The White House on Tuesday dismissed as a forgery a letter purportedly signed by U.S. President Donald Trump for convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after the document was released by House Democrats.
The note, said to have been found in Epstein’s “birthday book” more than 20 years ago, contained a sketch of a woman’s body and a cryptic reference to secrets. Trump, who acknowledged knowing Epstein socially before severing ties years before his death, rejected any link to the document. “That’s not my language. It’s nonsense,” he told reporters, insisting the signature was not his.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt reiterated the denial, saying: “The president did not write this letter. He did not sign this letter.” She also said Trump never signed a check to Epstein that has circulated online.
The disputed signature has intensified partisan tensions around the Epstein case. House Oversight Committee chair James Comer said he believed Trump’s denial, while Republican Rep. Thomas Massie urged a forensic review, saying the handwriting resembled Trump’s.
Polls show the issue poses risks for Trump: only 17% of Americans approve of his handling of the Epstein controversy, though support among Republicans has risen to 44% from 35% in July.
Leavitt accused Democrats of using the matter to smear the president. “They are desperately trying to concoct a hoax to damage the president of the United States,” she said. Comer, however, suggested the committee is unlikely to pursue an official forensic analysis of the decades-old letter.
