Former President Bill Clinton appears to have commended Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted child sex trafficker, for his “childlike curiosity” in a birthday letter.

“It’s reassuring isn’t it, to have lasted as long, across all the years of learning and knowing, adventures and [illegible word], and also to have your childlike curiosity, the drive to make a difference and the solace of friends,” reads a letter apparently from Clinton to Epstein in 2003, according to documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

The Journal reported last week that a letter from President Donald Trump was also included in the book, alongside a sketch of a naked woman. Trump has called the letter a “FAKE” and filed a libel lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal last week over an article highlighting the attribution.

A Clinton spokesman declined to comment on the birthday book, the Journal reported.

“The Wall Street Journal, and Rupert Murdoch, personally, were warned directly by President Donald J. Trump that the supposed letter they printed by President Trump to Epstein was a FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.

The initial report did not mention the other influential figures whose messages to Epstein were included in a leather-bound album of birthday messages compiled for Epstein by his former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, and a team of assistants. Maxwell led the effort to collect dozens of messages from Epstein’s friends and acquaintances for his 50th birthday, the Journal reported.

Clinton was a frequent flier on Epstein’s private plane, the “Lolita Express.” Flight manifests show that the former president traveled on the plane with Epstein at least six times, two of those trips without accompanying Secret Service agents.

Some of the better-known contributors to the birthday book include billionaire Leon Black, fashion designer Vera Wang, media owner Mort Zuckerman, former Victoria’s Secret leader Leslie Wexner, attorney Alan Dershowitz, and British politician Peter Mandelson.

Clinton, Trump, and 20 others were listed as “Friends” in the book’s table of contents. Other labels included “Business,” “Science,” “Brooklyn,” and “Family.”

Of the contributors included in the book at the time, Clinton is the most prominent. At the time of the book’s assembly, Clinton was just two years removed from the Oval Office.

Epstein died in a jail cell in 2019. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted in 2021 on charges related to Epstein’s sex trafficking.

The Trump administration sued New York City on Thursday over its sanctuary city policies, arguing that the city has illegally impeded the federal government from enforcing immigration laws.

The lawsuit asserts that the city is violating the federal government’s jurisdiction under the Constitution’s supremacy clause. The city’s sanctuary policies designed to protect illegal aliens from federal law enforcement infringe upon the federal government’s authority to police immigration.

“New York City’s Sanctuary Provisions have the purpose and effect of making it more difficult for federal immigration officers to carry out their responsibilities in that jurisdiction. 

New York City’s sanctuary laws “intentionally obstruct the sharing of information envisioned and affirmatively protected by Congress, including sharing basic information such as release dates, court appearance dates, and custodial status,” the lawsuit states. “The challenged provisions also impair federal detention of removable aliens, including dangerous criminals, contrary to federal law.”

“The Sanctuary Provisions further purport to direct federal officials to procure criminal arrest warrants to take custody of removable aliens, even though Congress has made an explicit policy choice that such apprehensions for removal can be effectuated by civil arrest warrants for immigration enforcement,” it continues.

The lawsuit also accused the city of effectively ensuring that criminal aliens are released onto the streets rather than being turned over to federal authorities for potential deportation. The ban on city officials turning criminal aliens over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement requires “ICE to risk officer safety and expend considerable resources to effectuate arrests in communities.”

“This intentional sabotage of federal immigration enforcement is unlawful and dangerous. These Sanctuary Policies have resulted in countless criminals being released into the City who should have been held for immigration removal from the United States,” the lawsuit states.

New York City is the latest in a string of major American cities that have been hit with lawsuits over sanctuary city policies. The Trump administration in June sued Los Angeles. In February, the administration filed a lawsuit against Chicago.

“Sanctuary cities are only sanctuaries for criminals. President Trump promised to Make America Safe Again and deport criminal illegal aliens,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News in a statement. “But sanctuary cities, like NYC, are working in direct opposition to the mandate that President Trump was elected to fulfill and American citizens are paying the price. The Trump Administration will not tolerate local politicians interfering in the enforcement of federal immigration laws.”