Ghiselle Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein were a golden couple in high-flying social circles until their downfall. (Photo: White House)
Donald Trump’s Epstein quagmire has only deepened with the latest release of Epstein documents, which undermine many of Trump’s previous statements and add creedence to claims Trump has been compromised by the Russians.
Trump’s statements on Jeffrey Epstein have evolved over the years, shifting from a “terrific guy” to a “creep,” “Democratic hoax” or “irrelevant.”
Here is a list of significant Trump statements or incidens. This list was prepared with the assistance of Google’s artificial intelligence (AI) covering the past 23 years.
2002 Praise: In a 2002 New York magazine profile, Trump praised Epstein, stating, “I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy… He likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”
Reason for Split: Trump has given various reasons for their falling out, often centered on Epstein allegedly “stealing” employees from the spa at Mar-a-Lago. In July 2025, Trump acknowledged that one of the women was Virginia Giuffre, a prominent accuser of Epstein, but maintained he had no knowledge of any wrongdoing at the time. (Editor’s Note: Giuffre left Mar a Lago in 2000. Trump claimed he complained to Epstein in 2007 when he kicked him out of his club. Epstein says in an email he was never a member. )
Real Estate dispute: Trump and Epstein were involved in a real estate dispute over a Palm Beach oceanfront mansion in 2004. Trump ultimately outbidding Epstein at a bankruptcy auction. The incident is often cited as the cause of the end of their friendship. Trump bid $41.35 million. Epstein bid of $37.25 million and declined to counter. Trump later sold the mansion for a record-breaking $95 million in 2008 to Russian businessman Dmitry Rybolovlev, leading to allegations of Russian money laundering. (Editor’s note: Trump initially said Epstein’s attempt to recruit female Mar a Lago employees and/or hitting on a club member’s daughter led to their supposed falling out. Epstein’s newly released emails suggest it was the real estate deal.)
Timing Inconsistencies: The reported timeline of the split varies, with Trump in 2019 saying he hadn’t spoken to Epstein in 15 years (around 2004), while other reports suggest the falling out happened later. (Editor’s note: Newly released Epstein emails show Trump maintained contract with Epstein at least through 2017, including a Thanksgiving meeting and/or dinner.)
Distancing Himself: Following Epstein’s 2019 arrest, Trump distanced himself, stating he “was not a fan of his” and had a falling out with him “a long time ago.” (Editor’s note: Newly released Epstein emails show Trump maintained contract with Epstein at least through 2017, including a Thanksgiving meeting. Epstein called Trump his “best friend” for 15 years.)
Conspiracy Theories: Trump has repeatedly suggested Epstein may have been killed in jail rather than dying by suicide, contradicting official findings from the Attorney General and the New York City medical examiner. He also retweeted a post linking the Clintons to Epstein’s death and later encouraged further investigation into whether Bill Clinton had visited Epstein’s private island. (Editor’s Note: In an email, Epstein states that Clinton never visited his Caribbean island.)
Pledge to Release Files: During the 2024 campaign, Trump indicated he would consider releasing the Epstein files. However, once in office, his administration, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, refused to release the files, to protect victims and the absence of an “incriminating ‘client list.'” (Editor’s note: This reversal angered Trump’s MAGA base and sparked the latest push to release the files.
Hoax Claims: When pressed about the files in July 2025, Trump lashed out at reporters and his own supporters, calling the controversy “pretty boring stuff” and later a “Democratic hoax.” (Editor’s Notes: Newly released emails prove that none of those statements are accurate and that Trump was more deeply involved with Epstein than he previously let on.
The Birthday Letter: Trump denied the authenticity of a 2003 birthday note he allegedly sent to Epstein, which featured a typewritten message inside the outline of the body of a prepubescent girl with small breasts. “Happy birthday—and may every day be another wonderful secret,” the president wrote. (Editor’s note: The card’s signature matched the way Trump signed his name at the time.)
Email smear: In November 2025, House Democrats released emails from Epstein in which he claimed Trump “knew about the girls” and that a victim had spent “hours at my house” with Trump. (Editor’s note: A White House spokesperson dismissed these emails as selectively leaked to smear the President. Epstein in a separate email also claimed he had information that could “take down” Trump.
Russian kompromat: In a June 2018 email, roughly a month before the Trump-Putin summit in Helsinki, Epstein suggested to Thorbjørn Jagland, then head of the Council of Europe, that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov should seek his “insight on talking to [Trump]”. Epstein claimed he had previously counseled Russia’s late UN Ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, on understanding Trump’s psyche. (Editor’s note: The email suggests Epstein conveyed Trump’s involvement with underage girls compromising the President, leading to his defferential treatment of Vladimir Putin. Trump has called any connection to Russia a hoax.)
Throughout the various stages, Trump has maintained he had no involvement or knowledge of Epstein’s sex trafficking operation.
While none of the emails that have gone public have directly implicated Trump in trafficking with underage girls, more than 23,000 documents have been released and are currently under scrutiny.
In addition, the House is expected to vote next week on a bill to release all Epstein files in possession of the FBI and the Department of Justice.