Former President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he plans to sue The Wall Street Journal and its parent company, News Corp, over what he called a “false, malicious, and defamatory” report linking him to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. In a bold move, Trump also directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to begin efforts to unseal grand jury records from Epstein’s criminal case — a highly unusual and legally complex step.
“Given the absurd amount of attention this Epstein nonsense is receiving, I’ve instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the release of all relevant grand jury testimony, pending court approval,” Trump posted on his social media platform. He blamed Democrats for perpetuating what he described as a “SCAM,” and demanded an immediate end to it.
Trump’s remarks came shortly after The Wall Street Journal published a report alleging he had once sent Epstein a sexually suggestive birthday card. Trump denied the claim, asserting that the document in question was fabricated and that he had warned both Journal owner Rupert Murdoch and Editor-in-Chief Emma Tucker ahead of publication.
“I told Rupert Murdoch and Emma Tucker that the letter was FAKE, and yet they published it anyway,” Trump wrote. “I’ve already defeated George Stephanopoulos, ABC, 60 Minutes, and others in court — and now it’s The Wall Street Journal’s turn.”
The White House rapidly responded to the article, labeling it completely false. Vice President JD Vance called the report “complete and utter bullshit” on X, echoing Trump’s own language from earlier in the week. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also denounced the story, calling it a “hatchet job” and alleging that the Journal could not produce the letter in question.
“They wouldn’t even show us the document when we asked. They admitted they don’t have it,” Leavitt said.
News Corp and The Wall Street Journal declined to comment on the matter.
Leavitt initially told reporters Thursday that the administration had no immediate plans to release further Epstein-related materials, unless new credible evidence emerged. She emphasized that the Justice Department had already conducted a comprehensive review and released a joint memo backed by the FBI director, the deputy FBI director, and the attorney general.
However, that position appeared to shift within hours. Following Trump’s post, Bondi confirmed her office was prepared to ask a judge to unseal grand jury transcripts as soon as Friday.
Still, legal experts cautioned that unsealing grand jury records is a rare and difficult process. Grand jury proceedings are protected under strict confidentiality rules, and courts are generally hesitant to override them — especially in sensitive cases involving still-living victims and witnesses.
The Epstein case remains legally active, particularly because Epstein’s longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, is still appealing her conviction for aiding in the sexual abuse of minors. Furthermore, grand jury testimony represents only a narrow slice of the Justice Department’s broader cache of Epstein-related evidence. Any release, even if approved by a judge, is unlikely to include the so-called “Epstein files” — videos, photographs, and FBI interview summaries that conspiracy theorists often cite.
Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), a former federal prosecutor, noted on X that grand jury testimony would focus mainly on Epstein and Maxwell and likely exclude key materials.
Trump’s threat against The Wall Street Journal comes amid a string of lawsuits he’s waged against major media outlets. He recently settled defamation suits with ABC News and CBS News’ parent company, Paramount, for a combined $31 million. He also engaged in a dispute with the Associated Press over editorial practices, temporarily barring the outlet from the Oval Office.
Although Trump and Murdoch have long maintained a mutually beneficial relationship, it has faced strains in recent years — particularly during Trump’s second term, when he regularly criticized Murdoch-owned outlets for unflattering coverage and unfavorable polls.
In fact, Vice President Vance met with Murdoch and top Fox News executives at the media mogul’s Montana ranch just weeks ago, adding intrigue to the current tensions.
The Journal’s report, citing unnamed sources, claims Trump had sent Epstein a lewd birthday greeting — a claim the former president flatly denies. Speaking to the paper by phone, Trump dismissed it as a fabrication: “A fake thing. A fake Wall Street Journal story.”
“I’m going to sue The Wall Street Journal, just like I sued everyone else,” he reportedly told the outlet.
In his follow-up post on social media, Trump reiterated that both he and Leavitt told Tucker the story was fabricated, but claimed the editor “didn’t want to hear that.”
The renewed focus on Epstein follows the recent release of a long-awaited Justice Department memo, which found no evidence that Epstein was murdered in his jail cell or that a so-called “client list” exists — a blow to years of internet-fueled speculation.
Still, many of Trump’s close allies — including Speaker Mike Johnson, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, and activist Laura Loomer — have called for greater transparency regarding Epstein’s ties to the rich and powerful.
With the president now threatening lawsuits and demanding the release of sealed court documents, the political fallout from the Epstein saga appears far from over.
