Topline
President Donald Trump said he cut ties with Jeffrey Epstein because Epstein repeatedly poached his employees—the first time he’s cited that as a reason for their falling out as he seeks to distance himself from the convicted sex offender amid a persistent saga that’s led to a break with Trump’s base.
President Donald Trump gestures as he meets British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for bilateral talks … More
Key Facts
Trump said “for years, I wouldn’t talk to Jeffrey Epstein” because “he stole people that work for me,” the president told reporters Monday during his visit to Scotland.
Previous reports have suggested Trump banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago after Epstein made advances towards another member’s teenage daughter and that Epstein and Trump had a falling out when Trump outbid Epstein for a Palm Beach mansion in 2004.
Trump gave the new reason he said Epstein became “persona non grata” to him as the blowback surrounding the Justice Department’s decision not to release additional documents related to its Epstein investigation has continued for a month, bringing renewed attention to Trump’s own personal relationship with Epstein.
Trump on Monday also repeated a claim he made last week that he never went to Epstein’s island in the Caribbean, Little Saint James, telling reporters he was invited but “turned it down” and claiming, without evidence, former President Bill Clinton went there dozens of times, despite Clinton denying previously he ever visited the island.
Tangent
Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell recruited Epstein victim Virginia Guiffre to work as Epstein’s personal masseuse in 2000 while Guiffre was working at Mar-a-Lago. Guiffre claimed she was groomed by Maxwell and Epstein to provide sexual services for Epstein and his wealthy circle, according to a deposition Guiffre gave that was made public in 2019.
Crucial Quote
“For years, I wouldn’t talk to Jeffrey Epstein . . . because he did something that was inappropriate,” Trump told reporters. “He stole people that work for me. I said ‘Don’t ever do that again.’ He did it again.” Epstein then became “persona non grata,” Trump said.
Key Background
Trump and Epstein first became friends in the 1980s, around the time Trump bought Mar-a-Lago, and they were subsequently photographed together on multiple occasions up until the early 2000s. Trump also appeared on flight logs for Epstein’s private jets seven times in the 1990s, and he told New York magazine in 2002 Epstein was a “terrific guy,” adding “it is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.” Previous reports have suggested the two had a falling out because Trump outbid Epstein for a Palm Beach mansion in 2004, while a 2020 book, “The Grifter’s Club,” claimed Epstein was banned from Mar-a-Lago because he made advances toward a member’s teenage daughter. Trump has been forced to defend his prior relationship with Epstein amid backlash from his base over the Justice Department’s decision announced earlier this month not to release additional documents related to its investigation into Epstein.
Further Reading
Here’s Every Known Link Between Trump And Epstein: ‘Jeff — You Are The Greatest!’ Trump Reportedly Signed Book (Forbes)
Trump Trolls Rupert Murdoch: Asks For 94-Year-Old To Be Deposed ASAP In Wall Street Journal Epstein Case (Forbes)
Ghislaine Maxwell’s DOJ Testimony Ends—Lawyer Says She ‘Didn’t Hold Anything Back’ (Forbes)