During Trump's prior careers as a businessman and media personality before entering politics in 2015, he and Epstein visited each other's real estate properties regularly. Trump and Epstein socialized frequently throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, including attending parties at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and Epstein's residence. Flight logs released during an associate's trial confirm that Trump flew on Epstein's private jet multiple times in the 1990s, and according to Epstein, Trump first had sex with his future wife Melania Knauss in his private jet. Trump had a falling out with Epstein around 2004 and ceased contact. After Epstein was said to have sexually harassed a teenage daughter of another Mar-a-Lago member in 2007, Trump banned him from the club. Epstein said, in a 2019 email attributed by NBC News and Axios to the event, that he had never been a member of the club.
Epstein was convicted of procuring a person under the age of 18 for prostitution in 2008. Since Epstein's 2019 arrest for sex trafficking of minors and his death in prison shortly thereafter, their former relationship has come under further scrutiny, particularly during and after Trump's re-election as president in 2024. Trump has denied any knowledge of Epstein's criminal activities and distanced himself from the deceased financier in the years before Epstein's arrest and death. Trump promoted unsubstantiated conspiracy theories about the circumstances and suggested Epstein was murdered. Media attention and public pressure has mounted in 2025, as Trump's administration has not released files relating to Epstein, despite Trump promising to do so during his 2024 presidential campaign.
On November 12, 2025, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released thousands of emails authored by Epstein and his associates. Epstein had suggested in a number of private email exchanges that he had damaging information on Trump. In a 2011 email to his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein said that Trump had spent hours at his house with Virginia Giuffre and that Trump was "the dog that didn't bark".[5][6][7] Although Giuffre revealed that Epstein and Maxwell had recruited her from Mar-a-Lago into a sex trafficking ring, she did not accuse Trump himself of wrongdoing. Maxwell claimed in 2025 that Trump was not a "close friend" of Epstein, contradicting Epstein's previous statements, and that she never witnessed Trump behave inappropriately. No criminal wrongdoing has ever been established against Trump in connection with Epstein's crimes. A sexually suggestive birthday note, allegedly written by Trump to Epstein in 2003, included a crude drawing; Trump has denied its legitimacy.
The two chambers of the United States Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act on November 18, 2025, attempting to force the Department of Justice to release eligible documents related to Epstein and his associates. Trump had opposed the bill for months, but expressed support for it on the day before Congress approved it.
He urged Republicans to vote to release the files related to Jeffrey Epstein. The White House also states that the release of these emails is only to create fake news against Trump and is actually a reaction from Democrats to the government shutdown. However, Democratic Representative Ro Khanna from California stated that the purpose of releasing the files was not to attack Trump.[8][9][10][11][12] In June 2025, Elon Musk also claimed that the reason for not releasing the Epstein files was because Trump's name was in the documents, a claim that the Department of Justice denied.[13][14]
History
Since the 1970s, at least 28 women have accused Donald Trump of sexual misconduct,[15] for acts that have included rape, kissing and groping without consent; looking under women's skirts; and walking in on naked teenage pageant contestants. Trump has denied all of the allegations. He has a history of insulting and belittling women when speaking to the media and on social media,[16][17] and has made lewd comments about women, disparaged their physical appearance, and referred to them using derogatory epithets.[17][18][19]
Jeffrey Epstein cultivated an elite social circle[20] and procured many women and children whom he and his associates sexually abused.[21] In addition to his own sexual abuse of the victims, Epstein directed other persons to abuse the girls sexually. Epstein used paid employees to find and bring minor girls to him. Epstein worked in concert with others to obtain minors not only for his own sexual gratification, but also for the sexual gratification of others. His close associate Ghislaine Maxwell was later implicated as procuring or recruiting underage girls in addition to being, for an extended period, Epstein's chief girlfriend.
