MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Trump demands release of Epstein documents to stop revolt, threatens to sue WSJ

The controversy escalated after The Wall Street Journal published a birthday letter supposedly written by Trump and decorated with sexually suggestive drawings

U.S. President Donald Trump has asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to release portions of the grand jury materials from the Jeffrey Epstein case in an effort to calm the growing discontent within the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement. The move follows The Wall Street Journal’s publication of a 2003 birthday letter allegedly written by Trump to the convicted sex offender — a letter Trump claims is “fake,” threatening legal action against the newspaper and its owner, Rupert Murdoch.

“We are ready to ask the court to release those transcripts tomorrow,” Bondi said on X, responding to Trump’s post on his social media platform, Truth: “Given the ridiculous amount of publicity surrounding Jeffrey Epstein, all grand jury material that is pertinent should be made public.”

The documents in question refer to the early stages of the criminal investigation. However, MAGA supporters and conspiracy theorists argue that releasing only limited materials is insufficient. They demand access to Epstein’s private jet flight logs, compromising video and audio files, and the alleged “black book” with names of high-profile individuals linked to his child trafficking network — none of which have been proven to exist.

The controversy escalated after The Wall Street Journal published a birthday letter supposedly written by Trump and decorated with sexually suggestive drawings. According to the paper, it was part of a surprise organized by Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s close associate later convicted for her role in his crimes. Trump denied writing the letter and said, “I don’t draw women.” The Journal stands by the authenticity of the document.

The timing of the publication has intensified pressure on the Trump administration, which had pledged full transparency in the Epstein affair. In 2019, Epstein was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. A recent Justice Department report concluded it was a suicide and that there is no secret list of celebrities or politicians involved — a statement that only fueled more conspiracy theories among Trump’s base.

In a series of posts, Trump blamed Democrats and former officials like James Comey and Hillary Clinton for what he called the “Epstein hoax.” He claimed that if the letter were real, “they would have released it years ago,” not now “when ‘TRUMP’ has won three elections” — a false assertion, as Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential race.

The judge overseeing the potential document release will need to balance public interest with the protection of victims, a factor often neglected by Epstein conspiracy circles over the past six years. Meanwhile, the Epstein scandal remains a political minefield for Trump, who now appears to be leaning on media warfare and legal threats to contain the damage within his own movement.