The paper claimed a 2003 birthday greeting featured a drawing of a naked woman signed by Donald

President Donald Trump has threatened legal action against the Wall Street Journal, its parent company News Corp., and media mogul Rupert Murdoch after the newspaper claimed that he authored a lewd letter to Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday.

The alleged letter was reportedly part of a leather-bound album compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell in 2003 and included a crude drawing of a nude woman, according to the Journal's exclusive report on Thursday.

"A pair of small arcs denotes the woman's breasts, and the future president's signature is a squiggly Donald below her waist, mimicking pubic hair," the report described, without explaining how the outlet obtained what it claimed was a previously unreleased Department of Justice file.

The paper acknowledged that Trump strongly denied the allegation, but went ahead with publication. "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," the Journal quoted Trump as saying.

Several hours after the story broke, Trump accused Murdoch and WSJ Editor Emma Tucker of deliberately spreading "defamatory lies."

"The Wall Street Journal, and Rupert Murdoch, personally, were warned directly by President Donald J. Trump that the supposed letter... was a FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued," Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.

He described the "once great" paper as a "disgusting and filthy rag" that was desperately trying to "stay relevant." Trump vowed to sue the WSJ, News Corp., and Murdoch "shortly," citing his history of successful lawsuits against major media outlets.

Epstein was arrested in 2019 and charged with trafficking minors for sex. He allegedly hanged himself in his New York jail cell before standing trial. His longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, was later convicted of conspiring to sexually abuse underage girls and is now serving a 20-year sentence. Although Epstein's death was officially ruled a suicide, it has long been the subject of public skepticism.

Earlier this week, Trump responded to growing criticism over his administration's handling of the Epstein case, claiming that only "stupid people" still demand access to the sex offender's alleged "client list."

(RT.com)