A Wall Street Journal exposé claims Donald Trump mailed Jeffrey Epstein a bawdy 50th‑birthday card in 2003, complete with a nude sketch and the line, “Enigmas never age.”
Trump calls the story “fake,” threatens a whopping $10 billion lawsuit, while the Journal stands by its reporting. Who’s right?
Let’s weigh five facts that are tipping some people towards believing, “Yeah, he probably did write that letter.”
Note: All individuals are presumed innocent of any wrongdoing unless proved otherwise. Allegations remain contested; this is opinion and speculation only. Comment below if you think he did or didn’t author the letter.
He Does Draw (Despite Denying It)
When the story broke, Trump insisted, “I never wrote a picture in my life.” Yet at least five Trump doodles have sold at charity events and auctions for thousands of dollars, all from roughly the same era as the alleged Epstein card.
The doodles sold include skyline sketches, a “money tree,” even a gold‑Sharpie cityscape.
He’s even acknowledged as much. In his 2008 book ” Trump Never Give Up,” he wrote, “It takes me a few minutes to draw something, in my case, it’s usually a building or a cityscape of skyscrapers, and then sign my name, but it raises thousands of dollars to help the hungry in New York.”
“Enigma” Is Actually in His Vocabulary
Critics argued Trump would “never use” such a lofty word. Video and transcripts prove otherwise: at a 2015 Iowa rally he twice called rival Ben Carson “an enigma.” So the word isn’t out of character, and it’s exactly the one the Journal says appeared in the card.
They Really Were Friends
Photos, party lists and Trump’s own 2002 quote—“He’s a lot of fun to be with”—show the two men socialized for roughly 15 years before a 2004 real‑estate spat. Friendship doesn’t prove authorship or wrongdoing, but it makes a personal, joking birthday note a lot more plausible.
Trump Has a Note‑Writing Track Record
From 27 letters with Kim Jong Un he used to show off to 150 personal letters reprinted in his 2023 book Letters to Trump, the former president revels in swapping intimate, often flamboyant correspondence with the famous and powerful. A risqué birthday greeting fits that pattern.
The WSJ’s High‑Stakes Bet
Trump’s lawsuit could cost the paper billions if it can’t back up its scoop, yet Dow Jones says it has “full confidence in the rigor and accuracy” of its reporting. Mainstream outlets rarely gamble on thin sourcing in a defamation minefield this big, and it likely went through everyone, including Rupert Murdoch, before it got the green light. This is another clue the letter likely exists.
Also worth noting is that the Wall Street Journal is a right-of-center publication. It’s not like it’s The New York Times or The Atlantic making the allegations.
Bottom Line
None of these points is a smoking gun, and Trump flatly denies the card. But taken together—his proven doodling, documented use of “enigma,” long friendship with Epstein, extensive history of personal letters, and the Journal’s willingness to risk a massive suit—the odds tilt toward “He probably did.”
Whether the card surfaces in court or leaks to the public, the mystery won’t remain an enigma forever.
By the way, there’s a 50% chance, according to the prediction market Kalshi, that the Trump administration releases new Epstein files this year.
