For weeks, Donald Trump has waged war over a story he claimed was fabricated. On Monday, members of Congress released the very evidence he insisted never existed: a crude birthday doodle allegedly penned by Trump for Jeffrey Epstein in 2003.
The image, shared by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, matches a July description published by The Wall Street Journal. Lawyers for Epstein’s estate turned it over as part of an evidence review, and lawmakers chose to make it public.
The sketch is striking. Several lines of typewritten text are framed by the outline of a naked woman, hand-drawn with a heavy marker. A pair of arcs mark her breasts. Beneath her waistline appears a squiggly “Donald.” Inside the frame is an imagined dialogue between Trump and Epstein:
Trump: “We have certain things in common, Jeffrey.”
Epstein: “Yes, we do, come to think of it.”
Trump: “Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?”
Epstein: “As a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you.”
The note concludes: “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
At the time of the WSJ report, Trump denounced the account as pure fiction. “This is not me. This is a fake thing,” he told the outlet. “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.” He followed up with a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Journal and its parent company, including Rupert Murdoch, vowing to drag its reporters into depositions.
But the release of the image has now put Trump on the defensive. Internet sleuths immediately noted the flaw in his earlier denial: Trump has drawn pictures before. His doodles have appeared at high-profile auctions, including a 2004 skyline sketch sold at Sotheby’s, an Empire State Building drawing that went for $16,000 at Julien’s Auctions, and a “money tree” sketch that fetched $8,500. All bore his distinctive signature.
In fact, Trump himself admitted to the practice in his 2010 book Never Give Up. “Each year, I donate an autographed doodle to the Doodle for Hunger auction at Tavern on the Green,” he wrote. “It’s a great event.”
The birthday doodle resurfaced in the broader context of Congress’s inquiry into Epstein’s network, including the government’s handling of evidence tied to his long history of abuse. Epstein, who died in prison in 2019, reportedly kept the birthday book on display and counted Trump among his “bragging” connections, according to survivor testimony.
The revelation comes at a politically perilous time. Trump, already facing multiple legal battles and controversies, now has to reckon with the release of a document he claimed was fabricated. His denial, coupled with his lawsuit, has only intensified scrutiny.
The White House did not respond to requests for comment.
For Trump’s critics, the doodle is another reminder of the shadow Epstein continues to cast over politics, even years after his death. For his supporters, it will be spun as another partisan hit job. But for Congress, the release marks another flashpoint in an investigation that is far from over.
One thing is certain: a sketch once whispered about, then dismissed as “fake news,” now exists in plain sight—and with it, new questions about the relationship between a disgraced financier and the man who would later become president.