Early years (1980s–1992)
Exterior of Mar-a-Lago in 1999
Trump said that his friendship with Epstein started in the late 1980s. The two men were neighbors and would visit each other's properties.[22][1] On the July 16, 2025 episode of Erin Burnett Outfront, Jack O'Donnell, who served as COO of Trump Plaza and Casino from 1987 to 1990, claimed in an interview with CNN reporter Erin Burnett that, among other things, "In my mind, [Epstein] was his best friend, you know, [throughout] the time I was there for four years."[23][24] They would often visit the casino floor together, with O'Donnell also recounting one occasion where he reprimanded both Trump and Epstein when they brought in some girls who were under the New Jersey legal gambling age of 21.[23][24] O'Donnell previous wrote about this incident in his 1991 book Trumped!, though Epstein's name would be omitted by the book's publisher.[23]
In 1990, Epstein bought a mansion two miles north of Mar-a-Lago, which Trump had purchased five years earlier in 1985.[25] In 1992, Trump invited NBC to film a party he threw for himself and Epstein at Mar-a-Lago, where they joined various NFL cheerleaders. In the NBC video, Trump was filmed at a Mar-a-Lago party whispering in Epstein's ear, prompting Epstein to start laughing. NBC News revealed footage of the party in July 2019, showing Trump, Epstein and the cheerleaders. At one point during the video, Trump appears to tell Epstein: "Look at her, back there... She's hot."[26][27][28][25]
Florida businessman George Houraney and Jill Harth, who had been a couple for 12 years, ran a pin-up girl beauty competition called American Dream Calendar Girls. In December 1992, they sought out Trump as an investor and met with him in Manhattan. Trump openly expressed his sexual interest in Harth, allegedly groping her and telling Houraney "I'm going to go after her". Harth also recalled Trump saying: "I'd like to see the quality of the girls" in the competition. The following month, they reached a deal, and Trump invited them to Mar-a-Lago with a number of the models, where he allegedly groped Harth again. Houraney said he brought 28 people he described as "girls" to the property at Trump's request in order to host a private "calendar girl" event exclusively for Trump and Epstein.[4][29] The American Dream competition was held at Trump Castle in Atlantic City in November 1993. Trump refused to sign a contract beforehand; afterward, the venue claimed it had lost money and that it would no longer host the event. Houraney sued Trump in 1995 over the business deal, claiming he'd been cheated out of a $250,000 fee as well as potential millions of dollars in future business. In 1997, Harth (who was by then married to Houraney) sued Trump for sexual misconduct. Later in 1997, Houraney settled with Trump; as part of their settlement, Harth dropped her lawsuit. Houraney and Harth then divorced, and Trump invited Houraney to his Mar-a-Lago Christmas party that year.[25]
Trump-Maples wedding, Stacey Williams allegations (1993)
Model Stacey Williams said that, upon arriving at the Trump Tower in 1993, Trump and Epstein touched her while trading smiles. She told The Guardian in 2024 that "It became very clear then that he and Donald were really, really good friends and spent a lot of time together." She described the incident as a "twisted game" between Trump and Epstein.[4]
Epstein attended Trump's wedding to Marla Maples in the Plaza Hotel. Later that year, Epstein went to a Harley-Davidson Cafe with Trump and his children. There are photographs of both interactions.[30]
"When we bet that Marla Maples was pregnant, I lost and sent him 10,000 dollars of baby food," Epstein wrote to a reporter in 2015. Maples gave birth to Tiffany Trump in October 1993.[31] Epstein was photographed alongside Trump and a 12-year-old Ivanka Trump at Manhattan's Harley Davidson cafe on October 19, 1993.[32]
Plane flights, Maria Farmer allegations (1994–2000)
Maria Farmer, the first person to report Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to law enforcement, encountered Trump late at night in Epstein's Manhattan office in 1995. Farmer was then in her mid-20s. She described Trump as leering at her in a way that felt threatening until Epstein entered the room and warned him off, saying: "No, no. She's not here for you." Trump and Epstein then left the room, and Farmer overheard Trump say he had assumed Farmer was a teenager.[36]
In 1997, Trump inscribed a copy of his book Trump: The Art of the Comeback to Epstein, writing: "You are the greatest!"[37] Epstein and Trump were photographed together at Mar-a-Lago and at a Victoria's Secret Angels event in New York in the same year, and there is video of Epstein and Trump chatting at a Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in New York in 1999.[30] In 2000, Trump and Melania were pictured alongside Epstein and Maxwell.[4]
Trump's name was listed in Epstein's partially redacted "black book" of contacts.[33] His name also appeared in a number of court documents related to Epstein that were released in 2024. Trump was not accused of any crime in any of the documents.[22]
2000 recruitment of Virginia Giuffre
As a teenager, Virginia Giuffre worked as a locker room attendant in the spa at Mar-a-Lago. There, she met Maxwell, who recruited her as Epstein's masseuse.[3][38][39]
Trump told reporters on July 28, 2025:
"For years, I wouldn't talk to Jeffrey Epstein... Because he did something that was inappropriate. He hired help and I said, 'Don't ever do that again.' He stole people that worked for me. I said, 'Don't ever do that again.' And he did it again. And I threw him out of the place. Persona non grata. I threw him out and that was it."[40]
The next day, asked by reporters whether any of those workers were "young women" and whether Giuffre was included, Trump replied affirmatively:
"Everyone knows the people that were taken, and ... taking people that work for me is bad. ... yes, they were [young women] ... [workers] were taken out of the [Mar-a-Lago] spa, hired by him [Epstein]. ... I told him, I said, 'Listen, we don't want you taking our people, whether it was spa or not spa. I don't want him taking people.' And he was fine. And then not too long after that, he did it again and I said, 'Out of here.' ... Yeah. He, he stole her [Giuffre]. And by the way, she had no complaints about us as you know."[41]
Despite Trump's 2025 recollection that he expelled Epstein from the club "not too long" after Epstein hired Giuffre in 2000, Epstein had remained a member of Mar-a-Lago until 2007.[42]
Giuffre's family reacted with shock, questioning what Trump knew and when, and reiterating that anyone in Epstein's orbit, including Trump, should be investigated.
