【By Chen Sijia, Observer News】The U.S. "Wall Street Journal" recently revealed that U.S. President Trump once wrote a crude birthday card to the late American businessman Epstein, including drawings that were "very vulgar." Trump firmly denied having written the letter or drawing any related pictures, claiming he "has never drawn a single picture in his life."

However, the U.S. "New York Times" reported on July 18 that Trump's explanation is not credible, as he had long been enthusiastic about donating his artwork to charity organizations. After Trump was first elected president in 2017, some of his signed artworks were sold for tens of thousands of dollars at auction.

Records show that in the early 2000s, Trump regularly donated drawings to charity organizations in New York, many of which were done with black markers and highlighted his signature. For example, in 2003, Trump donated a sketch to a charitable organization called the Capuchin Soup Kitchen, depicting the Manhattan South Side Development Project, which was later sold at Sotheby's.

Trump's sketch of the Manhattan South Side Development Project, Sotheby's

In 2005, Trump created a sketch titled "Manhattan Skyline" for a charity event. In 2017, during Trump's first term, this painting was sold for $29,000 at the Nate D. Sanders Auction House in Los Angeles.

The founder of the auction house, Nate Sanders, said at the time: "You can't find a $29,000 presidential signature except for the Founding Fathers or Abraham Lincoln. This is an extremely high price, almost unprecedented for a modern U.S. president."

Trump's "Manhattan Skyline" sketch, Nate D. Sanders Auction House

In 2006, Trump drew a sketch of a bridge, depicting the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, New Jersey, which was eventually sold for $4,480. Trump also painted a picture of dollars falling from a tree, which was named "Money Tree" by the auction house and sold for $8,500.

Trump's sketch of the George Washington Bridge, Julian Auction

Trump's artwork "Money Tree", Leland Little Auction

In a 2008 autobiography, Trump stated: "I spend a few minutes drawing something, usually a building or a cityscape of skyscrapers, then sign my name. But this can raise thousands of dollars, helping hungry people in New York through the Capuchin Soup Kitchen program." He also admitted: "Art is not my strength."

Trump's sketch of the Empire State Building in New York with a black marker, Julian Auction

Recently, the issue of Epstein's case files has put Trump in a public relations crisis. Before taking office, Trump loudly promised to expose the truth behind the Epstein case. However, the memorandum released last week by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) attempted to hastily conclude this shocking sexual abuse case, stating there was no "client list" and no more documents would be released regarding the case.

As the Trump camp was divided over whether to release the files, the "Wall Street Journal" uncovered more records of Trump's correspondence with Epstein. The newspaper revealed that in 2003, when Epstein celebrated his 50th birthday, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell created a birthday album for him, collecting messages, poems, and hand-drawn pictures from dozens of friends, including Trump.

This birthday album was found when Epstein was first arrested in 2006 and became one of the important documents in the investigation of the case over the years. According to the "Wall Street Journal" reviewed documents, what Trump left in this birthday album was very "bawdy," including crude drawings.

Trump strongly denied having written the birthday card or drawing any related pictures, saying on July 15: "This is not me. It's fake. It's a fake 'Wall Street Journal' report. I have never drawn a single picture in my life, I don't draw pictures of women. These are not my words, nor is it my way of speaking."

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

However, the "New York Times" pointed out that according to existing records, Trump not only frequently created sketches in the past, but his style of drawings also matches the description provided by the "Wall Street Journal" about the content of the letter. According to the disclosure, Trump's birthday card to Epstein included "a few lines of printed text with the outline of a naked woman as a border, seemingly hand-drawn with a thick marker."

Trump has filed a defamation lawsuit against News Corp, Dow Jones, media mogul Rupert Murdoch, and two "Wall Street Journal" journalists as of the local time on the 18th. Murdoch's news group includes the "Wall Street Journal," "New York Post," and HarperCollins Publishing, among other print publications, while Dow Jones is a subsidiary of News Corp.

This article is an exclusive piece by Observer News. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7528677790356275712/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author. Please express your opinion by clicking on the 【top/down】 button below.