🌊 Everything About Epstein’s Relationship With Trump

A lot has been said about it; we dug through all the facts

By Max Frost

Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal reported the contents of a birthday note sent by Trump to Jeffrey Epstein on his 50th birthday. The note, pasted inside the outline of a naked woman and styled as a conversation written in the third person, read:

“Voice Over: There must be more to life than having everything”
Donald: Yes, there is, but I won’t tell you what it is
Jeffrey: Nor will I, since I also know what it is
Donald: We have certain things in common, Jeffrey
Jeffrey: Yes, we do, come to think of it
Donald: Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?
Jeffrey: As a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you
Donald: A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret

Trump responded on Truth Social: “The Wall Street Journal printed a FAKE letter, supposedly to Epstein. These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don’t draw pictures. I told Rupert Murdoch it was a Scam, that he shouldn’t print this Fake Story. But he did, and now I’m going to sue his ass off, and that of his third rate newspaper.”

He then sued the Journal for $20B.

But what is actually known about Trump’s ties to Epstein? What is fact and fiction? We spent the last week going through all the information we could find on the topic. Today, we share it here.

1980s-2000

While it’s unclear exactly when the duo met, Trump said in 2002 that he had known Epstein for “15 years,” implying their acquaintance began in the late 1980s. Both men moved in elite social circles in New York and Palm Beach around that time. By 1992, Trump and Epstein were socializing in Palm Beach. NBC archive video footage from that year shows Trump and Epstein together at Mar-a-Lago, where Trump pointed at young women dancing, whispered something in Epstein’s ear, and made him laugh.

In 2019, Florida businessman George Houraney told The New York Times that in 1992, he organized a “calendar girl” beauty competition at Mar-a-Lago and had flown in 28 young women. He told the Times, “At the very first party, I said, ‘Who’s coming tonight? I have 28 girls coming.’ It was him and Epstein…I said, ‘Donald, this is supposed to be a party with VIPs. You’re telling me it’s you and Epstein?’” That event wasn’t documented at the time.

Confirmed flight logs show that Trump flew on Epstein’s plane eight times, all between 1993 and 1997. The flights were between Palm Beach and New York City, once with a stop in Washington, DC. In 1994, Trump’s then-wife, Marla Maples, their daughter, Tiffany, and a nanny tagged along.

In the late 90s, Epstein was a familiar face in Palm Beach society – he owned a mansion just down the road from Trump’s club. Photographic evidence from 1997 shows Trump and Epstein together at Mar-a-Lago during a social event, and what is allegedly Epstein’s personal address book (later nicknamed the “Black Book”) listed 14 contact numbers for Trump, his family, and his staff around this time. Trump and Epstein were also photographed at a Victoria’s Secret party in New York City that same year.

2000-2004

In the early 2000s, Epstein was frequently seen at Mar-a-Lago, although he was not an official member. Also present was Ghislaine Maxwell. In the year 2000, Trump was photographed alongside Maxwell, Epstein, and Melania, then his girlfriend.

That same year, Maxwell noticed a 16-year-old spa attendant working at Mar-a-Lago. Her name was Virginia Giuffre (née Roberts).

Giuffre’s deposition testimony (unsealed in 2019) describes how Maxwell noticed her reading a massage therapy book at the club and offered her “an opportunity” to make money giving massages to a wealthy client – Jeffrey Epstein. Those massages led to sexual abuse and Giuffre becoming part of Epstein’s entourage.

In her 2016 deposition, Giuffre clarified that “Donald Trump never flirted with me,” and he never participated in any sexual activity with Epstein’s girls. She called Trump “a good friend of Jeffrey’s.” She also denied a reporter’s claim that Trump flirted with her: “It’s not true that he flirted with me. Donald Trump never flirted with me,” she said.

In 2002, Trump gave an interview to New York Magazine for a 2002 profile of Epstein. “I’ve known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy,” Trump said, calling Epstein “a lot of fun to be with.” He added: “It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side…No doubt about it – Jeffrey enjoys his social life.”

Trump’s alleged 50th birthday message would have been sent a year later, when Epstein turned 50 in January 2003.

In 2004, Trump and Epstein’s relationship soured, reportedly due to a real estate rivalry.

The two men faced off that November in a bidding war for an oceanfront Palm Beach mansion called Maison de L’Amitié, which had come up for auction in bankruptcy court. Until 1988, the property had been owned by Les Wexner, the Victoria’s Secret owner who was a friend and major patron of Epstein’s. Trump called it “the finest piece of land in Florida and probably the US.”

That month, Trump and Epstein sought to outbid each other for the property. During the negotiations, law enforcement records released by Vice News showed that Trump left Epstein at least two phone messages. One note, taken by Epstein and dated November 21, reads, “Donald Trump called to talk about business.” Another from November 25 notes a call from Trump without detailing the contents.

Epstein’s lawyers reportedly tried to preemptively knock Trump out of the bidding, infuriating Trump. He responded by offering an unmatchable $41M for the property. After losing the mansion, Epstein was reportedly furious. Their relationship deteriorated, and there is no evidence that they ever communicated again.

Post-Fallout

Several months later, in 2005, Palm Beach police opened an investigation into Epstein for sexual misconduct with minors. Despite this, sources say Epstein still showed up at social functions, including at Mar-a-Lago. Sometime around 2007, though, as Epstein’s legal peril became clear, Trump barred Epstein from Mar-a-Lago entirely. In 2008, Epstein reached the so-called “deal of a century” with Alex Acosta, a federal prosecutor who would later serve as Trump’s first-term labor secretary.

Court documents have since shed more light on Epstein’s actions at Mar-a-Lago: Epstein was allegedly banned after sexually assaulting an underage girl at the club, and that incident sparked the first police case involving Epstein. In one lawsuit filing, a victim’s lawyer stated that Trump “banned Epstein from the property” due to the incident. Trump himself has not publicly confirmed that particular story, but he did tell reporters in 2019:

Well, I knew him like everybody in Palm Beach knew him. I mean, people in Palm Beach knew him. He was a fixture in Palm Beach. I had a falling out with him a long time ago. I don’t think I’ve spoken to him for 15 years. I wasn’t a fan.

In 2009, attorney Bradley J. Edwards, who represented several of Epstein’s underage victims, was contacting Epstein’s high-profile acquaintances to seek information for civil lawsuits. Edwards later revealed that Trump was the only one who responded and agreed to talk with him: “The only person who picked up the phone and said, ‘Let’s just talk. I’ll give you as much time as you want. I’ll tell you what you need to know,’” Edwards said in a 2018 YouTube interview.

According to Edwards, Trump freely volunteered information in a meeting and was “very helpful.” Edwards stressed that Trump never hesitated to cooperate, something he said was a contrast to many others who stonewalled or ignored inquiries. Edwards did not end up taking Trump’s deposition, so the extent of Trump’s knowledge isn’t fully known.

Upon entering politics, Trump repeatedly attacked Epstein and denied having been close with him. Epstein, meanwhile, said the opposite.

In 2017, The Daily Beast obtained recordings of conversations Epstein had with the journalist Michael Wolff. In them, Epstein says that Trump was his “closest friend” for 10 years. Epstein purportedly told Wolff that “the first time [Trump] slept with [Melania] was on my plane.” He also alleged that Trump enjoyed sexual gossip and had a penchant for sleeping with his friends’ wives, among other claims.

It’s worth noting that nothing corroborates these claims, which were made by Epstein, who had reasons to make false claims to an interviewer. Trump’s camp forcefully rejected Epstein’s assertions when the tapes became public, calling them “false smears” and accusing political enemies of using Epstein’s words to tarnish Trump.