Birthday letter, New York magazine interview (early 2000s)
In 2002, speaking to New York magazine, Trump said "I've known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy." He also stated that "He's a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side."[29][22]
According to The Wall Street Journal, in 2003, Trump sent a birthday letter to Epstein that included a drawing of a naked woman.[3] The letter was collected by Epstein's accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, for a leather-bound photo album sometime before 2006, and was among the documents examined by the Justice Department which investigated Epstein and Maxwell years ago. The letter, which bore Trump's signature, featured several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, apparently hand-drawn in a heavy marker. The Wall Street Journal described Trump's "squiggly" signature below the woman's waist as mimicking pubic hair.[43] According to the Journal, the letter contained an imagined dialogue in which Trump tells Epstein that "We have certain things in common, Jeffrey" and Epstein replies "Yes, we do, come to think of it." The dialogue concludes with Trump saying: "A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday–and may every day be another wonderful secret."[22][44] Trump immediately denied having written the letter and sued the Journal for defamation.[45] Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released a letter matching this description, and apparently signed by Trump, on September 8, 2025.[46][47] The entire birthday book was made public the following day.
Falling out (mid-2000s)
View of the Maison de L'Amitie
In 2004, Trump and Epstein competed to buy the Maison de L'Amitie at its foreclosure auction. Trump outbid Epstein, renovating the house and selling it four years later at a profit.[48][49] Some media reports have described the outbidding as the end of the Trump–Epstein friendship, with phone records indicating that the two ceased communicating after the fact.[50][3][4] (Nonetheless, shortly after the 2016 election, Trump may have called Jeffrey to chat about his victory, according to Epstein's brother, Mark.)[51] As of Epstein's 2019 arrest, Trump had not confirmed that the bidding caused the end of his friendship with Epstein.[1][b]
Epstein was investigated by Palm Beach police in April 2005 for soliciting an underage girl for sexual purposes, leading to a June 2006 indictment by a grand jury of one count of solicitation of prostitution. The FBI began investigating in July 2006, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office indicted him in June 2007.[55]
2007 alleged ban from Mar-a-Lago
According to a 2020 book, after Epstein was said to have sexually harassed a teenage daughter of another Mar-a-Lago member in 2007, Trump revoked his Mar-a-Lago membership.[56][57] The girl had been working as a masseuse in the spa.[58] The 2016 book Filthy Rich detailed that the teen had told her father "while relaxing at Mar-a-Lago, she’d been approached and invited out to Epstein’s house. The girl said that she had gone and that Epstein had tried to get her to undress. The girl’s father had gone directly to Trump, who—in no uncertain terms—told Epstein that he was barred from Mar-a-Lago."[59] Mar-a-Lago's registry shows Epstein was a member until October 2007, according to the 2020 book The Grifter's Club.[60]The New York Times reports that Trump gave the same explanation to associates, and that in 2009, Brad Edwards, an attorney for a number of Epstein’s victims, was told something similar by Trump.[61]
After Epstein's conviction (2008–2019)
Then-labor secretary Alexander Acosta (right) shaking hands with Trump on the day of his resignation in 2019
Epstein pleaded guilty to a charge of felony solicitation and another of procuring a person under the age of 18 for prostitution in June 2008.[3][63] The plea deal was approved by U.S. attorney Alexander Acosta,[64] an appointee of President George W. Bush. Acosta would go on to be appointed as Labor Secretary by Trump nearly a decade later.[65] According to Lisa Bloom, who represented Epstein's accusers, "Trump was willing to overlook Acosta’s sweetheart deal with Epstein when he appointed Acosta, even though many raised this issue at the time". Acosta resigned in July 2019 amid criticism over his Epstein plea deal, with Trump saying that he did not play a role in the resignation and praising Acosta's "tremendous talent".[66]
In 2015, Trump adviser Roger Stone published The Clintons' War on Women in which he quoted a Mar-a-Lago member who remembered Trump having said that Epstein had "beautiful young girls" in his Palm Beach swimming pool. Trump allegedly said: "'How nice,' I thought, 'he [Epstein] let the neighborhood kids use his pool.'"[67] According to documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal in 2023, Epstein attempted to meet Trump associates Thomas Barrack and Peter Thiel in 2016.[68]
