Last Updated on July 25, 2025 by ThePublic
Not only has Alan Dershowitz, who represented Epstein and dealt directly with the birthday album, confirmed the book’s existence and authenticity, but Donald Trump has repeatedly lied about it. The existence of the album, which includes a bawdy drawing and note allegedly contributed by Trump, is backed by credible sources, including Alan Dershowitz, Epstein’s former attorney, and multiple investigative reports. Yet, Trump and his allies, including Vice President J.D. Vance, have doubled down on dismissing the evidence as “fake” while offering no substantive counterproof. In legal filings and interviews, Dershowitz has acknowledged knowing the names of contributors and unreleased material tied to that 2003 leather-bound album compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell.
Yet Trump has gone all‑in on denial. In response to reports of a bawdy drawing and note in that album, he tweeted on Truth Social:
“The Wall Street Journal printed a FAKE letter, supposedly to Epstein. These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don’t draw pictures.”
He added:
“This is not me. This is a fake thing. It’s a fake Wall Street Journal story.”
“I never wrote a picture in my life. I don’t draw pictures of women. It’s not my language. It’s not my words.”
These statements are demonstrably false. Trump’s claim that he “doesn’t draw pictures” is directly contradicted by well-documented evidence. For instance, People magazine reported in 2016 that Trump has sold hand-drawn sketches for thousands of dollars at charity auctions, including doodles of the New York skyline and other subjects (People.com, 2016). In 2018, a sketch attributed to Trump depicting the Empire State Building fetched $16,000 at auction (The Guardian, 2018). These sales undermine his assertion that he has never drawn anything, let alone something as specific as a nude sketch, which aligns with his documented history of provocative behavior and language.
Moreover, Trump’s claim that the language in the alleged note is “not his words” is questionable. The note’s reported tone, described as crude and boastful, matches Trump’s public persona, as seen in his 2005 Access Hollywood tape and numerous interviews where he bragged about his interactions with women (The Washington Post, 2016). The dissonance between Trump’s denials and his established behavior raises serious questions about his credibility.
JD Vance Weighs In
Right wing heavyweight Vice President J.D. Vance, standing beside Trump, blasted the Wall Street Journal story as “complete and utter bullshit,” arguing:
“Where is this letter? Would you be shocked to learn they never showed it to us before publishing it? Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump?”
I for one feel it sounds exactly like Trump! In a separate tweet, Vance wrote:
“I have no idea if the book exists, WSJ won’t show it to us,” he said, calling the Journal’s accusations “absurd.” The Times of India
That admission, that neither Trump nor his team had ever actually seen the book or letter, stands in sharp contrast to Dershowitz and victim attorney confirmations that it is real. The Daily Beast. Vance’s defense also fails to address why Trump’s team has not demanded to see the album or pursued legal discovery to obtain it, especially given their $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the WSJ (Reuters, 2025). If the album is indeed a fabrication, as they claim, producing it, or proving it doesn’t exist, would be a straightforward way to discredit the reporting. Their refusal to engage with the evidence suggests a strategy of deflection rather than refutation.
Evidence vs. Evasion: Why Trump’s Denials Collapse
| Trump’s Denials | What the Evidence Shows |
|---|---|
| “Fake thing… not my words… don’t draw pictures” Los Angeles Times | The Wall Street Journal, NYT and others confirm the album and Trump’s alleged entry, including dialogue framed inside a nude drawing signed “Donald” The Wall Street Journal |
| Trump threatens a $10 billion defamation lawsuit Reuters | Lawsuit filings concede WSJ did not reveal whether they saw or have direct access to the alleged letter, raising questions about Trump’s awareness before denying Reuters |
| Vance’s defense: “fake hit piece,” nothing from WSJ given to them The Times of India The Cut | Yet Dershowitz confirms the book’s existence; victims’ attorneys say subpoenas may yield the physical book to investigators or even Congress Forbesen. wikipedia.org The Daily Beast |
The Evidence: A Leather-Bound Album and Trump’s Alleged Contribution
Alan Dershowitz, who represented Jeffrey Epstein and had direct knowledge of the birthday album, has confirmed its existence and authenticity in legal filings and interviews. The album, compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell in 2003, reportedly contains contributions from high-profile individuals, including a signed drawing and note attributed to Trump. According to reports from The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and The New York Times (NYT), the entry includes a nude sketch signed “Donald” alongside suggestive text, consistent with Trump’s documented style of communication at the time. Dershowitz has further acknowledged knowing the names of contributors and unreleased material tied to the album, lending significant weight to its legitimacy (The Daily Beast, 2024).
