By Kenneth Tiven

The release of Jeffrey Epstein’s “birthday gift book,” compiled in 2003 by Ghislaine Maxwell, underscores the grotesque normalization of predatory behaviour among elites. The 238-page scrapbook contains cards, letters, and photographs portraying Epstein as a “super-rich” man who enjoyed “sex with very young girls”. Contributors, including Trump, treated Epstein’s predation as a matter of celebration.

A note with Trump’s distinctive signature, paired with a cartoon-like doodle, stands out. Trump denies writing it, calling the homage a “dead issue”, but handwriting experts consulted by The New York Times identified it as consistent with his early-2000s style. Trump has long had a penchant for crude sketches and innuendo-laden asides.

POLITICAL FALLOUT AND THE MID-TERM STAKES

While the Supreme Court recently granted Trump immunity for criminal acts committed as president, voters will render their own judgment in the 2026 mid-terms. His disregard for constitutional norms, coupled with rising costs of food and housing, could shrink Republican majorities in Congress.

The atmosphere was further soured by a chaotic congressional hearing where Health agency chief Robert Kennedy Jr displayed arrogance and insecurity, contrasting with the dignity of Epstein survivors who spoke days later. Their testimony painted a searing portrait of exploitation and cover-up, amplifying public demand for full disclosure of Epstein-related files.

EPSTEIN’S NETWORKS OF POWER

Epstein’s ability to evade justice rested on his connections. Bankers admitted he dropped dozens of names in every conversation. JP Morgan ignored massive cash withdrawals, despite red flags of illegal activity, while maintaining close ties with Epstein.

Trump’s association with Epstein stemmed from a shared worldview: that self-proclaimed exceptionalism excused behaviour beyond the bounds of law and morality. This bond, once a private indulgence, now bleeds into the public domain with serious consequences.

SURVIVORS PUSH BACK

At a Capitol news conference, survivors and their lawyers demanded full release of the files. They accused Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Republican-led Oversight Committee of shielding Trump by slow-walking disclosures.

California Democrat Ro Khanna and Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie are spearheading a bipartisan petition to bypass the chairman and force a House vote. They are joined by firebrand Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who insists this is “not political”, but a moral imperative.

Republican survivor Haley Robson, speaking for thousands abused as teenagers, pleaded: “I would like Donald J Trump and every person in America and around the world to humanize us, to see us for who we are and to hear us for what we have to say. There is no hoax.”

MAXWELL’S ROLE AND PRISON PRIVILEGE

Survivors also condemned Ghislaine Maxwell’s treatment. After hinting to DOJ attorney Todd Blanche that Trump’s billionaire cabinet members had ties to Epstein, she was transferred from a women’s prison to a lenient white-collar facility described as a “prison spa”.

The so-called transcript of her DOJ interviews turned out to be partial, sanitized from audio tapes where she and Blanche were heard laughing and joking. To survivors, this was another betrayal: the powerful shielding their own, while victims endure retraumatization.

NEW ALLEGATIONS SURFACE

Former swimsuit model Stacey Williams added her voice to the reckoning. She revealed that Epstein once introduced her to Trump at Trump Tower, where Trump groped her as Epstein watched. Trump denies the incident, but Williams passed a polygraph, shared corroborations from friends, and was supported by biographer Michael Wolff, who said Epstein himself admitted the episode.

Williams also recalled Epstein boasting of secret videos, including one of her disrobed. She spoke with searing honesty: “Let me be clear: I did not consent to being groped by Donald Trump, and I did not consent to being filmed by Jeffrey Epstein. I am speaking out not because of politics, but because the American people—and Epstein’s many victims— deserve transparency.”

Her testimony adds to the mounting anger, especially after survivor Virginia Giuffre’s suicide earlier this year. Survivors say justice remains elusive so long as documents are withheld and perpetrators enjoy privilege while victims are buried under silence.

THE SYSTEM ON TRIAL

The Epstein saga reveals a cultural rot: wealthy men laughing off crimes against children, confident the system would shield them. Trump’s “birthday book” doodle is merely one artifact among hundreds of pages documenting depravity, complicity, and the protection of power.

As survivors demand accountability, America faces a reckoning—not just with Epstein and Trump, but with its own institutions that have enabled impunity. 

—The writer has worked in senior positions at The Washington Post, NBC, ABC and CNN and also consults for several Indian channels

The post Trump, and the “Birthday Book”: The Haunting Return of a Predator’s Legacy appeared first on India Legal.

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