In April 2016, an anonymous woman using the pseudonym "Katie Johnson" filed a lawsuit in California accusing both Trump and Epstein of forcibly raping her when she was 13 years old at underage sex parties at Epstein's Manhattan residence in 1994.[69][70] The case was dismissed the following month. A second version of the lawsuit was filed in New York in June by the same woman as "Jane Doe" claiming to have been raped and sexually assaulted by the pair at four 1994 parties when she was 13.[71][72] The lawsuit was refiled in September,[73] and on November 2, Doe was scheduled to appear at a press conference at the office of Lisa Bloom before abruptly canceling; Bloom said Jane Doe had received multiple threats.[74][75] The lawsuit was withdrawn two days later.[76]
Anticipating the publication of the exposé Filthy Rich: The Shocking True Story of Jeffrey Epstein – The Billionaire’s Sex Scandal, written by James Patterson and John Connolly with Tim Malloy, the Trump biographer Michael Wolff counseled Epstein. In a 2016 email, Wolff suggested that Epstein throw Trump under the bus. "[Y]ou do need an immediate counter narrative to the book. I believe Trump offers an ideal opportunity. It’s a chance to make the story about something other than you, while, at the same time, letting you frame your own story." The email was released by the House Oversight Committee in 2025.[77]
According to Epstein's brother, Mark, Trump called Jeffrey Epstein after winning the 2016 election. "Trump was sort of surprised himself that he won", Mark said. "So Jeffrey said [Trump] called him like, you know, ‘Could you believe this?’ type of a phone call."[51]
In 2017, Epstein told Wolff that he had been Trump's "closest friend for 10 years". He also criticized the first Trump administration and said that Trump was "a horrible human being" who would do "nasty things to his best friends, his best friends' wives, anyone who he first tries to gain their trust and uses it to do bad things to them". Wolff had taped the remark as part of research for his 2018 book Fire and Fury; he published the tape in 2024.[4][35]
Trump, in 2019, talks about his relationship with Epstein.
In 2019, after Epstein was arrested under sex trafficking charges, Trump said that he had not been in contact with Epstein for 15 years. He later promoted conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein's death in custody. Later that year, amid widespread criticism of Epstein associate Andrew Mountbatten Windsor (who was publicly known as Prince Andrew, Duke of York at the time) after being accused of sexual abuse by Giuffre, Trump claimed during an interview to not know Andrew, despite multiple sources and photographic evidence showing they had met on several occasions.[78][79] In 2020, on the topic of Maxwell's criminal prosecution, Trump said that "I do wish her well. I'm not looking for anything bad for her".[80][3] Trump later doubled down on his wish to Maxwell, stating that "I'd wish a lot of people well. Good luck. Let them prove somebody was guilty."[81]
A birthday letter allegedly sent from Trump to Epstein in 2003
In September 2025, the House Oversight Committee released a 2003 birthday book created by Maxwell for Epstein's 50th birthday, titled The First Fifty Years.[82] The album included a note allegedly signed by Trump, featuring a drawing and a typewritten message. Trump denied writing or signing the note and his legal team has disputed its authenticity citing supposed signature irregularities[83][84], but a New York Times comparison with contemporary first name signatures of Trump suggested strong similarities[85]. Coverage of the release described the disputed note as adding renewed public and media attention to Trump's past association with Epstein.[86]
The book also led to the sacking of British Ambassador to the United StatesPeter Mandelson, following widespread criticism over his own association with Epstein. As the scandal began shortly before the state visit by Trump to the United Kingdom, it created a diplomatic predicament for Trump, and his team were reportedly concerned about the timing, as Mandelson's dismissal over his links to Epstein could've shone an unwelcome spotlight on Trump's own past association with him. A source with knowledge of the White House's discussions said that Trump's team was "nervy" about anything that could resurface the Epstein scandal, and they were concerned Mandelson's dismissal will overshadow the UK state visit. The Guardian noted that with Trump having his own well-documented links to Epstein, "there is no subject he wants to revisit less" than the scandal surrounding Mandelson's ties to him. For Trump, whose priority was to avoid distractions during the state visit, the controversy arrived at an "especially awkward" time.[87][88]
Trump and Mandelson (pictured) met a number of times in 2025. Trump said in September that he did not know him.
