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New Delhi: US President Donald Trump has sued the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and its owner Rupert Murdoch for at least $10 billion. The reason is a report that suggested Trump purportedly sent a raunchy letter to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 to mark his 50th birthday. The WSJ report claimed that the birthday greeting had Trump's name on it and it also included a sexually suggestive drawing.
The Wall Street Journal in its article said that a letter bearing Trump's name "contained several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker". "Inside the outline of the naked woman was a typewritten note styled as an imaginary conversation between Trump and Epstein, written in the third person," the paper reported.
Who was Jeffrey Epstein and what are conspiracy theories surrounding his death?
Jeffrey Epstein, who is at the centre of conspiracy theories causing political headwinds for Trump, was a well-connected American financier and facing charges for allegedly sex trafficking underage girls. He was first charged with sex offenses in 2006. He was found dead in a mysterious circumstance in a New York prison cell in 2019. His death was ruled a suicide.
Six years after his death, several conspiracy theories surfaced surrounding his alleged suicide that became a rare point of contention between Trump and his Republican base of supporters. Trump's typically loyal supporters believed that the authorities were trying to hide details about Epstein's links with the rich and powerful elites. Epstein's association with wealthy and powerful people trigerred speculation that one or more of them wanted him silenced.
With backlash from his base not abating, Trump in an apparent attempt to quell his supporters' obsessions with the case on Friday said that he has ordered the justice department to produce additional documents related to Epstein. His decision came amid mounting pressure from some of his most loyal supporters who are demanding further disclosures in the Epstein case.
Though Trump supporters are not including him in their conspiracy theories, despite his previous link with Epstein, they were outraged when the Justice Department and FBI announced on July 7 in a joint memo that the disgraced financier did not blackmail any prominent figures. The memo drew an immense backlash from Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement.
Trump's connection with Epstein
While re-running for presidential race, Trump had said he would “probably” release what have come to be known as the “Epstein files.” However, since taking office, many of Trump's supporters have been disappointed as no files related to the case was released.
Trump was a close friend of Epstein for 15 years before parting ways with him in 2006 when the financier's legal troubles became public. The two were also seen multiple times in social situations in the 1990s and early 2000s. Trump distanced himself from the financier, claiming he was “not a fan”. He also slammed his supporters for their obsession with the Epstein case, wondering why they are wasting "time and energy”.
“I’ve known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy,” Trump was quoted as saying by New York magazine in 2002. “He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.” In 2019, Trump told reporters that he and Epstein had a "falling out".
