"President Trump did not write or sign that letter," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on September 9, referring to a birthday letter reportedly from Trump to the convicted sex offender Epstein.
Leavitt emphasized that the White House backs the forensic analysis of the letter to prove that it is not Trump's signature. "The President has one of the most famous signatures in the world, and it's been that way for years," she added, noting that Trump did not sign checks for Epstein, contrary to some claims.
White House officials suggested that the Democratic Party is attempting to harm the president by focusing on the Epstein case, while using it to overshadow Trump's achievements during his administration. President Trump denied writing or signing the birthday letter. "That is not my signature, and that is not how I speak," he said.
Rep. James Comer, Chairman of the House Oversight Committee and leader of the congressional investigation into Epstein, also expressed confidence in Trump's denial. Comer, who requested documents related to Epstein, including the book containing the alleged birthday letter, said, "The President asserts that he did not sign the letter, and I believe him."
Republican Congressman Thomas Massie expressed hope that Comer's committee would investigate the alleged signature on the letter. "I'm not a forensic expert, but it looks like his signature. I hope they can do some analysis to clarify this, so we don't have to debate something that could be easily determined," Massie said.
However, Rep. Comer later indicated that the House Oversight Committee would likely not allocate resources to analyze a signature from several years ago.
The letter was released by Democratic members of the House Oversight Committee on social media on September 8, featuring a message written on a drawing of a naked woman's body. It appeared to be part of a book containing birthday messages sent to Epstein for his 50th birthday.
The letter captures a short exchange between "Donald" and "Jeffrey." "A friend is truly a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday, and may each day bring another great secret," the letter ends, followed by a signature thought to be Trump's. Epstein, born in 1953, was a U.S. financier arrested in New York in July 2019 on charges of luring dozens of underage girls, some as young as 14, into sexual acts. He faced up to 45 years in prison if convicted.
Epstein denied all charges and was held in a Manhattan jail, but while awaiting trial, he was found dead in his cell in August 2019 in an apparent suicide.
U.S. authorities at the time vowed to continue investigating the case and track down Epstein's accomplices. Trump, a former friend of Epstein, had promised to release records if elected, but has yet to do so and has repeatedly urged Republican voters to "not waste time" on the case, causing frustration among some of his supporters.