During a 18 September 2025 press conference in the UK, Trump claimed he did not know who Mandelson was, despite having met him multiple times. Trump made the statement when asked if he had any sympathy for Mandelson after he was dismissed from his role as ambassador. In response, Trump stated: "I don't know him, actually." He added that it was a choice made by the Prime Minister and suggested Keir Starmer was better placed to speak on the matter. Despite Trump's claim of not knowing Mandelson, multiple sources and photographic evidence show they have met on several occasions. In May 2025, Mandelson stood with Trump in the Oval Office during the announcement of a US-UK trade framework. Photos captured the two shaking hands and smiling together. According to Mandelson, Trump commented on his "beautiful accent" during one Oval Office meeting. Mandelson also received a signed note from Trump that read, "Peter, great job!".[89][90]
Epstein emails mentioning Trump
On November 12, 2025, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released emails obtained from the Epstein's estate under subpoena.[91] None of these emails involved Trump or Trump's staff communicating directly with Epstein, but Trump is mentioned at least 1,500 times.[92][93] In many, which dated back to 2011, Epstein insinuated that he had damaging information on Trump.[94]
A spokeswoman for Republicans on the Committee responded that Democrats "carelessly cherry-pick documents to generate click bait".[95] Trump stated about the emails that "the Democrats are using the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax to try and deflect from their massive failures, in particular, their most recent one — THE SHUTDOWN!"[94] White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the emails had been “selectively leaked” by House Democrats to liberal media outlets in an attempt to create a false narrative about President Trump.[96]
Exchanges with Ghislaine Maxwell
Epstein told Maxwell that Trump had spent hours at his house with Giuffre and that Trump was "the dog that hasn't barked". Maxwell answered with "I have been thinking about that".
An email sent from Epstein to Maxwell in April 2011 referenced Trump's relationship with an unnamed victim, whose name the Committee redacted: "I want you to realize that that dog that hasn’t barked is trump.. [VICTIM] spent hours at my house with him ,, he has never once been mentioned.”[sic][98][97] Maxwell replied with an email stating "I have been thinking about that".[99]
According to Republican committee members and Trump's White House, the alleged victim was Virginia Giuffre, who had worked for Trump until, as Trump phrased it, Epstein "stole her". Giuffre had never accused Trump of any misconduct and stated in her memoir that "Trump couldn’t have been friendlier".[97]
Exchanges with public officials
On February 8, 2017, Epstein wrote to former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers: "i have met some very bad people ,, none as bad as trump. not one decent cell in his body.. so yes- dangerous."[100][101] He wrote to Summers in the following year: “Trump – borderline insane”.[102]
After Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to felony charges related to his hush money payments to Stormy Daniels in 2018, Epstein told Obama's former White House lawyer Kathy Ruemmler in August that "you see, I know how dirty donald is. My guess is that non lawyers ny biz people have no idea. What it means to have your fixer flip."[sic][97] When Ruemmler called Trump "so gross" in an email, Epstein replied "worse in real life and upclose."[103]
Trump in his Helsinki meeting with Putin and Lavrov (first behind Putin) on July 16, 2018
