Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein claimed that U.S. President Donald Trump “knew about the girls,” as revealed in emails published on Wednesday by Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The House Democrats on the oversight committee referred to communications between Epstein, author Michael Wolff, and Ghislaine Maxwell, a British socialite and former girlfriend of Epstein, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence for crimes including the sex trafficking of a minor.
In a 2011 email to Maxwell, Epstein reportedly indicated that an unnamed individual “spent hours at my house with” Trump and that “he has never once been mentioned.” The identity of the individual is redacted, with House Democrats designating them as “Victim.”
It remains unclear whether Epstein was alluding to media coverage or what he meant by “mentioned.”
Maxwell replied, “I have been thinking about that.”
The emails are part of a larger collection of 23,000 documents submitted by Epstein’s estate to the House oversight committee.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized the release of these emails.
“The Democrats selectively leaked emails to the liberal media to fabricate a false narrative to tarnish President Trump,” Leavitt stated. She asserted that the redacted victim referred to in the emails was the late Virginia Giuffre, “who repeatedly stated that President Trump was not involved in any wrongdoing at all.”
The White House aggressively defended U.S. President Donald Trump after 23,000 pages of documents from convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s estate were handed over to Congress, including an email that said Trump ‘knew about the girls.’
‘Asked Ghislaine to stop’
Trump had a social relationship with Epstein during the 1990s and early 2000s, but has consistently denied any misconduct, instead pointing fingers at other individuals known to have been connected with Epstein, including former President Bill Clinton.
The Democrats referenced another email from early 2019, in which Epstein allegedly told Wolff that Trump “knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop.”
Epstein was later indicted on federal charges that summer, but he died in a New York City jail shortly after, with his death ruled a suicide.
The committee members expressed that the emails “raise serious questions regarding Donald Trump and his awareness of Epstein’s horrific crimes.”
With the prolonged U.S. government shutdown seemingly approaching an end, Democrats are keen to intensify their pressure against the administration regarding Epstein.
Adelita Grijalva, a Democrat who won a special election in September to represent her Arizona district, was sworn in as the latest member of Congress on Wednesday and signed a discharge petition aimed at eventually prompting a vote to release documents related to Epstein, achieving the necessary 218 signatures.
In a recent interview with the Justice Department, the incarcerated Maxwell stated that she never witnessed Trump “in any inappropriate setting,” according to a transcript that was released. She was moved to a facility with less strict security following her interview in July by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Patel backtracks from previous claims
Trump mentioned to New York magazine in 2002 that his association with Epstein dated back 15 years and described him as a “terrific guy,” with a preference for women “on the younger side.”
By July 2019, he informed a reporter at the White House that he “had a falling out with him a long time ago.”
“I was not a fan,” Trump remarked regarding Epstein.
A board outlining the case against Ghislaine Maxwell is seen during a news conference to announce charges against Maxwell for her alleged role in the sexual exploitation and abuse of multiple minor girls by Epstein, on July 22, 2020, in New York. She was subsequently convicted at trial. (John Minchillo/The Associated Press)
Initial reports regarding their falling out suggested it was over a Florida property deal, but Trump later indicated in July that he was upset because Epstein had recruited unspecified individuals from the spa at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
Epstein received a plea deal in 2008 for state charges related to soliciting prostitution in Florida, which is now viewed as exceedingly lenient.
The circumstances surrounding Epstein’s death in August 2019 and his connections with prominent figures such as Trump, Clinton, Prince Andrew, and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates have led to numerous conspiracy theories and have captured the attention of MAGA-aligned podcast hosts.
While still a private citizen on a podcast, Kash Patel accused federal officials of covering up the Epstein case “because of who’s on that list.”
Since taking on the role of FBI director, Patel has distanced himself from such explosive claims while defending the agency’s handling of the situation. Attorney General Pam Bondi hinted in February at forthcoming revelations from the administration regarding the case, but these have yet to materialize.
During his second term, Trump has expressed frustration with reporters asking about Epstein and has labeled the issue a “Democrat hoax,” without providing further clarification.
Pressure on Republicans who signed petition
The Epstein matter has lingered over Trump for several months, causing dissatisfaction even among his own supporters, who feel the government has been concealing Epstein’s connections to the elite and have been unusually critical of his Justice Department for not disclosing more information regarding the Epstein case.
Only 40% of Republicans expressed approval of Trump’s handling of the Epstein documents in an October Reuters/Ipsos poll, significantly lower than the 90% who approve of his overall performance as President.
Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky initiated a discharge petition in September to ensure that certain records related to Epstein and Maxwell become publicly accessible.
Three Republicans have endorsed Massie’s petition—Representatives Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.
Trump and other officials from his administration have reached out to Boebert and Mace, urging them to withdraw their names from the petition that would compel a vote on releasing all the documents, as reported by Axios and other news sources.
In a post on X, Boebert confirmed her meeting with White House officials on Wednesday, stating, “Together, we remain committed to ensuring transparency for the American people.”
Mace’s office did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
U.S. House Reps. Lauren Boebert, left, and Nancy Mace, right, shown standing next to House Speaker Mike Johnson at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, have both signed a petition aimed at forcing a vote on releasing unclassified records related to Jeffrey Epstein. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Massie has publicly expressed his disappointment that none of Epstein’s clients in the U.S. have faced repercussions for their actions, contrasting this with recent developments in Britain.
King Charles has stripped Andrew of his royal title of prince. Andrew settled for millions in an out-of-court agreement in 2022 with Epstein accuser Giuffre, who passed away this past April.
In her public statements prior to her death and in a recently released posthumous memoir, Giuffre disclosed that sexual contact with Andrew occurred when she was 17 years old.
Sarah Ferguson, Andrew’s former spouse, and Britain’s ambassador to the U.S., Peter Mandelson, have also faced consequences in recent months after new details emerged regarding their respective communications with Epstein following his conviction in Florida.