Washington (BN24) – The White House on Tuesday said it would support a forensic review of a letter purportedly signed by President Donald Trump and given to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a document that Democrats released this week and that Trump’s aides insist is a forgery.
The letter, which surfaced in a birthday book for Epstein and included a sketch of a woman’s body alongside a cryptic note about “secrets,” was made public Monday by Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives. The document, reportedly written more than two decades ago, has already become a new flashpoint in the congressional investigation into Epstein’s network and potential connections to powerful figures.
Trump, who was acquainted with Epstein in the 1990s before a falling out years prior to Epstein’s 2019 death in a New York jail, has denied signing or authorizing the letter. His spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt, dismissed the document as fake and said the White House welcomed independent verification.
“The president did not write this letter. He did not sign this letter,” Leavitt told reporters. “The president has one of the most famous signatures in the world, and he has for many, many years.” She added that Trump also did not sign a separate check linked to Epstein that has been circulated by investigators.
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., who subpoenaed Epstein’s estate for documents including the so-called birthday book, said Tuesday he trusted Trump’s denial. “The president says he did not sign it, so I take the president at his word,” Comer told reporters, though some Republicans, including Rep. Thomas Massie, said a forensic analysis should be carried out.
The controversy underscores the enduring political fallout of the Epstein scandal. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll released Tuesday showed 65% of Americans believe the government is withholding information about Epstein’s death, ruled a suicide, and 72% believe details about his client list remain hidden. Support for Trump’s handling of the issue rose among Republicans, from 35% in July to 44% in August, though only 17% of the general public approved.
Leavitt accused Democrats of weaponizing the Epstein case to damage Trump ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. “This is a desperate attempt to concoct a hoax and smear the president of the United States,” she said.
Despite the White House signaling openness to forensic verification, Comer said his committee is unlikely to devote resources to examining a decades-old signature, leaving the authenticity of the Epstein letter unresolved for now.
