There seems to be a lot of people that think the only evidence that points to Trump's involvement with the Epstein affair is a tweet from Elon so I decided to lay out a few things that many are not aware of:
Trump and Epstein were well documented friends for nearly two decades, from the late 1980s to the early 2000s, hanging out in elite social circles in New York and Palm Beach. Their association is obvious in numerous photographs, including at Mar-a-Lago events, and in entries obtained in Epsteinâs âblack book,â which listed 16 phone numbers for Trump. Trump himself described Epstein in a 2002 New York Magazine interview as a âterrific guyâ and âa lot of fun to be with,â noting, âIt is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.â This means that Trump, at minimum, was aware of Epsteinâs behavior and did not distance himself from Epstein until his legal troubles became public.
Epstein told Michael Wolff in an interview that he was âDonaldâs closest friend for ten years,â a claim backed up by their frequent well documented interactions, from hanging out at Epsteinâs Manhattan mansion to partying at Mar-a-Lago. A video 1992 shows Trump and Epstein laughing together, pointing out women on the dance floor at a party at Mar-a-Lago with Ghislaine Maxwell in attendance.
Defenders of Trump argue that he banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago, citing a supposed incident where Epstein was removed for inappropriate behavior, they claim this is proof that Trump, after several years of associating with Epstein, finally figured out what Epstein was up to. This narrative stems from a 2019 statement by Trumpâs team after the Epstein affair became national news. That is the only evidence that this ever even happened. The claim lacks corroboration from any other source, and no police reports or any other accounts confirm it ever happened. What is documented, however, is a dispute they had over a land deal. The two competed to purchase the Maison de lâAmitiĂŠ, a Palm Beach mansion owned by Abe Gosman that went into bankruptcy. Epstein initially bid $37.25 million, but Trump outbid him, securing the property for $41.35 million. Reports, including those from the Palm Beach Post, detail that it was Epstein, not Trump, who was furious, believing Trump used insider connections to win the deal. This dispute aligns with the timeline of their apparent rift, as their social interactions dwindled after 2004.
Multiple women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct tied to Epsteinâs activities, going back to the 1990s. One accuser, identified as âJaneâ at Ghislaine Maxwellâs trial, testified that Epstein introduced her to Trump at Mar-a-Lago when she was 14. Another woman, Stacey Williams, alleged that in the 1990s, Epstein brought her to Trump Tower, where Trump groped her while Epstein watched, describing it as a âtwisted game.â Williams received a postcard from Trump afterward, which was published in The Guardian.
Mark Epstein, Jeffreyâs brother, stated in a 2009 deposition that Trump flew on Epsteinâs plane ânumerous times,â Trump has acknowledged using Epsteinâs plane at least once, claiming it was a non-commercial flight from Florida to New York. Jeffrey Epsteinâs longtime pilot, Larry Visoski, testified during Ghislaine Maxwellâs 2021 sex-trafficking trial that he remembered Donald Trump as a frequent passenger on Epsteinâs private plane, known as the âLolita Express.â
Alan Dershowitz, who defended Epstein in the 2008 plea deal, also represents Trump. Dershowitz himself faced allegations from Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was forced to have sex with him, despite this Trump hired him anyway. Ken Starr, another Epstein lawyer involved in the 2008 deal, also joined Trumpâs impeachment defense team.