The true story behind the Trump-Epstein relationship is complicated and sordid. He revealed that she cut ties with him years before Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea for soliciting a minor for prostitution. Trump addressed the issue during a recent speech in Scotland, emphasizing his disapproval of Epstein’s behavior and their eventual estrangement.
Trump and Epstein had an unusual social history, having appeared together at Mar-a-Lago in Florida in 1997. In 2004, Trump beat out Epstein for a jaw-dropping French Regency-style mansion in Palm Beach. This sudden twist threw their friendship and professional collaboration into serious turmoil. This real estate rivalry became a fulcrum moment in their relationship.
On stage, Trump described the chain of events wrought by Epstein’s predilections that caused their rift. He claimed to have hired professional help. I control myself and tell him politely, “Don’t repeat that!” He stole my workers right out from under me. And I said, ‘Don’t you ever do that again.’” And he did it again. Trump took [his] approval of the decision to cut ties … I just threw him out, and that was the end of it. If you want to know the truth, I’m super happy I did.
Virginia Giuffre, an important Epstein whistleblower and the most prominent accuser, was sexually abused by Epstein. She provided testimony that Ghislaine Maxwell recruited her as an underage girl while Giuffre was employed as a spa worker at Mar-a-Lago. The repercussions of this discovery have further intensified the pressure on Epstein and his co-conspirators.
Trump eventually declared Epstein “persona non grata” at Mar-a-Lago after the fallout. He told Epstein not to steal his employees away from his resort. Epstein rejected those alarm bells outright. There have been periods during which I refused to speak with Jeffrey Epstein. I wouldn’t speak out because he got a little too frisky with my guy.
Epstein’s criminal conduct only received significant scrutiny following his July 2019 arrest on child sex trafficking charges. This stunning reversal of fortune eventually led to his death in federal custody just weeks later. Ghislaine Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison term for her role in procuring underage girls for Epstein.
We applaud the Department of Justice for taking this brave step. In their suit, they’ve requested that federal judges unseal the grand jury testimony transcripts associated with Epstein and Maxwell. This action shows that law enforcement is continuing to look beyond their criminal enterprises’ deep well-established network.