Trump's Obscene Birthday Message to Epstein REVEALED with Don Lemon

Summary

The Tara Palmeri Show

Episode: Trump's Obscene Birthday Message to Epstein REVEALED with Don Lemon
Date: September 9, 2025
Host: Tara Palmeri
Guest: Don Lemon

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Overview

This episode delves into the recent revelation of a previously unpublished, obscene birthday card allegedly sent by Donald Trump to Jeffrey Epstein, and the explosive fallout from its exposure. Tara Palmeri, an investigative journalist renowned for her Epstein reporting, joins Don Lemon to analyze the implications for the victims, the credibility of elite institutions, media reactions, and the ongoing political cover-up. The discussion is candid, sharp, and reveals what’s at stake both for the fourth estate and the powerful individuals circling Epstein’s world.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Significance of the Exposed Birthday Card

[00:22–02:37]

• Palmeri stresses this moment as a victory for Epstein’s victims—"a great day for them because it shows that some of the evidence is coming to light."
• The card adds pressure on Republican holdouts to release DOJ’s Epstein files.
• Major media (specifically The Wall Street Journal) is lauded for withstanding legal threats and "going to the mat" for their reporting, even when sued for $10 billion by Trump.
• Institutional journalism’s resources and backbone are seen as vital:

  "They can go up against these sort of attacks in a way that you and I are more vulnerable." (B, 01:50)

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2. Trump’s Pushback and Media Spin

[02:37–05:25]

• The Trump team, via press secretary Caroline Levitt, claims the letter and signature are fake, dismissing the story as a "Democrat Epstein hoax."
• Don and Tara note such spin is standard for political PR but highlight its absurdity—especially Trump’s third-person statements on Truth Social.
• The pattern of denial and defensive PR crosses administrations, but lying is called "particularly endemic to this administration."
• Several other Epstein correspondents, including Nathan Myrvold and Les Wexner, are linked to deviant or suggestive birthday messages, showing the normalization of inappropriate behavior among elites.

  "A lot of the notes to, to Epstein suggested sexual deviance in some way." (B, 05:25)

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3. Elite Networks & Institutional Complicity

[06:26–09:38]

• Palmeri references a New York Times exposé into JP Morgan’s ongoing financial support of Epstein despite internal red flags, extending the web of culpability.
• JP Morgan enabled questionable transactions, even accounts for underage girls; Deutsche Bank picked up Epstein as a client later.
• Epstein’s "hyper fixer" reputation is noted, brokering deals and providing introductions to top tech and political figures (Sergey Brin, Bill Gates, Benjamin Netanyahu).
• Implication: banking institutions facilitated or ignored sex trafficking in pursuit of wealth and connections.

  "This is a bank participating in sex trafficking, essentially by way or. Or facilitating sex trafficking." (B, 07:35)

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4. Right-Wing Reactions (and Denial)

[09:52–13:43]

• Republican figures (JD Vance, Charlie Kirk) and MAGA influencers dismiss the authenticity of the card, focusing on the signature’s veracity.
• Palmeri highlights the hypocrisy:

  "Remember when they said he doesn't use the word enigma, and then he referred to Ben Carson as an enigma...when they said he doesn't doodle and then you found out his doodles were sold at Sotheby's?" (B, 10:43)

• The right is described as scrambling to contain the story, with some, like Jack Posobiec, resorting to sarcasm to minimize its impact.
• Tara and Don assert that the response is a coordinated effort of denial, but they suspect it can’t last:

  "This is like the genie that they're trying to put back in the bottle and just will not go back in the bottle..." (A, 13:24)

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5. Was Trump a Law Enforcement “Informant”?

[13:43–17:31]

• Discussion turns to Speaker Mike Johnson’s (confused) comments implying Trump was an Epstein informant, which he soon walks back.
• Clip played where Johnson claims, "the President was helpful in trying to get Epstein for law enforcement...that's always been my understanding." (D, 15:38)
• Palmeri clarifies the facts: attorney Brad Edwards subpoenaed Trump in the course of the Crime Victims Rights Act litigation; Trump provided some leads about Epstein and his friends. Trump was, at the time, feuding with Epstein over a real estate deal rather than helping out of civic duty.
• Palmeri’s take:

  "In some ways when people don't do anything about it, like they become enablers themselves, in my opinion." (B, 18:27)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Media Courage:

  "They stuck with their reporter, they stuck with their reporting and they were willing to go to the mat..." (B, 00:40)

• On Press Strategies:

  "Their job is to speak for somebody else. Some people do it with a sort of gusto and enjoyment, I think. But I mean, he is saying in the third person, which I thought was very, very bizarre..." (B, 03:48)

• On Institutional Complicity:

  "There were so many moments from internal emails that this bank had the opportunity to cut off contact...but continued to bank for him, including setting up the bank accounts of girls under the age of 18..." (B, 06:29)

• On Right-Wing Deflection:

  "They're scrambling. They are scrambling so much. It is insane." (B, 10:43)

• On Political Calculation:

  "At some point, it's like you're...You're losing. You got to be losing credibility with your own audience if you continue to defend somebody who is not being truthful." (B, 13:02)

• On the Limits of Spin:

  "This is like the genie that they're trying to put back in the bottle and just will not go back in the bottle..." (A, 13:24)

• On Enabling Abuse:

  "...when people don't do anything about it, like they become enablers themselves, in my opinion." (B, 18:27)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:22] – Palmeri on why the birthday card is momentous for victims and journalism
• [02:37] – Caroline Levitt and Trump team’s denial strategy; press secretary dynamics
• [05:25] – List of prominent Epstein birthday card senders; normalization of perversion
• [06:26] – Deep dive on JP Morgan, Deutsche Bank, and elite networks facilitating Epstein
• [09:53] – Dissecting Republican responses, including JD Vance and right-wing media
• [12:01] – Discussion on conservative media's focus on the signature authenticity
• [14:09] – Mike Johnson’s walk-back on Trump being an "informant"
• [17:31] – Palmeri details the real context of Trump’s aid to Brad Edwards, Epstein’s survivors

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Conclusion

The episode underscores the scale of institutional cover-up, media courage, and the ongoing battle for truth amidst outright denials and spin. With sharp, well-sourced reporting and unsparing analysis, Palmeri calls out both the persistent dangers of elite impunity and the necessity of relentless investigative journalism. The revelations and reactions signal the story is far from over—"drip, drip, drip"—and that real scrutiny on powerful players may finally be unavoidable.

Transcript

[A]

But joining us now is Tara Palmeri. She is a veteran journalist, the author of the Red Letter on Substack, and the host of the Tara Palmeri show right here on YouTube. She has reported extensively on this story. Tara, thank you for being patient, letting me set that up. What do you think this means for the victims? You've been covering this story, but specifically I think your reporting has been incredible about the victims. What does this mean for them?

[B]

I think it's, it's a great day for them because it shows that some of the evidence is coming to light. It puts more pressure on Republican holdouts who refuse to vote for Massie's bill. That would compel the do the Department of Justice to release the Epstein files. It shows that there's more there. There's there, there. I also think, Don, it's a great day for the fourth estate. You know, President Trump sued the Wall street journal for $10 billion, accusing them saying that this was not a real letter, not a real birthday card. And I think he used the word non existent. Yes, that's the word non existent. And you know, they stuck with their reporter, they stuck with their reporting and they were willing to go to the mat and report what they knew was true. And they did it without publishing the card, which they could have done all along. I'm sure it's unclear if their source would let them. I think this card was most like, well, I, I don't want to say where I think it was. I don't like to reveal sources. But, you know, when they had the opportunity to do it, they revealed that they knew they were in the right all along. And I think it's a really good moment for journalism. And you and I are both independent journalists, but I do think we need institutional journalism as well. And 100.

[A]

I agree with you because they can.

[B]

They can go up against these sort of attacks in a way that you and I are more vulnerable.

[A]

They have more resources financially and other. Right. And resources financially, production wise, etc.

[B]

Yeah, exactly. And they have, you know, the whole, they have the backing of one of the richest men in the world, Rupert Murdoch. In a lot of ways this is like, you know, and who is a media titan that Trump is obviously friends with at one time. But like, you know, this is a real moment and President Trump is used to lying, denying, calling everything a hoax. But sometimes you just have to. They're seeing is believing in this case and I think in one it is truly seeing is believing. Now his team is saying that that is not a signature, although it Looks to me like his signature.

[A]

Well, we're going to talk about that. Listen, this, I want to put this up. Caroline Levitt. This is what she's saying. I'll get your reaction to that. Yeah, show the signature. But Caroline Levitt is saying the latest piece published by the Wall Street Journal proves this entire birthday card was. Story was, is false. As I 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. Furthermore, the reporter, Joe, what is it? Palazzolo, who wrote the hatchet job, reached out for comment at the exact same minute he published his story, giving us no time to respond. This is fake news to perpetrate the Democrat Epstein hoax. Now, I get it. If it was, you know, the whole thing, you did not, you know, contact or whatever, people all the time say, you know, I, I, I, I read stories about me and they say, oh, wait, we reached out to Don Lemon for a comment and have not heard back. And when no one has reached out to me. But that's not, that's besides the point here, right? I mean, is she delusional? Is she, does she believe this stuff? Or is it just, this is her job. She's going to have to hold Donald Trump's carry his water regardless of the facts.

[B]

That's the, that's the, that's what comes with being a press secretary. And it's not just something. I mean, it's particularly endemic to this administration, to having to lie. But we saw it in the last administration and the administration before that and the administration before that and the administration before that. Their job is to speak for somebody else. Some people do it with a sort of gusto and enjoyment, I think. But I mean, he is saying in the third person, which I thought was very, very bizarre, which Trump tweeted in the first third person. Donald, like, let me just pull it out because I thought it was so weird. You know what? I can't find it, but it was.

[A]

Like, is it from today?

[B]

Yeah, he truth socialed something in the third person. And it's just so bizarre.

[A]

We'll have, let's let, we'll have, let's have producer.

[B]

Yeah, I just thought it was like, it was just very weird. But yes, I mean, I'm not giving her any excuses. I think when you're a public servant, your job first and foremost is to inform the public of the truth. Right. But am I surprised? No. This seems incredibly plausible to me. And if you know that the other the other people that left that also contributed cards to Epstein in this book include people like Nathan Myrvold, top executive at Microsoft, who also included in his birthday card suggestive photos of animals mating and with their penises erect from their trip to Africa. Like, a lot of the, A lot of the notes to, to Epstein suggested sexual deviance in some way.

[A]

Overtones.

[B]

Yeah, Les Wexner's note to him had something along those lines. I, I can tell you, I can pull it up right now. You know, they, I mean, Bill Clinton wrote a message about their long lasting friendship. His childlike curiosity. I mean, that's a little creepy. Childlike curiosity, line draw. Okay. Wexner's letter had a line drawing of what appeared to be a woman's breasts along with a short message. Mort Zuckerman joked about looking for more information on Epstein. And he was the owner of the New York Daily News, a partial owner, which is. Just shows you, like, how many very prominent people were aware it was all kind of hanging out there in plain sight that this was a deviant, perverted man who just so happened to be really rich. And I don't know if you saw the latest deep dive in the New York Times about his relationship with JP Morgan, but I found it to be incredible. Incredibly illuminating.

[A]

No, that, that's on my to do list. I want to read about it.

[B]

It's going to take you about a half hour, but it is worth every single minute because it just shows you that there were so many moments from internal emails that this bank had the opportunity to cut off contact with Jeffrey Epstein, but continued to bank for him, including setting up the bank accounts of girls under the age of 18 for them to receive money. They knew that there was red flags of money laundering and they were still continuing to do that. And it's just like every day, Don, there is a drip, drip, drip of news coming out about Jeffrey Epstein. And, you know, I don't believe it will stop until we get down to the bottom of it. At least I hope we don't. And, you know, these kind of investigations take a lot of time. They cost a lot of money. But, you know, in this New York Times investigation, they were suggesting that Jamie diamond, who is the head of the bank, was aware, or he says he wasn't, but they said that he is such a micromanager and that his deputy, Jeff Stanley, who asked for Snow White or Beauty and the Beast from, you know, Epstein, this is a man that was managing Epstein's money. It's, it's sickening. It really is bank. This is a bank participating in sex trafficking, essentially by way or. Or facilitating sex trafficking. Excuse me, what do you think?

[A]

Don't have any implications, by the way. I wanted to read it, just so you know. That gives me an opportunity. So I want you to watch or a click on the Daily Beast podcast tonight. I'm going to be on. So I taped with them and that was supposed to be my time to read this piece and I didn't get a chance because I was taping with them and it went long. But it's fascinating. People are commenting on it in the comments, so I can't wait to read it. But will be any ramifications for these folks. This is a huge investigation.

[B]

I think JP Morgan's already had to pay out to the victims, but it's only a few hundred million dollars. I mean, to me, it just doesn't seem fair. Deutsche bank was happy to take Epstein's money after JP Morgan, you know, cut off ties with him. Just Stanley Staley moved on to Chase bank, which apparently Epstein helped with that transition. But in. In this piece, they say that Epstein connected JP Morgan with Sergey Brin, who is the founder of Google, Bill Gates, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel. So, like, he was considered a. Like I had written, like I've done in my own reporting. And I suggest you guys check out the Tara Palmeri show. He was a hyper fixer, not just for financial institutions, but I believe from my reporting, also with intelligence agencies. And so he was able to use these connections that he bragged about. He name dropped all the time, but it kept him in these elite circles and allowed him to make these huge deals. He's a dropout from college who taught at a high school, and yet he has hundreds of millions of dollars being banked by J.P. morgan. I mean, it's incredible. There's just still so much more we don't know. And I think Senator Ron Wyden is right. Follow the money, follow the transactions.

[A]

Yeah, well, listen, I don't want to get too out of, you know, off the. The subject here, because that's important. And we will. We'll cover it. But listen, you. We played with Caroline Levitt said, right? Do we? So I just want to bring up one J.D. vance. Okay.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

Oh, yeah. So you saw what JD Vance tweeted. This was in July, right? He said so. Forgive my language, but this story is complete and utter. The Wall Street Journal should be ashamed for publishing it. Where's the letter? Would you be shocked to learn they never Showed it to us before publishing it. Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump? I mean, now let's show the signatures that Tara Palmeri so deathly brought up here. And so they're saying, oh, it's obvious he didn't sign it, but this is a comparison of signatures. He signed it as Donald. You can put that up, Andy. He signed it as Donald and there it is. I mean, doesn't that look like the signature to.

[B]

They're scrambling. They are scrambling so much. It is insane. I mean, remember when they said he doesn't use the word enigma and then he referred to Ben Carson as an enigma? Remember when they said he doesn't doodle and then you found out that his doodles were sold at Sotheby's at auction? I mean, what are they going to say next? Like, don't even bother. I. I mean, what are you. It's like, I'm sorry, but don't believe your lying eyes. I just don't understand. I'm trying to understand how the MAGA base is going to respond to this because, like, Jack, Jack Posobia said something like, oh, it doesn't, you know, oh, this will really take him down. Or it was almost like a scoffing, oh, this is nothing. You know what I mean? Like, it's just, it's just so. It's incredible to me. I mean, I know politicians lie, but this just seems so blatant. But to Jack Posobie, how will Trump ever recover? Was what he said. And it's just he's a MAGA right wing influencer. I guess the right has completely forgotten about the story. They don't care.

[A]

He's being sarcastic in that tweet, right?

[B]

Yeah, of course. How will Trump ever recover?

[A]

Did you. This is the bulwark on conservative media's reaction. Tara, let me play this and then get your response.

[C]

Yeah, I mean, look, this is the letter that has all the stuff about, you know, secrets and ages not changing, things like that. I mean, so I think it's great to see it. The sort of instant reaction I'm seeing from right wing media, they're really focusing a lot on the signature saying, oh, you know, Charlie Kirk, for example, is saying, that doesn't really look like Trump's signature. It looks just like Trump's signature. I mean, if you pull up what Trump's signature looks like, it looks pretty much exactly like that. So, you know, I think this is going to keep the story going, the Epstein story that Trump has obviously tried to avoid, you know, that and Mike Johnson claiming and now backing off the idea that Trump was some sort of FBI informant against Epstein. I think the story is sort of turning against the administration once again.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, I am pulling up Donald Trump's signature right now, and gosh, the D is exactly the same. I mean, I don't know. Listen, I'm not a. I'm not a handwriting expert, but this was in the birthday book. The Wall Street Journal reports that he submitted it. Donald Trump denies it. Yeah, yeah.

[A]

I mean, come on, come on.

[B]

I know. It's like, it's pretty. It's pretty pathetic. And I'm like, are you guys all on payroll? Like, what? I know that obviously President Trump being in power is a good thing for them, but at some point, it's like you're. You're losing. You got to be losing credibility with your own audience if you continue to defend somebody who is not being truthful. So, yeah, this is, this is the.

[A]

One thing that they can't contain, Tara. I mean, this is like, you know, this is like the genie that they're trying to put back in the bottle and just will not go back in the bottle. And most of the stories they can contain, they can fake their way out of, you know, and they can sort of shift reality. I don't think they're able to do that one on this one, although they're trying their darndest.

[B]

I know it's a crazy. We are in a. We are in a moment. But I'm hopeful, like Will said, that this will keep the story front and center.

[A]

You think it will?

[B]

I hope so. You know, Speaker Johnson saying Trump was an FBI informant and then referencing Brad Edwards. I interviewed Brad Edwards in 2020, and he did say that Trump helped him with his case. And I interviewed him, but it wasn't as an FBI informant.

[A]

Like, can we listen to Mike Johnson and then get your response? Yeah, because Mike Johnson, in an off the cuff interview, I think it was with Manu on Friday where he mentioned, he said, you know, Donald Trump is well known as. He's an informant for whatever. Then that, like, went viral. And then today Manu caught up with him and now he's saying nothing to see here. Move along. Here he is.

[B]

Yeah, I guess everybody's. What do you mean by that?

[D]

I was referring to in that long conversation was what the victim's attorney said. More than a decade ago, President Trump kicked Epstein out of Mar A Lago, and he was one of the only people, one of the only prominent people, as everyone has reported, not President Trump. But everybody about him that he was willing to help law enforcement go after this guy who was a disgusting child abuser, sex trafficker, all the allegations, that's what they heard. So the President was helpful in that. I don't know if I use the right terminology, but that's common knowledge and everybody knows that. So this is much ado about nothing.

[B]

Did the President tell you this specifically about his own.

[D]

I said I was recounting what others have said. The President and I have talked about the Epstein evils many times. He's as disgusted by it as everybody else. He has long had a history of acknowledging that and he has said repeatedly he wants everything to come out, all credible information, everything for the American public to decide.

[B]

Was he ever asked to wear a wire or anything like that?

[D]

I have no idea. No, I'm not saying that. I have no information about that whatsoever. I was repeating what has been common knowledge for a long time. The President was helpful in trying to get Epstein for law enforcement to go after Epstein. That's always been my understanding. That's common knowledge. It's the public's understanding. I didn't, I was not raised. Breaking news there. Okay, what I'm trying to emphasize, the President is as disgusted about this as everyone is all people of good conscience.

[B]

Except he calls a democratic hoax.

[A]

Yeah, okay, we can stop it there. Look, this.

[B]

Why does everyone care about this? He's not disgusted about it. He wants it to go away.

[A]

This reeks of insincerity to me, Terry. I know that you have to run, but it reeks up. And then he sounds like a total country club Republican like oh this is just much ado about nothing. But go on please.

[B]

Yeah, no, I think you're, I think this is. Yeah, no, he helped Brad Edwards because Brad sent him a subpoena. Brad is an edit. Is a. Was a lawyer for the survivors, remains a lawyer for the survivors. And he helped Brad when he was trying to put together Crime Victims Rights act case that would overturn the non prosecution agreement, the sweetheart deal. Because they argued that the, that the crime victims that their rights were violated when they weren't informed of the details of this non prosecution agreement. Like if someone hurts you and you are not told what their punishment is. You know what I mean? When, when they finally indict the person, when the, the charge, the sentencing you can claim. Well, they argue that you can claim according to the Crime Victims Rights act that the entire prosecution could be overturned. And that's what Brad was trying to argue. So he called up Trump's lawyer, Trump's lawyer at the time and said, you know, we want to send him a subpoena. He said, don't worry, Trump will get on the phone with you. So we got on the phone with Trump and, and Trump gave him a bunch of leads about Epstein and his friends. That's what happened. That's not the FBI informant.

[A]

Right.

[B]

You know, and frankly, at the time, Trump was an enemy of Epstein's because of this real estate deal where he had to pay what he felt was more than he wanted to in a bidding war of a house ironically called the House of Friends, a Palm beach mansion on the water. They both wanted it. Trump eventually flipped it to rushton oligarch for 96 million dollars. I believe he paid 30 something million when he bought it.

[A]

Million dollars.

[B]

Yeah. And by the way, in his conversation with, with Brad Edwards, he, he told him that when he asked Epstein about young girls at the pool. And from my, for my conversations with Virginia, she said that the girls were often naked at the pool. Virginia Frey was one of the most well known survivors. You know, he said it was a Big Brother, Big sister program and he didn't think anything weird about it. I mean, he thought it was weird, but he didn't do anything about it. Like in some ways when people don't do anything about it, like they become enablers themselves, in my opinion.

[A]

Well, Tara, I want to be respectful of your time. You have to run. Thank you very much. I know that you have a heart out. We'll see you soon. Great reporting. We love having you on Tara. The Tara Palmeri show and the Rhett on YouTube and then the Red letter on substack.

[B]

Thank you all. Hey, it's Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. Now I was looking for fun ways.

[A]

To tell you that Mint's offer of.

[B]

Unlimited Premium Wireless for $15 a month is back. So I thought it would be fun if we made $15 bills, but it turns out that's very illegal. So there goes my big idea for the commercial.

[A]

Give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment.

[B]

Of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month required new customer offer for first 3 months only. Speed slow after 35 gigabytes of networks busy. Taxes and fees extra. See mintmobile.com I want to thank my producer, Eric Abenate, Adam Stewart who handles my thumbnails, and Abby Baker on my social media. If you want to support my independent journalism and get my scoops straight to your inbox, please sign up for the red letter. You can do that by going to tarapaulmarie.com that's T A R A P A L M E R I dot com. You can obviously share this with your friends. Like subscribe, leave a written review. I'm not backing down. I'm back from my vacation. I feel so much stronger than thank you to all of you who have sent me notes. Just turned 38 and it's going to be 30. Great. And I really feel positive about what I am able to accomplish with this community, what we can all do. And I appreciate all the tips and everything you've sent to me. And of course I'll be in D.C. on Wednesday. So check out my social media. I'll be on I'll be on msnbc. I'll be on Nicole Wallace's show. I'll be doing a live on Substack with Terry Moran. You can go to substack. I'm on there at Tara Palmeri and I'll be live from the capital. So check out all of my social media. Check out my podcasts, everything. I will be there. Twitter X whatever they're calling it now. I'll be back again soon.