WSJ published an article covering a bawdy birthday card, with special wishes, that Trump drew and expressed for Epstein on his 50th birthday- We’ll get to that article at the end- What I find interesting is Trump spent several days prior to the WSJ article being published threatening aka lobbying the publisher.
We’ll start with the lobbying aka threats:
Trump spent several days lobbying to block the publishing the story
Trump spent several days lobbying Murdoch, Wall Street Journal editor Emma Tucker and News Corp chief executive Robert Thomson to stop the paper from publishing the story.
After the Journal published its story on Thursday evening, Trump claimed it was “false, malicious, and defamatory”.
He lashed out at Murdoch in a series of social media posts, threatening to “sue his ass off, and that of his third rate newspaper”.
Spokespeople for Murdoch, News Corp and Dow Jones did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The White House declined to comment.
The legal action comes as the Trump administration has sought to contain fallout from a memo by the Department of Justice and FBI that earlier this month said t
here was no Epstein “client list” and no “credible evidence” that he had “blackmailed prominent individuals”.This marked a reversal from Trump’s campaign pledge to release files on Epstein’s death by suicide in 2019. US attorney-general Pam Bondi said in February that a “client list” was “sitting” on her desk for review.
It’s being reported that Trump has filed a lawsuit, though a copy of the complaint was not immediately available
Donald Trump sues Dow Jones, News Corp, Rupert Murdoch, WSJ reporters for libel, court records show
July 18 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit on Friday against Dow Jones, News Corp (NWSA.O)
July 18 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit on Friday against Dow Jones, News Corp (NWSA.O) Rupert Murdoch and two Wall Street Journal reporters, raising claims under federal libel law, court records show.
A copy of the complaint was not immediately available. The case was filed in Miami federal court.
And now to the WSJ article via archive.ph
It was Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday, and Ghislaine Maxwell was preparing a special gift to mark the occasion. She turned to Epstein’s family and friends. One of them was Donald Trump.
Maxwell collected letters from Trump and dozens of Epstein’s other associates for a 2003 birthday album, according to documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
Pages from the leather-bound album—assembled before Epstein was first arrested in 2006—are among the documents examined by Justice Department officials who investigated Epstein and Maxwell years ago, according to people who have reviewed the pages. It’s unclear if any of the pages are part of the Trump administration’s recent review.
The president’s past relationship with Epstein is at a sensitive moment. The Justice Department documents, the so-called Epstein files, and who or what is in them are at the center of a storm consuming the Trump administration. On Wednesday, after angry comments about how the files are a hoax created by Democrats, President Trump lashed out at his own supporters for refusing to let the matter go.
The letter bearing Trump’s name, which was reviewed by the Journal, is bawdy—like others in the album. It contains several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker. A pair of small arcs denotes the woman’s breasts, and the future president’s signature is a squiggly “Donald” below her waist, mimicking pubic hair.
The letter concludes: “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
Allegations that Epstein had been sexually abusing girls became public in 2006 and he was arrested that year. Epstein died in 2019 in jail after he was arrested a second time and charged with sex trafficking conspiracy.
Justice Department officials didn’t respond to requests for comment or address questions about whether the Trump page and other pages of the birthday album were part of the agency’s recent documents review. The FBI declined to comment.
The existence of the album and the contents of the birthday letters haven’t previously been reported.
The album had poems, photos and greetings from businesspeople, academics, Epstein’s former girlfriends and childhood pals, according to the documents reviewed by the Journal and people familiar with them.
Among those who submitted letters were billionaire Leslie Wexner and attorney Alan Dershowitz. The album also contained a letter from a now-deceased Harvard economist, one of Epstein’s report cards from Mark Twain junior high school in Brooklyn and a note from a former assistant that included an acrostic with Epstein’s name: “Jeffrey, oh Jeffrey!/ Everyone loves you!/ Fun in the sun!/ Fun just for fun!/ Remember…don’t forget me soon!/ Epstein…you rock!/ You are the best!”
You can read the rest at the archive.ph link
Before signing off I’d like to add. Epstein was a mover and a shaker. He was, in my opinion, a money launderer of some significance. He was tied to Iran/Contra and other arms deals. Don’t know who among you caught the Daryl Cooper/Tucker Carlson interview? If you haven’t, it’s worth the time to listen. The Trump association is there. As much as Trump makes claims to the otherwise, it’s there.
In my opinion, this is whyTrump could never drain the swamp because he is part of that foul swamp.