A month prior to Trump's meeting with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki in 2018, Epstein emailed former Norwegian prime minister and then-Council of Europe leader Thorbjorn Jagland that he had talked to Russian United Nations ambassador Vitaly Churkin, stating that "[h]e understood trump after our conversations. it is not complex. he must be seen to get something its that simple". Epstein had previously asked Jagland to establish a connection with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, telling him that "I think you might suggest to putin that lavrov can get insight on talking to me", and adding that "Vitaly churkin used to but he died." Jagland told Epstein that "I'll meet Lavrovs assistant on Monday and will suggest".[104][105][106]
Exchanges with Mark Epstein
Epstein was told by his brother Mark in early 2018 to ask Trump's former advisor Steve Bannon "if Putin has the photos of Trump blowing Bubba". Mark also told Jeffrey that "You and your boy Donnie can make a remake of the movie Get Hard," referencing the movie in which a former inmate tries to prepare a white collar criminal for prison.[107][108]
Trump and Clinton in September 2000
Mark's comment on "Trump blowing Bubba" prompted speculation that the person supposedly engaging in a sexual act with Trump was former president Bill Clinton, who had a relationship with both Trump and Epstein. "Bubba" was also one of Clinton's nicknames. Mark said in November 2025 that the message was a joke and that "Bubba" did not refer to Clinton. Mark's spokeswoman told The Advocate that "Bubba" was "a private individual who is not a public figure".[108][109][110]
Exchanges with Michael Wolff
In an email sent by Epstein to Wolff in December 2015, Epstein offered "photos [sic] of donald and girls in bikinis in my kitchen", and claimed that he "gave" a 20-year-old Celina Midelfart to Trump after dating her for two years in 1993. He said that Trump had once been "so focused he walked straight into the door" watching young women swimming in a pool at Epstein's property.[111] Epstein said that one of the "girls in bikinis" was Lauren Petrella. According to a 1997 sexual harassment lawsuit by Jill Harth that was later withdrawn, Trump allegedly made unwanted sexual advances toward Petrella.[112]
An email sent from Epstein to Wolff in 2019 read: “Trump said he asked me to resign, never a member ever. Of course he knew about the girls as he asked ghislaine to stop.”[98][97][95] According to NBC News and Axios, Epstein was apparently referencing the time when Trump expelled him from Mar-a-Lago for, Trump's White House stated, "being a creep". Trump had previously said that Epstein "took people that worked for me", which had prompted him to tell Epstein to "stay the hell out of here".[97][113]
Exchanges with Steve Bannon
In a chain of emails from August 2018, Epstein coached Bannon on how to publicly defend Trump's policies on immigration, security clearance revocations and the Trump tax cuts. He also gave Bannon feedback on his pro-Trump media appearances. Bannon had been fired by Trump in 2017, but the pair continued to be in contact after the fact.[114][115][116]
Kavanaugh as Trump announced his nomination in July 2018
During Trump nominee Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court confirmation hearing in 2018, Epstein advised Bannon on how to undermine the credibility of Christine Blasey Ford, who had accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault. He suggested to Bannon that Ford could be accused of taking medication that could cause memory loss.[116]
Epstein wrote to Bannon, referring to Trump associates Peter Thiel and Anthony Scaramucci: "Im back wed . ( Thiel coming )". He later emailed a list of priorities to Bannon, which included: "1. Peter Thiel in town… 4. The mooch [Scaramucci] ( still in contact with Ivanka ) has reached out to me , and asked how he can re engage with you.?? I ve only met him once. odd."[115][116]
Trump's meeting with Andrew, which Epstein described as "funny", telling Bannon that the latter's accuser had come from Mar-a-Lago. Bannon replied that he was surprised that "nobody is making u the connective tissue".
