WSJ Strikes Back After Trump Lawsuit: "Trump's Name Appears Multiple Times in Epstein Documents"

WSJ Reports Again on Trump-Epstein Connection
Attorney General Bondi Briefed Trump at White House Meeting in May
White House Refutes: "Another Piece of Fake News"

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), which was sued for a large sum in a defamation lawsuit by U.S. President Donald Trump over the "Jeffrey Epstein Gate" article, reported additionally on the 23rd (local time) that President Trump's name appears multiple times in documents related to Epstein. The White House immediately refuted the report, calling it "another piece of fake news."

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Quoting a senior U.S. administration official, the WSJ reported that earlier this year, when Attorney General Pam Bondi and Justice Department officials reviewed documents related to Epstein, President Trump's name appeared multiple times. It is said that Attorney General Bondi reported this fact to President Trump during a White House meeting in May.

This contradicts President Trump's previous statements. On the 15th, when an ABC reporter asked President Trump, "Did the Attorney General say your name appears in the (Epstein) documents?" he replied, "No. It was just a simple briefing." If the WSJ's report is true, it would mean President Trump lied.

However, the WSJ noted that the mere mention of President Trump's name in the documents does not mean he committed any wrongdoing. The Justice Department considers the information related to individuals named in the Epstein documents to be unverified. Attorney General Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche explained, "We informed the President as part of a regular briefing," and added, "There was nothing in the documents that would justify further investigation or prosecution."

At the time, Attorney General Bondi told President Trump that the documents contained materials related to child sex crimes and victims' personal information, and therefore would not be released. President Trump reportedly agreed to follow the Justice Department's decision.

Regarding the WSJ report, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung criticized the WSJ, saying, "This is another piece of fake news, just like their previous article."

Previously, on the 17th, the WSJ also reported that President Trump had sent a birthday letter to Epstein for his 50th birthday, which included an obscene drawing depicting a naked woman. In response, President Trump filed a lawsuit demanding $10 billion in damages against the two reporters who wrote the article, as well as Rupert Murdoch, the founder of News Corp, the parent company of the WSJ.

Epstein, who threatens President Trump's political standing, was a billionaire and former hedge fund manager. He was arrested in 2019 on charges of habitual sexual exploitation of minors and later died by suicide in jail. At the time of Epstein's death, there were suspicious circumstances, such as the CCTV being turned off at specific times, which fueled suspicions about the cause of his death. Since then, rumors have persisted about the existence of a list of political and business figures who were directly or indirectly involved with Epstein in sex trafficking.

Supporters of President Trump have urged that President Trump should disclose the sex trafficking list after taking office, claiming that Democratic figures are blocking its release. Attorney General Bondi also stated in February, "The Epstein list is now on my desk," raising expectations that the list would soon be made public.

However, when Attorney General Bondi reversed course on the 7th, saying that the list does not exist, dissatisfaction erupted among the "MAGA" (Make America Great Again) camp toward President Trump. Afterward, with the WSJ publishing reports alleging connections between President Trump and Epstein, discontent among his supporters has intensified even further.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.