GOP lawmakers spout absurd lies about Trump’s vile letter to Epstein
Congressional Cowards is a weekly series highlighting the worst Donald Trump defenders on Capitol Hill, who refuse to criticize him—no matter how disgraceful or lawless his actions.
In yet another sign that GOP lawmakers have no shame when it comes to defending their Dear Leader, multiple Republican members of Congress made the insane claim this week that President Donald Trump’s vile birthday message to Jeffrey Epstein was forged.
The lawmakers were taking cues from the White House, which claimed that Trump’s signature on the birthday note is not real—suggesting that someone nearly 25 years ago had the foresight to forge Trump’s signature.
“From what I’ve seen, it’s not his signature,” Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida said, even though it is very clearly Trump’s signature.
And, in true Republican fashion, Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee used it as an opportunity to turn attention back to President Joe Biden’s use of an autopen.
“I don’t know. I mean, anyone can do a signature. We’ve seen autopens been used quite a bit by the Biden administration,” he said.
“The president says he did not sign it. So I take the president [at] his word,” House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer told CNN.
Comer, who spent two years investigating Biden, added that he has no plans to investigate Trump over the letter.
“You asked if I’m going to be trying to figure out whether that, you know, fake or not, probably not. We’re going to be trying to get justice for the victim,” he said.
Similarly, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio told CNN that he doesn’t “buy” that the signature was Trump’s, and that he doesn’t think that the House should investigate Trump’s ties to Epstein. But what else would you expect from someone accused of refusing to protect sexual assault victims when he was a wrestling coach at the Ohio State University?
Rep. Eric Burlison of Missouri tried to pull the notorious “I haven’t seen the letter” cop out when asked about it by CNN’s Manu Raju. But when Raju pulled out a copy of the birthday message, Burlison refused to look at it.
“I don’t want to see it,” he said while laughing.
House Speaker Mike Johnson also ridiculously claimed to have not seen the note.
“I’ve heard about it. But no,” Johnson told reporters. “And the White House says it’s not true.”
Meanwhile, Democrats are mocking Republicans for their blatant lies.
“So let me get this straight … 20 years ago, Democrats forged Trump’s signature on a creepy birthday card to a pedophile … planted it in Epstein’s estate before Trump even ran … and then waited to release it until *after* Trump got reelected? Got it,” Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts wrote on X.
“I have two eyes. You have two eyes,” Rep. Eric Swalwell of California told CNN. “Anyone who looks at that letter which was provided by the Epstein estate knows whose signature that was.”