Trump and Epstein's Relationship Chronology: An Illustrated Overview
In the late 1980s, Donald Trump, a prominent businessman and future President of the United States, first crossed paths with Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy financier. Their relationship continued through the 1990s, marked by social interactions such as a 1992 Mar-a-Lago party where they were captured on video laughing and talking, and Epstein's attendance at Trump's 1993 wedding to Marla Maples.
During this period, allegations of inappropriate behavior involving Trump emerged, with Stacey Williams, a former model who dated Epstein, describing Trump as her friend. Trump, however, has denied these allegations. In the mid-2000s, Epstein found himself under FBI investigation, with Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's close associate, implicated but no direct public timeline linking her with Trump was available.
Epstein was arrested in 2019, and Trump stated that they had not spoken for about 15 years before that. The investigations into Epstein and Maxwell’s crimes have been ongoing since at least 2006, primarily through federal law enforcement actions.
Their association was not limited to social interactions. Trump and Epstein were also seen together at Victoria's Secret runway shows, on a private jet, dining with royalty at a luxury Upper East Side townhouse, and partying at Mar-a-Lago. Their names appeared together in legal filings, photo after photo in the moneyed world of Palm Beach and Manhattan, and in flight logs.
CNN has reported that Epstein referred to Trump as his "closest friend for 10 years" in a 2019 interview. However, in a statement to CNN, White House communications director Steven Cheung stated that Trump had kicked Epstein out of his club for being a creep.
Maria Farmer, one of Epstein's first victims to speak publicly, described Trump as her friend. Yet, law enforcement authorities have never accused Trump of wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.
The timeline of Trump's interactions with Epstein and Maxwell reveals a long pattern of social proximity. Trump's interactions with Epstein and Maxwell stand in sharp contrast to his public attempts to downplay their friendship.
Sources:
- The Guardian
- CNN
In the world of pop-culture and celebrity gossip, Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein's association was often drama-filled, with their names frequently appearing together at high-profile events such as Victoria's Secret runway shows and Mar-a-Lago parties. Following Epstein's arrest in 2019, CNN reported that he referred to Trump as his "closest friend for 10 years." However, Trump's official stance, as stated by his White House communications director, was that he had already kicked Epstein out of his club for inappropriate behavior.