'It's a dead issue': Trump declines to comment on alleged Epstein letter

Trump was asked by NBC News for comment on the alleged note.

President Donald Trump declined to comment on the letter he allegedly signed for Jeffrey Epstein's 50th "birthday book" in 2003, calling it a "dead issue" when asked by NBC News.

"I don't comment on something that's a dead issue. I gave all comments to the staff. It's a dead issue," Trump said on Tuesday morning, according to NBC News.

On Monday, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released an image of the birthday message allegedly sent by Trump, after the panel received documents and communications from Epstein's estate.

Trump's denied writing the letter, calling it "fake" after the Wall Street Journal first reported on the birthday book and the alleged contribution from Trump in mid-July. Trump also filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the newspaper. Dow Jones, the parent company of the Journal, said it has full confidence in the accuracy of the reporting.

The White House on Monday denied the signature on the birthday message belongs to the president.

"As I have said all along, it's very clear President Trump did not draw this picture, and he did not sign it. President Trump's legal team will continue to aggressively pursue litigation," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X.

Trump hasn't publicly weighed in on the latest developments beyond his brief comments to NBC News.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, on Tuesday took aim at Democrats on the panel for their handling of the documents received from the Epstein estate.

"The Democrats, they find one thing in there, and they promote it and try to get a narrative. This investigation is about providing justice and accountability for the victims," Comer said.

Comer also told reporters the committee expects to receive more documents as part of its Epstein probe.

"We've got a lot more documents we expect to get in," he said. "We're going to bring a lot of people in for deposition, so this investigation is moving along very rapidly, and hopefully we'll get some answers and some justice very soon."

Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia, the ranking member on the panel, said after Monday's disclosure that Trump has more to answer for on the Epstein matter.

"The Oversight Committee has secured the infamous 'Birthday Book' that contains a note from President Trump that he has said does not exist," Garcia said in a statement. "It's time for the President to tell us the truth about what he knew and release all the Epstein files. The American people are demanding answers."

Epstein was arrested in July 2019 and charged in a federal indictment with conspiracy and child sex trafficking. He died in custody a month later, while awaiting trial. His death was ruled a suicide by hanging.