Press must learn to be truthful: Trump to sue WSJ for Epstein case report

US President Donald Trump on Friday (IST) said that he will sue The Wall Street Journal, News Corp, and Rupert Murdoch, adding that the press has to learn to be truthful, and not rely on sources that probably don’t even exist.

 

Trump's warning comes after The Wall Street Journal published a report alleging that he sent a birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein, the wealthy financier, who was charged with sex offences.

 

Taking to his private social media platform, 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 further added that he had personally warned the Journal's owner, Murdoch, and its editor-in-chief, Emma Tucker, claiming that the letter was "fake." 

   

The Wall Street Journal report exposes Trump's ties with Epstein

 

According to The Wall Street Journal's report, a collection of letters was gifted to Epstein by his one-time girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, on the occasion of his 50th birthday in 2003. The collection of letters also included a note bearing Trump's name and an outline of a naked woman.  

 

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday (local time), Trump denied writing the letter or drawing the picture. He said, "This is not me. This is a fake thing. It’s a fake Wall Street Journal story." He further clarified, "I never wrote a picture in my life. I don’t draw pictures of women."

 

The report also states that the collection of letters sent to Epstein included poems, photos, and greetings from businesspeople, academics, Epstein's former girlfriends, and childhood friends.

 

White House not to recommend special prosecutor in Epstein case

 

Earlier on Friday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the US President "would not recommend" appointing a special prosecutor to investigate the Jeffrey Epstein case. At a weekly press briefing, she added that Trump has asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to release any evidence on the Epstein files if she finds any.

 

Taking to Truth Social, Trump said, "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!"

 

The reaction from Trump comes a day after he lashed out at his supporters and accused them of being "weaklings", adding that they are falling prey to Democratic “bullshit” about Epstein. Trump's remarks came as several of his supporters are now seeking more information to be released in the Epstein case. 

 

Trump's ties to Epstein

 

After billionaire Elon Musk accused Trump of being in the Epstein files and calling it a reason for not releasing the files in a fallout last month, the latter has found himself embroiled in a controversy. Media reports have suggested that Trump and Epstein were friends for years; they saw each other frequently at high-society parties in Florida and New York. 

 

According to a report in The New York Times, Trump spoke highly of Epstein in a 2002 interview and called him a friend whom he had known for over 15 years. He further added, "It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”

 

While running for the US President's office for his second term, Trump stated that he would ‘probably’ make the case-related files public if re-elected. However, many of his supporters have now expressed disappointment after he has failed to deliver.    

Jeffrey Epstein case

 

In 2006, Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy financier, was charged with sex offences after the parents of a 14-year-old told the police that their daughter was molested by Epstein at his Florida home. A report in The New York Times mentioned that Epstein used to pay teenage girls money to perform sexual acts and used Maxwell, his one-time girlfriend, to manage his stable of victims. 

 

In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to two felony charges, which included soliciting a minor. He was arrested later in 2019 in New York after he was accused of trafficking minor girls. He died in his prison cell on August 10, 2019, while awaiting a trial.