.
The article alleges that materials from the Epstein investigation years ago included a 2003 birthday letter book, featuring one letter with the outline of a nude woman and a visible signature reading “Donald.”
The letter purportedly concludes with: “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
The article alleges that materials from the Epstein investigation years ago included a birthday letter book, featuring one letter with the outline of a nude woman and a visible signature reading “Donald.”
The letter purportedly concludes with: “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
Musk wrote on X in response to the claim: “It really doesn’t sound like something Trump would say tbh [to be honest].”
On Truth Social, Trump denounced the report as “false, malicious, and defamatory,” saying he had warned The Wall Street Journal, its parent company NewsCorp, and Chairman Emeritus Rupert Murdoch that they would face legal action if it was published.
“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,” the post read.
The Journal did publish the letter, leading Trump to post a second legal threat.
“The Wall Street Journal printed a FAKE letter, supposedly to Epstein. These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don’t draw pictures. I told Rupert Murdoch it was a Scam, that he shouldn’t print this Fake Story. But he did, and now I’m going to sue his ass off, and that of his third rate newspaper,” Trump wrote.
“President Trump has already beaten George Stephanopoulos/ABC, 60 Minutes/CBS, and others, and looks forward to suing and holding accountable the once great Wall Street Journal,” he also posted.
Immediately following the publication of the alleged letter, White House officials decried it as completely false.
Vice President JD Vance wrote on X that it was “complete and utter bullshit,” echoing the expletive Trump used this week to describe the current Epstein news cycle.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt, whom Trump said had also told WSJ editor-in-chief Emma Tucker the story was “fake,” called it a “hatchet job article” and claimed the outlet “refused to show us the letter and conceded they don’t even have it in their possession when we asked them to verify the alleged document.”
When reporters pressed on Thursday about whether Bondi would release more Epstein-related documents, Leavitt said she would only do so if the DOJ or FBI uncovered any new “credible evidence.”