【By Observer News, Wang Yi】As the Trump campaign in the United States is at odds over whether to disclose documents related to the late American businessman Jeffrey Epstein, Trump has strongly denied any connection with Epstein and downplayed his existence. However, U.S. media exposed a birthday letter that Trump wrote to Epstein on July 17, directly contradicting Trump's claims. Under pressure, Trump announced that night that he would release "all related" grand jury testimony from the Epstein case.

On the evening of the 17th, Trump posted on his self-created social media platform "Truth Social," stating: "Given the absurd attention that Jeffrey Epstein has received, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce all relevant grand jury testimony, but it must be approved by the court. This scam, created entirely by Democrats, should end now!"

The Washington Post pointed out that it is currently unclear which testimonies Trump is referring to, as these testimonies are legally confidential. However, the records of the state grand jury that investigated the Epstein case in 2006 were made public in 2024.

Shortly before Trump announced this news, the Wall Street Journal独家 reported on the same day that in 2003, when Epstein celebrated his 50th birthday, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell created a leather-bound birthday album for him, collecting letters, poems, and hand-drawn pictures from dozens of friends including Trump.

In 2000, Trump (right, front row) posed with Epstein and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell. Visual China

This birthday album was discovered when Epstein was first arrested in 2006 and became one of the important documents in the investigation of the case for years. According to files reviewed by the Wall Street Journal, what Trump left in this birthday album was very "bawdy", containing explicit depictions of female bodies, as well as Trump's signature and birthday greetings.

One section written in the third person describes a dialogue between Trump and Epstein:

"Trump: Yes, there is, but I won't tell you what it is.

Epstein: Neither will I, because I know what it is.

Trump: We have something in common, Jeffrey.

Epstein: Yes, we do, think about it.

Trump: The riddle never gets old, don't you notice?

Epstein: Actually, I knew clearly when I last saw you.

Trump: A friend is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday — may every day be another wonderful secret."

When questioned, Trump firmly denied having written this letter or drawn this picture. He responded to the newspaper on July 15, saying, "This is not me. It's fake. It's a fake article from the Wall Street Journal."

"I have never drawn a picture in my life. I don't draw pictures of women," Trump said. "It's not my language. It's not my words." He also threatened to sue the Wall Street Journal if the report was published, "just like I sued others."

The Epstein case was first exposed in 2006, and in 2008, Epstein was sentenced to 18 months in prison for soliciting and enticing minors to engage in prostitution. After serving 13 months in prison, Epstein was released and continued to associate with celebrities. In 2017, with the rise of the U.S. #MeToo movement, the Epstein case was again uncovered and investigated. Later, he was arrested again in 2019 and died in prison the same year. The official U.S. explanation was suicide. However, due to Epstein's close relationships with political and business figures such as Trump and former President Bill Clinton, some people suspect that his death had other reasons.

A spokesperson for Clinton stated that he had severed ties with Epstein more than a decade before his second arrest and was unaware of the charges against him.

The Wall Street Journal noted that Epstein and Trump were frequently seen together during the 1990s and early 2000s, and were often photographed together at social events. A video tape from an NBC archive in 1992 showed them gathering at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, where someone saw Trump pull a woman toward him and pat her back.

In a 2002 article in New York Magazine, Trump said, "I've known Jeff (Epstein's nickname) for 15 years. He's a great guy, and it's fun being with him. Some even say he likes beautiful women just like me, and many of them are young. There's no doubt about it — Jeffrey enjoys his social life."

Both men claimed they later had a falling out. Trump insisted their friendship ended before Epstein's 2008 conviction. When Epstein was arrested again in 2019, Trump said they hadn't spoken for about 15 years. Trump said, "I know him like everyone in Palm Beach, and I can tell you I'm not a fan of his."

Recently, due to a joint memo issued by the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI stating that there was no "client list" in the Epstein case and that no more related documents would be released, the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) faction within Trump's supporters experienced internal conflict. Some could not accept this conclusion, believing that the Trump administration was hiding something, as Bondi had hinted earlier this year that the rumored Epstein client list "was on her desk" waiting for her to review and prepare for release.

Bondi had publicly released the "first phase" of the documents in February, but these materials were unremarkable and drew criticism from right-wing individuals. The change of heart by the Department of Justice and the FBI on July 7 put Bondi in the spotlight, with some even demanding her resignation.

Trump repeatedly publicly supported Bondi and claimed that the so-called Epstein documents were fabricated by his predecessors "Obama, Biden, and former FBI Director James Comey."

He told reporters, "He's been dead for a long time. He wasn't anything important while he was alive. I don't understand why anyone would be interested in the Epstein case," "It's boring. It's dirty, but also boring. I don't understand why this issue keeps going. I think only very bad people, including fake news, want to keep this issue going. But if they have reliable information, let them provide any reliable information."

At the same time, the Democrats seized this opportunity to attack the Trump team. Democratic members of the House Judiciary Committee this week demanded the committee chairman, Republican right-wing conservative congressman Jim Jordan, hold a hearing on how the Trump administration handled the Epstein documents, and summon Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Deputy Director Bonnin if necessary.

Facing continuous inquiries from the media and Democrats about the Epstein documents, Trump complained at an internal cabinet meeting on July 8: "People are still talking about this guy, is it that creepy? It's incredible. Do you want to waste time?"

On the same day, Musk, who had previously revealed in a feud that the FBI had withheld documents related to Trump's Epstein case, also wrote on the social media platform X, "If Trump doesn't release the Epstein documents, how can people trust him?"

This article is an exclusive piece by Observer News. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7528264698555286054/

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