After Trump publicly met Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (then Prince Andrew, Duke of York) in the United Kingdom in June 2019, Epstein sent an email to Bannon, stating: "Recall prince Andrew accuser came out of Mar-a-Lago. Prince Andrew and Trump today tooo funny." Bannon replied with: "Can't believe nobody is making u the connective tissue". According to Forbes, the accuser in question was likely Giuffre, who had worked at Mar-a-Lago before meeting Epstein through Maxwell. She has publicly accused Andrew, Maxwell and Epstein of sexual misconduct.[118]
Emails sent to his own email address
In a 2019 message sent to his own email address, Epstein stated that Trump never got any massage. Epstein said that Trump had met with an alleged sexual abuse victim who had "worked at Mara Lago," adding that "Trump knew of it, and came to my house many times during that period. The testimony of the houseman John Alessi confirmed it. He never got a massage."[119][96]
Other exchanges
On November 23, 2017, Epstein emailed modeling agency founder Faith Kates that he would spend Thanksgiving with "eva". Kates replied that "Glenn" would be "down there", and Epstein replied that "david fizel, hanson, trump" would be there as well. Trump was then president and is known to have been at Mar-a-Lago for Thanksgiving.[120][107]
Trump and Johnson in 2018
Epstein was asked by billionaire fundraiser Woody Johnson in October 2016 "[h]ow plausible is idea that trump is real cocaine user?" Epstein replied with "zero", before inviting him to a "dinner with rothchild in new york". A fundraiser and advisor of Trump during the 2016 election, Johnson would later be appointed by Trump as ambassador to the United Kingdom.[121][122]
Following the publication of a December 2018 article on the Miami Herald which stated that Trump's labor secretary had negotiated Epstein's plea deal, an unidentified person told Epstein that "they’re really just trying to take down Trump and doing whatever they can to do that". Epstein replied with "yes thx. its wild. because i am the one able to take him down."[94]
Epstein invited an alleged sexual abuse victim to his Paris apartment in late 2017. The person, whose name was redacted by House Democrats, wrote to him "I m at the door but I will wait for my time.. i don’t want to come early to find Trump in your house" with two laughing emojis. Trump was in the United States at the time of the exchange.[124]
Political ramifications
Trump's relationship with Epstein received significant media attention in 2025 due to the unwillingness of the Trump administration to release files relating to Epstein, despite Trump's earlier promises to do so during the 2024 campaign.[125] Trump received significant amounts of blowback from the media, the public, and even many of his supporters for this decision. While Trump has attempted to distance himself from Epstein and downplay their association, some of the MAGA movement's most fervent supporters grew increasingly vocal in demanding the release of Epstein-related files, leading to visible fractures within his support base.[126][127][128]
After U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and other Trump officials had for months teased the imminent release of incendiary information (the "Jeffrey Epstein client list") from FBI records of the investigation into Epstein's sex trafficking operation, Bondi stated in a memo released in July 2025 that there was no evidence that Epstein had such a list or that he had blackmailed prominent individuals. The memo also confirmed that Epstein had committed suicide while in custody.[129] The announcement caused an uproar among some of Trump's most fervent supporters who had bought into the conspiracy theory that Epstein was at the center of "a cabal of powerful men and celebrities, largely Democrats" and that the government had covered it up.[130] In social media posts, Trump said the continuing demands for release of the files were a hoax perpetrated by Democrats, and that his supporters pressing for release were "stupid", "foolish", and "past supporters".[131][132]
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Maxwell on July 24 and 25, 2025 at the U.S. attorney's office in Tallahassee.[133][134] Maxwell told Blanche (according to the transcript released a month later)[135][136] that Trump and Epstein were not "close friends", contradicting Epstein previously stating he was Trump's closest friend.[137]
On November 18, 2025, the House of Representatives voted 427–1 pass a bill to force the Department of Justice to release available documents relating to Epstein and his associates. Republican Clay Higgins was the sole representative to vote against the bill. House speaker Mike Johnson voted for the bill while falsely claiming that it would release sensitive information about victims.[138] The United States Senate unanimously approved the bill only hours later, after Democratic senator Chuck Schumer triggered a unanimous consent procedure.[139]
After opposing the bill for months, Trump reversed his stance on November 17 and called for Congress Republicans to "vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide".[140]
Earlier in the day of the bill's approval, Trump called for ABC News' broadcast license to be revoked after he was asked by the network's Mary Bruce about the Epstein files.[141]
Commentary
During Maxwell's 2021 trial, a woman who said that she was groomed as a minor by Maxwell testified that Epstein had introduced her to Trump at the age of 14. She did not accuse Trump of any illegal behavior or explain why she was introduced to him.[142]
Epstein family
