Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion lawsuit against Dow Jones and Rupert Murdoch over a Wall Street Journal article claiming he wrote a sexually suggestive birthday message to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003.

Trump insists the note mentioned in the article is fake and says the piece amounts to defamation and a violation of libel laws.

The lawsuit was announced just as the US Justice Department asked a court to unseal records linked to Epstein’s case, including his secret grand jury testimony.

In a strongly worded social media post, Trump wrote: “We have just filed a powerhouse Lawsuit against everyone involved in publishing the false, malicious, defamatory, fake news 'article' in the useless 'rag' that is, The Wall Street Journal. I hope Rupert and his 'friends' are looking forward to the many hours of depositions and testimonies they will have to provide in this case.”

According to the article, the alleged 2003 birthday greeting sent to Epstein was styled with a typewritten note framed by an outline of a naked woman drawn in marker.

It reportedly included lines written in the third person that referenced an imaginary exchange between Trump and Epstein, including the phrase: “Enigmas never age” and ending with “A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret.”

Trump immediately dismissed the article, saying: “These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don’t draw pictures.” He also claimed that both Murdoch and the Journal had been warned about the consequences of publishing the story.

Dow Jones, which owns the Wall Street Journal, defended the report, with a spokesperson telling the BBC: “We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit.”

Trump and Murdoch, who have had a long and often tense relationship, were recently seen together watching the FIFA World Cup final and earlier this year at the White House. Despite past clashes, Murdoch's media empire has been credited with playing a role in Trump’s political rise.

The controversy erupted as pressure mounts on the US government to reveal more about the Epstein case. On Thursday, Trump ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to request the release of grand jury materials from the 2019 sex trafficking investigation into Epstein, who was accused of abusing dozens of girls as young as 14.

The Justice Department has now made the formal request, saying the records meet the standard for public interest and should be unsealed.

They are also asking for documents from the case against Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate who was convicted for her role in the trafficking operation.

Normally, grand jury materials remain secret to protect witnesses and the legal process, but judges can allow disclosure in cases of high public interest. Whether or not the materials will be released — or what details they may contain — remains uncertain.

The developments have sparked anger among some of Trump’s own supporters, many of whom have demanded full transparency. Republican sheriff Chad Bianco, who is running for California governor, said: “Trump’s handling of the Epstein files was not what I was expecting.

Millions of us are disappointed. We feel like we’re being talked down to like stupid children.”

The backlash also triggered calls for Attorney General Bondi to step down after she reversed her stance on releasing some of the Epstein documents. In response, several lawmakers from across the political divide, including Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene and Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, are backing a discharge petition that would compel the Justice Department to release a broader range of Epstein-related files.

As legal battles, political pressure, and public outrage collide, the Trump lawsuit adds another explosive layer to the growing demand for answers in one of the most controversial criminal cases in recent American history.