On Thursday, former President Donald Trump ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the release of additional materials related to the Jeffrey Epstein case. This move came in response to mounting criticism from MAGA supporters and conservative voices after the Justice Department recently stated there was no Epstein “client list” and denied any conspiracy around his jailhouse death.

Trump took to Truth Social to denounce the ongoing coverage as a “SCAM perpetuated by the Democrats” and instructed Bondi to petition the court for the release of grand jury testimony, pending approval. Bondi indicated her readiness to file by Friday, though it remains uncertain if a judge will permit the unsealing of documents.

Controversy intensified following reports that a 2003 birthday letter from Trump to Epstein was discovered in Epstein’s files. The letter allegedly featured a nude drawing and the message: “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret,” signed “Donald.” Elon Musk responded skeptically on X, saying it didn’t sound like Trump’s voice. Trump, for his part, called the letter a fake and threatened legal action against The Wall Street Journal, which published the report.

Trump doubled down, claiming he warned Rupert Murdoch and NewsCorp not to run what he described as a defamatory and fabricated letter. He promised to sue for damages and criticized the outlet’s credibility, referencing past legal victories against other media outlets.

White House officials, including VP JD Vance and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, echoed Trump’s denials and criticized the story as baseless, demanding proof of the letter’s authenticity.