White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that the Trump administration would “support” a handwriting expert after Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released a letter to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein purportedly signed by the president.
“Sure, we would support that,” Leavitt said when asked if the White House would back a professional review of the signature and sketch. She denied again that President Donald Trump signed the 2003 Epstein “birthday book.”
Why It Matters
Leavitt’s comments came after the House Oversight Committee released numerous documents related to the investigation into the late financier’s alleged sexual abuses, which included a note allegedly signed by the president.
Trump and his administration have been under continuing scrutiny over their handling of the Epstein investigation following campaign promises to release files related to the case held by the Department of Justice.
What To Know
At the center of Tuesday’s questions was the issue of the note, which Leavitt again denied had been signed by Trump in 2003.
The press secretary said that the White House would support hiring a handwriting expert to verify that Trump had not been the one to sign the note, following The Wall Street Journal’s initial claim that he had.
Associated Press
Several comparisons have been made between the note and other public iterations of Trump’s signature, which Leavitt said was one of the most famous in the world.
Also among the items released on Monday was a photo of a check made out to Epstein from Trump, which had a signature unlike the one most are familiar with. When asked about the photo, Leavitt said Trump had not signed the check in question.
During the briefing, Leavitt insisted that Trump and his DOJ “had done more in terms of transparency when it comes to the Epstein case than any prior administration.”
She went on to say that Democrats only cared about the issue now because they were “desperately trying to concoct a hoax” aimed at smearing the sitting president, which she said had happened “time and time again.”
Leavitt pointed to Democratic Representative Ro Khanna and others in Congress who were pushing a measure in the House to force the release of files on Epstein, and asked why they had not done this during former President Joe Biden’s time in office.
When pushed on the allegations of a Democrat-backed hoax, Leavitt clarified that she did not think the documents were a hoax, but the narrative surrounding them was.
What People Are Saying
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday: “The president did not write that letter; he did not sign those documents. He maintains that position, and that position will be argued in court by his lawyers. The president is very confident that he’s going to win that case.”
Democratic Representative and ranking member of the House Oversight Committee Robert Garcia, in a press release: “Oversight Democrats are now carefully reviewing the contents of the book and additional documents to determine the full extent of the implications, and we expect to release our findings to the public. No matter who you are, how powerful, wealthy, or well-connected you may be, if you are involved in the abuse of young women and girls, or are implicated in any of the files we receive, you will be held accountable.”
Epstein survivor Haley Robson, speaking on CNN Monday: “Donald Trump, we are not here to point fingers or be hostile. We would like to team up with Congress and the administration to not only come to a resolution for Epstein files, but we have lives to live. For years, we’ve been ignored and disregarded. We’re not getting paid for this. We want justice.”
What Happens Next
The White House has promised to continue litigation against The Wall Street Journal for its claims, while the Oversight Committee’s investigation into the DOJ’s handling of the case continues.
Update 9/9/25, 3:11 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
