Lawrence shares a note Trump sent him comparing its signature to the Epstein birthday note signature - The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell

Summary4 min read

The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell

Episode: Lawrence shares a note Trump sent him comparing its signature to the Epstein birthday note signature
Date: September 9, 2025
Host: Lawrence O'Donnell (MSNBC)

Brief Overview

In this episode, Lawrence O’Donnell examines the controversy surrounding a newly revealed Donald Trump-signed birthday note to Jeffrey Epstein, scrutinizing its authenticity and the White House’s adamant denials. Drawing on his own history with Trump, including a personal handwritten note signed by Trump, O’Donnell compares signatures and shares insights into the ongoing political fallout. The episode reflects both on the evidence at hand and the strategies used by Trump’s defenders to cast doubt or distract from the facts.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Release and Examination of the Epstein Birthday Note

A subpoena of the Epstein Estate yielded Epstein’s 50th birthday book, which included a typewritten, illustrated note from Donald Trump, now public and widely viewed.
Early press, especially the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), described the note's appearance but initially withheld the image.
The note: Typewritten inside the hand-drawn outline of a naked woman with Trump’s signature ("Donald," as pubic hair).
Quoting the WSJ’s physical description, O’Donnell provides context for the public’s reaction:
- "The letter bearing Trump's name ... is bawdy, like others in the album ... a naked woman ... a squiggly Donald below her waist, mimicking pubic hair." (01:50)

2. Trump's and the White House’s Shifting Denials

Trump previously sued the WSJ, claiming the birthday note "did not exist," describing it in legal documents as the “non ex letter.”
Each level of official response—from the White House to the Vice President—has shifted:
- The White House persists: “It is not Trump’s signature.”
- The Vice President flatly dismissed the letter’s authenticity with:
  - “No one is falling for this B.S.” (05:00)
O’Donnell highlights the irony:
- “The White House press secretary's job was to say that the release of the letter, ‘proves this entire birthday card story is false.’” (05:40)
Despite their denials, the White House released samples of Trump’s signature looking similar to the birthday book signature, yet insisted on TV and social media these were not the same.

3. Media Analysis and Public Perception

The WSJ and other outlets compared the drawing and language of the note to Trump’s proven public behaviors and writing style.
Trump’s use of the word “enigma” in the note matches his known vocabulary.
O’Donnell observes:
- “The White House has good reason to believe that a significant portion of Trump supporters will refuse to believe their eyes if Donald Trump or someone working for Donald Trump tells them to refuse to believe their eyes.” (07:50)
The show explores the psychological strategy: By publicly doubting the authenticity of visible evidence, the administration relies on loyal supporters’ willingness to believe counter-narratives.

4. Lawrence’s Own Trump Signature Example

O’Donnell reveals he received a signed handwritten note and a $10,000 check from Trump in January 2016—just “best wishes, Donald,” paralleling the Epstein note’s signature style.
Notable context:
- The donation came from the Donald J. Trump Foundation (later closed for fraud).
O’Donnell’s surprise at the friendly gesture is underscored by Trump’s long public animosity.
- “By the time Donald Trump's friendly note arrived with that check, he'd already called me … one of the dumber people on television, dopey, a fool, and many more such things.” (11:20)
- “The check Donald Trump sent me was from the Donald J. Trump Foundation, which we now know was operating so fraudulently that it is no longer allowed to operate in the state of New York.” (10:50)

5. Comparing the Signatures

O’Donnell notes both the Epstein letter and his own note were signed simply, “Donald.” Both signatures are similar in appearance.
He provides a personal anecdote on the ethical dilemma of accepting the contribution as a journalist:
- “I couldn't accept, of course, any kind of contribution … given that I report on presidential candidates. I hope you understand this predicament.” (13:00)
He ultimately replaced the Trump contribution with his own donation for transparency.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Trump’s Legal Pleadings:
“Lawyers are not supposed to put lies in writing in legal pleadings and good lawyers never do.” — Lawrence O’Donnell (01:10)
On Public Denial Despite Evidence:
“So the strategy there is to show Trump supporters signatures that look like Donald Trump's signature, but insist they don't look like Donald Trump's signature so that Trump supporters will think they don't look like Donald Trump's signature.” — (08:10)
On Trump’s Past Insults:
“Trump had called me … one of the dumber people on television, dopey, a fool, and many more such things. … The friendly note came as a surprise.” — (11:20)

Timestamps for Important Segments

00:00–03:00: Introduction to the Epstein birthday note scandal and its revelation
03:00–07:00: Reactions from Trump and White House officials, denial tactics
07:00–09:30: Psychological tactics in public relations, signature analysis
09:30–12:30: Lawrence’s personal story: receiving and handling Trump’s handwritten note and donation
12:30–15:00: Comparing signatures and ethical discussion of journalistic integrity

Tone and Speaker Style

O’Donnell maintains his trademark sharp, skeptical tone, blending legal analysis, political history, and personal experience.
He references political tactics and psychological maneuvers with dry wit and pointed commentary.
The summary captures O’Donnell’s directness when addressing lies and evasions in public political narratives.

This episode offers an in-depth, layered look at political image management, evidentiary truth, and the ways political leaders and their teams attempt to control perception even in the face of tangible evidence. O’Donnell's unique personal anecdote and expertise ground the broader media circus in tangible, first-hand experience.

