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By James Bickerton
News Reporter
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A number of drawings produced by President Donald Trump have resurfaced after it was reported that he sent a "bawdy" letter and sketch to Jeffrey Epstein to mark his 50th birthday.
In response to a Wall Street Journal report that he sent a letter and sketch of a naked woman to Epstein in 2003, five years before the financier was convicted of child sexual abuse, Trump said, "I never wrote a picture in my life."
The Wall Street Journal declined to comment when contacted by Newsweek, while the White House said it had nothing to add beyond Trump's public statements.
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Why It Matters
In recent weeks, Trump has faced a backlash from a section of his base after his Justice Department published a memo saying Epstein died by suicide while in federal custody in 2019. The agency also concluded that there was no evidence Epstein possessed an "incriminating 'client list.'"
The president has since blamed Democrats for what he calls the "Jeffrey Epstein Hoax," which he has branded a "SCAM." Conspiracy theorists have long suggested that Epstein kept a list of clients involved in child abuse whom he blackmailed and that he could have been murdered to protect powerful individuals—claims the FBI and Department of Justice deny.
What To Know
The Wall Street Journal reported this week that a letter bearing Trump's name was among dozens of birthday notes that Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's longtime associate, collected from the financier's family and friends as a 50th birthday gift.
The Journal said the letter bearing Trump's name was dated 2003 and featured several lines of typewritten text surrounded by the outline of a naked woman sketched in marker.
Speaking to the Journal, Trump denied any involvement, saying: "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."
On Truth Social, the president added: "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. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"
Trump previously sold a number of his drawings at charity auctions. One sketch of the Empire State Building bearing Trump's signature was sold at an auction in Florida around 1995 and put up for sale again in 2017, The Guardian reported at the time.
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Trump also produced a signed drawing of the New York skyline in 2004 for the Capuchin Food Pantry's benefit Doodle for Hunger. It was later resold by the auction house Sotheby's.
In 2017, the BBC reported that another sketch of the New York skyline that Trump had produced for a 2005 charity auction had resold for $30,000.
On X, Adam Kinzinger, a former Republican U.S. representative and Trump critic, shared nine sketches of skyscrapers or the New York skyline that Trump had signed. He added: "Trump loves to draw. Just saying."
In his 2008 book, Trump Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges Into Success, the president wrote, "Each year I donate an autographed doodle to the Doodle for Hunger auction at Tavern on the Green."
What People Are Saying
California Governor Gavin Newsom shared a screenshot on X of a 2019 Washington Post article about one of Trump's drawings going up for sale. He captioned it with the president's quote: "I never wrote a picture in my life."
House Republican Thomas Massie wrote on X: "Some folks are eager to sweep the Epstein files under the rug, but we will force the vote on my legislation to release the Epstein files in September if the required 7 legislative days don't elapse before the Speaker recesses Congress for August break."
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday: "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."
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether the Trump administration will release additional documentation related to the Epstein case or whether it will be enough to satisfy his critics.
Update 7/18/25, 9:43 a.m. ET: This story has been updated to note responses from The Wall Street Journal and the White House.
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