MAGA claims Trump signature in Epstein birthday book is fake
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MAGA influencers largely dismissed House Democrats' release of the birthday letter President Trump allegedly wrote for Jeffrey Epstein in 2003, claiming the signature is a forgery.
Why it matters: The reaction underscores how thoroughly many of Trump's allies have moved past the scandal surrounding Epstein, the disgraced financier and sex trafficker who died in prison in 2019.
- Over the summer, many of Trump's most loyal followers were baffled by the president's insistence on moving on from the case — claiming the government was gaslighting them as they demanded transparency.
- But the movement swiftly coalesced behind Trump after The Wall Street Journal first reported about his alleged entry Epstein's birthday book in July, and it hasn't looked back.
What they're saying: MAGA's collective hand-wave on Monday — centered on claims the signature in the released photo was forged — shows how far the Epstein scandal has receded in the movement's rearview mirror.
- "Does the below from the WSJ look like this actual signature from the President? I don't think so at all. Fake," MAGA activist Charlie Kirk posted on X.
- "Is this really the best they could do? Trump has the most famous signature in the world. Time to sue them into the oblivion," added podcaster Benny Johnson.
- The White House echoed those arguments, with deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich claiming vindication because the signature did not match several of Trump's recent autographs.
Vice President Vance, who had asked where the birthday letter was after the Journal's initial report in July, posted on X: "The Democrats don't care about Epstein. They don't even care about his victims."
- "That's why they were silent about it for years. The only thing they care about is concocting another fake scandal like Russiagate to smear President Trump with lies," he added.
- Trump sued the Journal for defamation after its initial story published, seeking at least $20 billion in damages.
Between the lines: Analyses by the Journal and the New York Times found Trump's alleged signature in the birthday book — which contained only his first name, rather than the full name he uses on official documents — matched the style of several hand-written letters he penned throughout the 1990s and 2000s.
- The birthday book was turned over by Epstein's estate in response to a subpoena from the House Oversight Committee, which released dozens of documents on Monday.
Zoom out: MAGA's reactions Monday were a far cry from the early summer, when the movement erupted over a Justice Department memo declaring Epstein had killed himself and did not have a sex trafficking "client list."
- That finding clashed conspiracy theories MAGA had been fed for years, including by now-senior administration officials.
- At the time, some MAGA thought leaders were demanding Attorney General Pam Bondi's dismissal, and Trump's eagerness to move on from Epstein did little to quell the anger.
- It wasn't until the Journal's July report that the divides healed. With MAGA's immediate and comprehensive dismissal to the House Oversight Committee's release on Monday, that evolution seemed to come full circle.
"Okay, now that we know that every critic of Trump over Epstein has been totally and completely full of sh*t for the past three months, are any of them going to face any consequences?" posted Breitbart News Washington Bureau Chief Matthew Boyle.
- "Probably not, but obviously Trump and his team have been telling the truth here throughout this all."
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