Trump Accuses The Wall Street Journal and Scottish Media of “Colluding to Smear”

On July 22, 2025, The Wall Street Journal published a report citing a Scottish journalist claiming to have obtained documents indicating that U.S. President Donald Trump was at the same Scottish golf course as the late financier Jeffrey Epstein in 2003, coinciding with a previously undisclosed trip by Trump that year. The report noted that the sources were anonymous, the documents could not be independently verified, and there was no video evidence.

Trump quickly denied the allegations, calling the report “completely fabricated and malicious,” and accused The Wall Street Journal and Scottish media of “conspiring to spread rumors and deliberately smear” him. He stressed that he had no contact with Epstein for many years and has filed a defamation lawsuit against the newspaper seeking $10 billion in damages, demanding a retraction and public apology.

The White House did not directly comment on the matter, but some Republican lawmakers expressed support for Trump, calling the report a “media attack on the president’s image.” Meanwhile, Trump’s team revoked the credentials of The Wall Street Journal reporters covering his Scotland visits.
Although the incident dates back to 2003 and the report lacks conclusive evidence, the fact that Trump and Epstein were publicly seen together on various occasions in the past has drawn media and public attention. Observers note that despite the controversy remaining unproven, its timing early in the president’s term could have potential impacts on his image and public opinion.