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Transcript1 lines

[00:00]
A
Well, as of this hour, Donald Trump remains silent. Donald Trump is silent about the worst thing that happened to him today. The House Oversight Committee following a lead that Carson Ro Khanna, who will join us tonight, picked up from a guest on this program. Attorney Bradley Edwards obtained through a subpoena to the Epstein Estate, the 50th birthday book, book of sex trafficker and child rapist and friend of Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein. When the Wall Street Journal first reported the existence of the birthday book on July 17, Donald Trump sued the Wall Street Journal and included in the official pleadings of his lawsuit what we tonight know were lies. Donald Trump said that the birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein bearing his signature did not exist. His lawsuit called it, quote, the non ex letter. Lawyers are not supposed to put lies in writing in legal pleadings and good lawyers never do. By now, the world knows that the letter that Donald Trump in effect swore under oath in his lawsuit does not exist. Not only exists, but it's now been seen around the world. And it appears exactly the way the Wall Street Journal first described in the very first news report about the letter, which, which did not include at the time in the Journal actually showing a copy of the letter. Here is the letter which the Wall Street Journal described this way in its first report on July 17th. Quote. The letter bearing Trump's name, which was reviewed by the Journal, is bawdy. Like others in the album, it contains several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman which appears to be hand drawn with a heavy marker. A pair of small arcs denotes the woman's breasts. And the future president's signature is a squiggly Donald below her waist, mimicking pubic hair. Inside the outline of the naked woman was a typewritten note styled as an imaginary conversation between Trump and Epstein written in the third person. DONALD we have certain things in common. Jeffrey. JEFFREY yes, we do. Come to think of it, Donald, enigmas never age. Have you noticed that? JEFFREY As a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you. Donald a pal is a wonderful thing. Happy birthday. And may every day be another wonderful secret. The Donald signed letter to Jeffrey Epstein is no longer a wonderful secret. The signature on the birthday note does look like Donald Trump's signature. Donald Trump has not yet denied that it is his signature, but it became the official White House position today that that is not Donald Trump's signature. The Vice President of the United States used profanity back in July when attacking the Wall Street Journal and demanding on social media at the time an answer to the urgent question, where is the letter? Today, when the letter was produced, the vice President's response in writing was, no one is falling for this B.S. well, okay, Mr. Vice President, but you could have at least acknowledged that your eager question, where is the letter? Has been answered. No Trump White House press secretary has ever gotten through a day without lying. And today the White House press secretary's job was to say that the release of the letter, quote, proves this entire birthday card story is false. It's very clear President Trump did not draw this picture and he did not sign it. The Wall Street Journal and its report today included an analys of the public evidence of Donald Trump's artistic drawing style over the years, as well as his frequent choice of language, which includes some of the language in the birthday note, including the word enigma, which Donald Trump has proven in the past that he does actually know. And the Wall Street Journal produced signatures on other Trump notes that do look like the signature in the birthday book letter. At the same time, a deputy White House chief of staff was given the job of posting on social media a few examples of Donald Trump's signature that actually do look like the signature in the birthday book, but the White House social media post says it is not his signature. So the strategy there is to show Trump supporters signatures that look like Donald Trump's signature, but insist they don't look like Donald Trump's signature so that Trump supporters will think they don't look like Donald Trump's signature. The White House has good reason to believe that a significant portion of Trump supporters will refuse to believe their eyes if Donald Trump or someone working for Donald Trump tells them to refuse to believe their eyes. And as I told Rachel, I have my own entry to offer in the Trump handwriting samples. In the second week of January in 2016, I got my one and only note from Donald Trump. It was a handwritten note and he signed it best wishes, Donald. Just the first name. Just like the birthday letter. It was a very friendly note that I received from Donald, Donald, Donald, as he put it, Donald Trump. And it was almost generous, and I say almost generous because it included a contribution to my favorite charity. But the check Donald Trump sent me was from the Donald J. Trump foundation, which we now know was operating so fraudulently that it is no longer allowed to operate in the state of New York. And how been disbanded. The Donald J. Trump foundation, according to an investigation by Attorney General Letitia James, was filled with money that did not come from Donald Trump. And so if Donald Trump made a rare contribution from the Donald J. Trump Foundation. It usually wasn't his money. The Trump check that he sent was for $10,000. It was from the Donald J. Trump Foundation. And on the show that night, I told the story of receiving the check from a presidential candidate and house that it came from someone who up to that moment had been publicly attacking me for five years, first for calling him a liar in 2011 when he opened his mouth about President Obama's birth certificate, and many times after that. By the time Donald Trump's friendly note arrived with that check, he'd already called me in various tweets, one of the dumber people on television, dopey, a fool, and many more such things. And back when I was accurately predicting the exact day when Donald Trump would announce announced that he was not running for president against President Obama in 2012, Donald Trump tweeted, Lawrence will soon be off TV. Bad ratings. He has a face made for radio. Donald Trump was actually privately urging NBC to get rid of me in those days. And so the friendly note came as a surprise in January 2016 from someone who I didn't know and who I believed hated me. And on the show that night, I read my response to Donald Trump about receiving that note, and I just said that I said in a letter to Donald Trump that I wrote on the show that I couldn't accept, of course, any kind of contribution or pass on any kind of contribution from a presidential candidate, given that I report on presidential candidates. I asked him, I hope you understand this predicament. And then, of course, I, in the end said, in the meantime, because of. Because I was diverting this contribution, I myself would replace the Trump check with a $10,000 check of my own that I then gave to.