Vice President JD Vance slammed House Democrats’ release of alleged Jeffrey Epstein documents Monday, saying they were working with allies in the mainstream media to create political theater designed only to damage President Donald Trump.
Case and point: Included among the alleged documents is a “birthday card” from former President Bill Clinton to Epstein which the media quickly overlooked.
The House Oversight Committee released over 200 pages of letters allegedly compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell, including what Democrats claim is a “birthday card” from Trump to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
House Democrats posted the alleged document on social media with the message: “HERE IT IS: We got Trump’s birthday note to Jeffrey Epstein that the President said doesn’t exist. Trump talks about a ‘wonderful secret’ the two of them shared. What is he hiding? Release the files!”
The alleged card ends with “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret” inside the drawing of a woman’s silhouette, reported first by The Wall Street Journal.
Here’s what House Democrats released —
🚨🚨HERE IT IS: We got Trump’s birthday note to Jeffrey Epstein that the President said doesn’t exist.
Trump talks about a “wonderful secret” the two of them shared. What is he hiding? Release the files! pic.twitter.com/k2Mq8Hu3LY
— Oversight Dems (@OversightDems) September 8, 2025
Vance responded sharply to the document release on social media platform X.
“The Democrats don’t care about Epstein,” Vance wrote. “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. No one is falling for this BS.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the documents part of a “Democrat Epstein Hoax” and said the alleged Trump “birthday card” was fake.
The latest piece published by the Wall Street Journal PROVES this entire “Birthday Card” story is false.
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…
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) September 8, 2025
The Wall Street Journal reported on the alleged “birthday card” in July but withheld publication until Monday’s committee release.
Deputy White House Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich claimed the document’s signature disproved the story, writing on X —
Time for @newscorp to open that checkbook, it’s not his signature. DEFAMATION! https://t.co/O6iKk4SYF5 pic.twitter.com/T0wlp36P9h
— Taylor Budowich (@TayFromCA) September 8, 2025
The document collection also included a letter allegedly signed by former President Bill Clinton that praises Epstein’s “childlike curiosity, the drive to make a difference, and the [illegible] of friends.”
Rep. James Comer, the Republican chairman who submitted a subpoena for the documents in late August, defended Trump while criticizing Democrats’ handling of the release.
“It’s appalling Democrats on the Oversight Committee are cherry-picking documents and politicizing information received from the Epstein Estate today,” Comer said. “Oversight Committee Republicans are focused on running a thorough investigation to bring transparency and accountability for survivors of Epstein’s heinous crimes and the American people. President Trump is not accused of any wrongdoing and Democrats are ignoring the new information the Committee received today. The Committee will pursue additional Epstein bank records based on this new information. Democrats must decide if their priority is justice for the survivors or politics.”
Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, accused Trump of lying about his connections to Epstein.
“Mr. President, this is not a hoax; you are lying to the American public. You are involved in a cover-up,” Garcia said in a video statement on X.
The committee said it plans to pursue additional Epstein bank records based on the new information from Monday’s document release.
Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a frequent Republican critic of Trump, has been circulating a discharge petition to force a vote on releasing more Epstein documents. Massie told ABC News Sunday he expects to have the necessary 218 votes to force a floor vote “by the end of September.”
Only a handful of Republicans have joined Massie’s petition so far. Trump’s political allies are planning to spend seven figures in advertisements against Massie in his 2026 primary race, viewing his efforts as a distraction from Trump’s legislative agenda and the September 30 government funding deadline.
Trump has filed lawsuits against multiple media outlets over Epstein-related coverage, including cases against Rupert Murdoch, Dow Jones & Company Inc., News Corporation, and The Wall Street Journal reporters who authored the original story.
The president has successfully pursued defamation cases against major media outlets in recent months. ABC News paid $15 million in December to settle Trump’s lawsuit after host George Stephanopoulos incorrectly claimed Trump was found liable of rape.