In 2024, Epstein's brother Mark said that he did not know why Epstein and Trump's friendship ended. He stated that Epstein had said in a tape that he "stopped hanging out with Donald Trump when he realized Trump was a crook".[143] In July 2025, Mark Epstein made further statements, emphasizing their closeness, refuting Trump's assertions that he "was not a fan" and White House Communications Director Steven Cheung's statement that "The President was never in Epstein's office…" in relation to the accusation of one of Epstein's victims who mentioned having had a "disturbing" encounter with Trump in Jeffrey's office, in 1995. Mark also declared he didn't know anything about his brother's crimes until 2006.[144]
In popular culture
On September 23, 2025, a statue of Trump and Epstein titled Best Friends Forever (also known as Why Can't We Be Friends?)[145] was briefly installed at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Created by an anonymous art group aliased "The Secret Handshake", the sculpture was created in protest of the relationship of Trump and Epstein and the closely associated sexual misconduct allegations against Trump. The sculpture had permits to stay on display until September28, but was dismantled by the United States Park Police within 24hours of installation. On October2, it was reported that the statue had been temporarily reinstalled on the National Mall.[145]
In a South Park episode titled "Sermon on the 'Mount", aired in July 2025, an animated version of Trump is asked by Satan whether he is in the "Epstein list". He answers with "The Epstein list? Are we still talking about that?" and Satan states that "It's weird that whenever it comes up you just tell everyone to relax".[146][147]
A Saturday Night Live sketch aired on November 15, 2025, a few days after the release of Epstein's emails, starred James Austin Johnson as Trump and Ashley Padilla as White House press secretaryKaroline Leavitt. In the show, Leavitt's character argued that Trump had not done anything illegal, saying that "If anything, his crime was loving too much, and possibly too young." The sketch also references Mark Epstein's email on Trump supposedly "blowing Bubba". It also depicts Trump saying: "Jeffrey Epstein, I barely knew the guy, OK? As evidenced by the thousands of pictures of us together, dancing and grinding our teeth at various parties."[148]
Notes
↑The flight logs contain eight entries listing "Donald Trump" with dates corresponding to April 23, 1993, October 11, 1993, October 17, 1993, May 15, 1994, August 13, 1995, and January 5, 1997.[33][34] However, two entries are listed for May 15, 1994: a flight between Palm Beach International Airport to Reagan National Airport and another flight from Reagan National Airport to Teterboro Airport. Hence, some outlets have reported the number of flights as seven or eight, depending whether they consider those two entries as one flight with a layover or two flights.
↑In his book Siege: Trump Under Fire, Michael Wolff claims that Epstein (whom he interviewed for his previous book Fire and Fury)[52] knew Trump "had been loaning his name in real estate deals–that is, for an ample fee, Trump would serve as a front man to disguise the actual ownership in a real estate transaction." So, after losing the auction, "a furious Epstein, certain that Trump was merely fronting for the real owners, threatened to expose the deal (...) But if Epstein knew some of Trump's secrets, Trump knew some of Epstein's. (...) Just as the enmity between the two friends increased over the house purchase, Epstein found himself under investigation by the Palm Beach police."[53] Wolff reiterated his claim that Trump's purchase of the mansion was likely a money laundering operation and that Epstein believed it was Trump who tipped the police on him, in a July 2025 video posted on Instagram.[54]
↑Prem Thakker, Micah Lee (November 14, 2025). "Zeteo Scoured 26,000 Epstein Docs. Here's What We Found". Zeteo. Retrieved November 17, 2025. Zeteo has published a searchable version of the entire set of Epstein documents released by the House Oversight Committee, using Google's Pinpoint project. To search the Epstein documents for yourself, click here.
↑Rothe, Dawn L.; Collins, Victoria E. (November 17, 2019). "Turning Back the Clock? Violence against Women and the Trump Administration". Victims & Offenders. 14 (8): 965–978. doi:10.1080/15564886.2019.1671284.
↑Nally, Leland (October 1, 2019). "An Actual Conspiracy Kept Jeffrey Epstein's Accomplices out of Prison". Mother Jones. Archived from the original on October 1, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2019. According to [the facts for the] ruling by US District Judge Kenneth Marra in February 2019: 'In addition to his own sexual abuse of the victims, Epstein directed other persons to abuse the girls sexually. Epstein used paid employees to find and bring minor girls to him. Epstein worked in concert with others to obtain minors not only for his own sexual gratification, but also for the sexual gratification of others.'
↑Jose Pagliery (July 27, 2026). "That time a Russian billionaire paid Trump $95 million for a mansion". CNN Money. Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved August 1, 2025. Donald Trump insisted Wednesday that his only dealing with Russia was when he sold a mansion to a Russian billionaire for nearly $100 million. [Includes short video.]
↑Hugh Dougherty (November 2, 2024). "Listen To The Jeffrey Epstein Tapes: 'I Was Donald Trump's Closest Friend'". The Daily Beast. Retrieved August 2, 2025. (...) Epstein spoke at length about Trump with the author Michael Wolff in August 2017, two years before being found dead in his jail cell. Wolff was researching his bombshell bestseller Fire and Fury at the time. (...) [Updated June 5, 2025]
↑Patterson, James; Connolly, John (2016). Filthy Rich: A Powerful Billionaire, the Sex Scandal that Undid Him, and All the Justice that Money Can Buy. Little, Brown and Company. ISBN9780316274050.
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