Trump expresses ignorance about the reason for Epstein's taking of younger women from Mar-a-Lago.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, were socially connected, attending parties and events together. This relationship, however, took a turn for the worse in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with Trump stating that Epstein "stole" employees from his Mar-a-Lago spa, including Virginia Giuffre, who later became one of Epstein's most prominent accusers.
Trump acknowledged knowing Epstein since the late 1980s but insisted they had not spoken in 15 years by the time Epstein was arrested in 2019. He also stated publicly that Epstein took employees from his spa without permission and that he told Epstein to stop. When reporters asked if Giuffre was among those employees, Trump said he believed she worked at the Mar-a-Lago spa and that Epstein stole her. Trump asserted that Giuffre had no complaints about Trump or his businesses.
The family of Virginia Giuffre, who tragically took her own life in 2025, urged Trump not to pardon Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's close associate and co-conspirator convicted of sex trafficking minors. Trump has said he has the power to pardon Maxwell but has not indicated plans to do so. The family described Maxwell as a “monster” who deserves to remain in prison.
Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of sex trafficking and sentenced to 20 years in prison. The Department of Justice stated that Maxwell assisted, facilitated, and participated in Epstein's abuse of girls between 1994 and 2004. Maxwell initiated meetings with the Department of Justice, according to sources, to answer questions for about nine hours over two days.
Giuffre had accused Maxwell of recruiting her when she was 16 and also accused Maxwell of abusing her. Maxwell denied the allegations. Epstein was arrested in July 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking and died by suicide in August while in custody.
Democrats in the Senate are attempting to force the release of records related to the Epstein case through a little-known, decades-old law. The family of Virginia Giuffre called for answers and stated that survivors deserve them. They expressed their belief that Virginia would be "most angered" by Maxwell's meetings with the Department of Justice, describing Maxwell as a "known perjurer" and a "monster who deserves to rot in prison for the rest of her life."
Trump, in a previous statement, suggested that Giuffre may have been one of several employees at Mar-a-Lago who were "stolen" by Epstein. However, he has not clarified why he believes Epstein was taking women from his Mar-a-Lago club. The relationship between Trump and Epstein, along with the administration's handling of Epstein-related files, has drawn ongoing scrutiny.
- Despite not speaking in 15 years, President Trump asserted that Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, took employees from Trump's Mar-a-Lago spa without permission, including Virginia Giuffre, who later became one of Epstein's accusers.
- Trump acknowledged knowing Epstein since the late 1980s and has pointed out that Giuffre, one of Epstein's accusers, worked at the Mar-a-Lago spa, suggesting that Epstein "stole" her.
- In the political realm, Democrats in the Senate are pushing for the release of records related to the Epstein case, with the family of Virginia Giuffre expressing their belief that survivors deserve answers and voicing their anger over Maxwell's meetings with the Department of Justice.
- Crime and justice are at the forefront of public interest, with celebrities like Virginia Giuffre coming forward with allegations against powerful figures like Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, who were convicted of sex trafficking minors and abusing girls during the 1990s and 2000s.
