President Donald Trump is continuing to distance himself from Jeffrey Epstein, the infamous financier who died while awaiting trial for federal sex trafficking charges.
“I never went to the island,” Trump told reporters Friday morning at the White House, referencing Epstein’s private island where he was accused of trafficking minors.
Public interest in Epstein has only grown in the weeks since the Department of Justice announced that it wouldn’t be releasing files pertaining to Epstein, despite high-ranking officials pledging to shed light on the issue. But new reports have put Trump on the defensive as his base continues to demand more information about Epstein.
The New York Times reported on Wednesday that Attorney General Pam Bondi informed Trump in the weeks before the DOJ announced it wouldn’t be releasing the files that he was in them. Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing related to Epstein’s crimes.
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And while Trump has in recent years downplayed the extent of his relationship with Epstein, The Wall Street Journal reported last week that a “bawdy” letter bearing what looks like the president’s signature was included in a book of birthday notes to Epstein in 2003.
The White House has denied the validity of the letter and sued the Journal over the report.
“I don’t even know what they’re talking about,” Trump said on Friday of the book. “Now, somebody could’ve written a letter, used my name. That’s happened a lot.”
There are numerous photos of Trump and Epstein and other public anecdotes about their relationship.
“I’ve known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy,” Trump told New York magazine in 2002. “He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”
The friendship reportedly soured by 2004. In 2019, Trump said he was “not a fan” of Epstein.
The DOJ is attempting to assuage public outrage over its handling of the Epstein case by interviewing Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a prison sentence for conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse minors
Trump praised Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who is leading the effort to work with Maxwell, on Friday.
The president said that though he could pardon Maxwell, he hadn’t thought about doing so. He also suggested the media turn its attention to other matters, like his administration’s allegations that former President Barack Obama committed treason, or on other powerful people tied to Epstein.
“They should speak about them,” Trump said, naming former President Bill Clinton, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and others with supposed ties to Epstein. “Because they don’t talk about them, they talk about me. I have nothing to do with the guy.”
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