The naked-sketch letter: **Probably real, definitely explosive—**but the brawl over its authenticity is far from over
Donald Trump almost certainly did sign a 2003 birthday page for Jeffrey Epstein that shows a marker outline of a naked woman. The Wall Street Journal says its reporters actually held the album and saw the sketch. Trump and the White House shout “fake!”—yet his own history of selling doodles undermines his denial. Here is how the facts, the fiction, and the fury stack up.
1. A denial that tripped on its own feet
The most eye-catching correction to the viral German story is also the simplest:
Trump: “I don’t draw pictures of women.”
Reality: He has auctioned multiple drawings—including a 2017 Empire State Building sketch that fetched $16,000. (AP)
So when the former president insists he never lifts a felt-tip, investigators reached for the receipts—and found them in minutes. That self-inflicted wound turned a tabloid-style allegation into a hard-news chase.
2. What the Wall Street Journal actually reported
According to the Journal (and echoed by The Daily Beast and others), reporters:
- viewed a leather-bound “50th Birthday” album created by Ghislaine Maxwell in 2003;
- saw a Trump-signed page with:
- a marker sketch of a naked woman—breasts outlined, pubic hair suggested by Trump’s signature;
- a typed, tongue-in-cheek “dialogue” between “Donald” and “Jeffrey”;
- the line: “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
No photos of the page have been published, which feeds the White House’s claim of fabrication. Still, the physical album exists, and reporters outside the Journal confirm they’ve seen it.
Sources: [WSJ paywall], The Daily Beast
3. The backlash—loud, coordinated, and very public
- Trump on Truth Social: “TOTAL FAKE. Sue time!”
- Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt: calls the Journal story “bull----.”
- Vice-President J.D. Vance: repeats the slur on X, labels the paper “gutter gossip.”
Their talking point is clear: no letter, no sketch, end of story. But each denial simply pushed journalists to track down more corroboration.
4. Why MAGA world is angrier about the files than the drawing
Inside conservative circles the louder complaint is that the administration has released only heavily–redacted Epstein documents.
February’s DOJ “document dump” was mocked even by right-wing influencers as a “rickroll.” Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) went on Fox:
“We must put everything on the table and let the people decide.”
Washington Post
Facing the revolt, Trump on July 18 ordered Attorney-General Pam Bondi to seek court permission to unseal grand-jury transcripts. (Axios)
5. What’s verified, what’s still in limbo
Rock-solid facts
- Epstein: arrested July 6 2019, died Aug 10 2019, age 66.
- Maxwell: serving 20-year sentence, age 63.
- Trump’s 2002 praise: “Terrific guy… he likes beautiful women as much as I do.” (New York Magazine)
- Trump has sold signed sketches before.
Strongly supported but disputed by Trump
- WSJ saw an album page bearing Trump’s name, sketch, and message.
- Album compiled by Maxwell for Epstein’s 50th birthday.
Unknown / needs more proof
- Whether handwriting or signature can be forensically tied to Trump.
- How the album surfaced and who provided it to the Journal.
- Whether other politicians have pages in the same book.
6. How investigators are trying to settle it
- Hand-writing experts are requesting high-resolution scans; WSJ has not yet released them.
- Chain-of-custody documents for the album could reveal who held it between 2003 and 2025.
- Grand-jury material—if unsealed—may reference the album, giving it legal weight or debunking it.
Until then, the sketch sits in journalistic limbo: seen by reporters, unseen by the public, denied by the man whose name appears under the marker pubic hair.
7. Why the sketch matters
The drawing itself won’t decide an election or rewrite the Epstein scandal, but it:
• Re-opens the question of how close Trump and Epstein really were, despite the former president’s “not a fan” line.
• Tests the credibility of a sitting administration that already faces pressure for transparency.
• Shows how a single page of a private album can ignite global headlines—especially when the response is an all-caps denial contradicted by auction catalogs.
Bottom line
A birthday keepsake that sat unnoticed for 22 years has now sparked a trans-Atlantic shouting match. Evidence leans toward authenticity, yet final proof—high-resolution scans, forensic analysis, an unsealed chain of custody—remains locked away.
Until that light shines, the naked-sketch letter is both “probably real” and politically radioactive. Expect louder denials, fresh leaks, and, if Trump’s lawyers follow through, a courtroom fight whose exhibits may finally let the public decide whether the marker strokes really belonged to the 45th (and now 47th) president of the United States.