Donald Trump plans to sue the Wall Street Journal over claims he sent a lewd letter to Jeffrey Epstein, asserting the article is false and defamatory.

 Former U.S. President Donald Trump declared on Thursday his intention to tak  legal action against the Wall Street Journal for publishing what he describes as a "false, malicious, and defamatory" article. The piece claims that in 2003, Trump sent a lascivious letter to American financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Epstein was found hanged in his New York jail cell on August 10, 2019, as he awaited trial on charges of sexual misconduct.

On his social media platform, Truth Social, the Republican billionaire stated that "President Trump will soon be suing the Wall Street Journal, News Corp, and its owner, Rupert Murdoch." He stressed that he had "personally" warned them before Thursday's publication of the article.

"False, Malicious, and Defamatory"

Trump expressed regret that, despite his warning, the newspaper persisted in publishing what he calls a "false, malicious, and defamatory" article. He insisted that if there were so much as a shred of truth to the Epstein "hoax," political rivals would have exposed this information long ago.

According to the newspaper, Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's associate, requested several close friends, including Trump, then a real estate mogul, to contribute to a guestbook-type collection celebrating Epstein's 50th birthday.

The article alleges Trump contributed a risqué message, like others included in the book. The Wall Street Journal claims Trump's letter was a typed note on several lines, accompanied by a drawing of a woman. Trump supposedly signed the letter over the figure of the woman, insinuating an inappropriate context.

Trump refuted these claims on Truth Social, stating, "These are not my words... I told Rupert Murdoch it was a scam and that this false story should not be published, but he did, and now I'll be suing him."

The "Hoax"

In another bid to quell the uproar from part of his base, Trump mentioned on Truth Social that he had asked former Attorney General Pam Bondi to publish all "relevant" grand jury testimonies in this case, "if the court" consents to release them.

Furthermore, he insisted, "This hoax promoted by the Democrats should stop immediately."

Meanwhile, Bondi stated on "X" that she was ready to ask courts, starting Friday, to release the grand jury transcripts.

After the Wall Street Journal published the article, Democratic Congressman Pat Ryan remarked, "I think we now know why exactly Donald Trump doesn't want the Epstein documents released."

Epstein's death has fueled various conspiracy theories suggesting he was killed to prevent the disclosure of sensitive information about prominent individuals.

On July 7, the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation reported finding no new evidence in Epstein's case that would justify the release of new documents.

Their memorandum confirmed Epstein's death as a suicide and noted a thorough review of the entire case file uncovered neither a "client list" for a sex trafficking network nor "credible evidence of him blackmailing influential individuals."

These findings left part of Trump's support base, eager for shocking revelations upon his return to power, disappointed. His administration had pledged to "unearth" the "disgusting" details of this case. In February, Bondi agreed to release numerous Epstein case documents, though they lacked significant information, in the name of "President Trump's commitment to transparency." In June 2022, Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison.