A provocative birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein, seemingly signed by Donald Trump, has re-emerged featuring cryptic language tied to a children’s book and the former president’s own rhetoric.

The 2003 note, released Monday by Democrats on the Oversight Committee, reignited a controversy that has dogged the White House for months.

Trump has labeled the message as ‘fake’ and has initiated a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal, the first to report the letter. The publication rejects the accusation and upholds its reporting.

The Journal also published a handwriting analysis, claiming the ‘Donald’ signature matches Trump’s past writing.

The letter begins with the line, ‘There must be more to life than having everything,’ echoing the opening statement of Maurice Sendak’s 1967 book ‘Higglety Pigglety Pop! Or, There Must Be More to Life.’

This choice is notable, as Sendak, known for Where the Wild Things Are, also faced criticism for In the Night Kitchen, a book some condemned as ‘gratuitous’ and ‘pornographic.’

The apparent connection deepens as Sendak also published ‘We Are All in the Dumps’ with Jack and Guy in 1993, featuring a drawing of the Trump Tower 

The birthday message proceeds with, ‘Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?’ and concludes with, ‘A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday, and may every day be another wonderful secret.’

Both phrases reflect Trump’s signature style, such as in his 1990 book where he used ‘enigma’ to describe Don King and Mike Tyson, and again in 2004 in reference to Dan Rather. He has also frequently utilized the phrase ‘a wonderful thing’ in speeches and social media posts.

The birthday letter was reportedly part of a private album compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell for Epstein’s 50th birthday, in which she asked friends to contribute photos, drawings, and personal notes. 

Harry Segal, senior lecturer of psychology at Cornell University, told the Daily Mail: ‘Trump refers to them both as ‘enigmas’ – men too complex to be fully understood – and says they are so powerful, and so alike, that they will never age. It’s a kind of imagined immortality, the ultimate narcissistic fantasy.

‘Epstein,’ in this reading, recognizes the resemblance right away. ‘Trump’ then comments on their bond with the line, ‘a pal is a wonderful thing’ – suggesting they remind each other they not only have everything in the world, but also something ‘more to life’ beyond that.’

Segal added that ‘Trump’ ends by wishing that every day ‘be a wonderful secret.’ As an enigma, ‘Trump’ closes with an enigmatic statement that implies whatever is beyond having everything must remain hidden.

‘I’m interpreting the meaning of the exchange only as a speculation since we’re not certain Trump actually wrote it,’ he said. 

Unusually, Trump’s message adopts a typewritten, almost theatrical style, an imaginary dialogue with Epstein, mirroring the way Trump often slips into third person when talking about himself. 

The Journal highlighted examples from his 2015 campaign launch, ‘Nobody would be tougher on ISIS than Donald Trump. Nobody.’

Then, in 2018, while speaking at a rally in Illinois, he said: ‘But because his name is Donald Trump, you have the haters and they continue to hate.’

In 2020, Trump said: ‘Nobody’s done more for the historically Black colleges and universities than Donald Trump. Nobody.’

Sendak’s Higglety Pigglety Pop! is about his pet dog, Jennie, going on adventures. 

This is not the first time Sendak’s work has seemingly intersected with Donald Trump. 

 ‘Given this caveat, let’s start with the Sendak quote. ‘Trump’ uses it as a ‘voice-over,’ as if this is a dialogue from a movie or television scene,’ said Segal.

‘It sets the tone – and suggests that Trump and Epstein are two people who do have everything and, further, that there is more than having everything, and that T & E share that, too. They have what’s ‘more to life’ than just having everything.’

His ‘We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy’ is a picture book that reimagined two nursery rhymes to address homelessness, the AIDS crisis, and other social issues of the time. 

Though marketed for children, the layered illustrations were meant to resonate with adults as well. 

One striking page shows homeless children gathered outside Trump Tower, shouting ‘Lost!’, ‘Tricked,’ ‘Trumped,’ and ‘Dumped!’ under the watchful gaze of a concerned moon.

The birthday message features its own illustration, using a heavy black marker to trace around the text and form the shape of a woman’s hour-glass body with breasts. 

Trump himself has shown his artistic abilities over the years, doodling cityscapes auctioned for charity, which the Journal said features similar strokes to the birthday letter.

However, the signatures in Trump’s artwork do not match what is shown on the Epstein letter. 

After Democrats released the note on Monday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, ‘President Trump’s legal team will continue to aggressively pursue litigation.

‘As I have said all along, it’s very clear President Trump did not draw this picture, and he did not sign it,’ Leavitt added.