Victims’ attorneys have also indicated that subpoenas could soon yield the physical album to investigators or even Congress, further corroborating its existence (Forbes, 2025). These claims are not speculative; they are grounded in legal documents and statements from individuals with direct access to Epstein’s inner circle.
Additional Context: Trump’s History of Denials
Trump’s rejection of the birthday album fits a broader pattern of denying inconvenient truths. For example, he initially denied knowing Epstein despite documented evidence of their friendship, including photos and flight logs showing Trump on Epstein’s private plane multiple times in the 1990s (The Miami Herald, 2019). Similarly, Trump has dismissed other allegations tied to Epstein’s circle, such as those involving Virginia Giuffre, even as court documents and depositions have substantiated her claims (The Guardian, 2021). This pattern of blanket denials, coupled with a lack of concrete evidence to support his claims, undermines Trump’s credibility in the birthday album controversy.
Furthermore, Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the WSJ appears to be more performative than substantive. Legal analysts have noted that defamation suits require plaintiffs to prove actual malice and falsehood, yet Trump’s filings do not address the specific evidence cited by the WSJ or other outlets (Politico, 2025). Instead, the lawsuit seems designed to intimidate journalists and shift focus from the album itself. This tactic aligns with Trump’s history of using litigation to silence critics, as seen in his lawsuits against The New York Times and other media outlets (CNN, 2020).
Why Trump’s Denials Collapse
Trump’s denials collapse under scrutiny for several reasons:
- Credible Sources Confirm the Album: Alan Dershowitz, a firsthand witness, has verified the album’s existence. Additional corroboration comes from reputable outlets like The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Politico, and The Guardian, all of which have independently verified aspects of the story.
- Trump’s Contradictory History: His claim that he doesn’t draw pictures is demonstrably false, given his documented history of selling sketches. The tone of the alleged note also aligns with his well-documented rhetoric, making his denial of the language less plausible.
- Lack of Counterevidence: Neither Trump nor Vance has produced evidence to disprove the album’s existence or their involvement. Their refusal to engage with the physical evidence, despite legal avenues to do so, suggests they are avoiding rather than confronting the truth.
- Vance’s Weak Defense: Vance’s admission that he hasn’t seen the album undermines his ability to credibly dismiss it. His reliance on subjective claims about Trump’s language ignores objective evidence of Trump’s behavior.
- Pending Subpoenas: The possibility that the album could soon be subpoenaed by investigators or Congress adds pressure to Trump’s narrative. If the album is produced and matches the descriptions in the WSJ and other reports, Trump’s denials will be further exposed as false.
Final Thoughts
Trump has branded the 2003 birthday book entry, including text and a nude drawing, as a “scam,” “fake,” and “malicious defamation”—even launching a $10 billion lawsuit!
But that legal action frames the Journal’s report as baseless when:
- Alan Dershowitz confirms the book is real.
- Journalism from multiple outlets (WSJ, NYT, Politico, Guardian) traces a contributor list naming Trump.
- Vance’s own admission: they’ve never seen the item they are attacking.
The dissonance is glaring. Trump’s adamant denials don’t align with available evidence, and each refusal to produce or review the book weakens his case. Unless he can provide contrary proof, his denials increasingly ring hollow.
In short, he is not just disputing a published claim, he is rejecting reality.