Donald Trump has claimed that Jeffrey Epstein, the late convicted sex offender with whom he socialised for over a decade, “stole” Virginia Giuffre and other young female staff members from his Mar-a-Lago resort in the early 2000s.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday, as he returned to Washington from Scotland, Trump was pressed to elaborate on remarks he made earlier in the week about falling out with Epstein. On Monday, the president stated that he had expelled Epstein from Mar-a-Lago “because he did something inappropriate,” specifically, that “he stole people that worked for me”.
Senior White House aides have claimed in recent weeks that Trump severed ties with Epstein around 2004, allegedly expelling him from the private club for “creepy” and sexually inappropriate behaviour. However, Trump’s latest comments suggest the rift may have stemmed, at least in part, from Epstein poaching Trump’s staff.
Asked whether the workers in question were young women, Trump responded: “The answer is yes, they were. People who worked in the spa.”
One reporter followed up by asking whether one of the people he referred to was Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most prominent accusers. Giuffre, who died earlier this year, alleged in a civil lawsuit that she was recruited at age 16 by Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s close associate, while working at Mar-a-Lago’s spa in 2000.
Trump replied, “I think she worked at the spa. I think so. I think that was one of the people, yeah. He stole her. And by the way, she had no complaints about us, as you know. None whatsoever.”
Giuffre had alleged she was initially abused by Epstein and Maxwell together, before being trafficked to other powerful men, including Prince Andrew, who has denied the allegations.
Trump’s comments complicate relationship timeline with Epstein
Trump’s comments appear to complicate the timeline of his relationship with Epstein. Despite claiming to have broken ties with Epstein in the early 2000s, Trump told New York magazine in 2002: “I’ve known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy. 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.”
Further scrutiny of Mar-a-Lago’s membership records reveals that Epstein remained a member until at least October 2007, well after his first arrest and charges for soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2006. These details were documented in The Grifter’s Club, a 2020 investigative book by Miami Herald journalist Sarah Blaskey.
Meanwhile, Ghislaine Maxwell, currently serving a 20-year sentence for conspiring with Epstein to sexually traffic minors, has reportedly offered to testify before the US Congress. According to documents seen by CNN, Maxwell’s legal team has submitted a list of demands to the House Oversight Committee, including a request for immunity in exchange for her testimony.
Trump’s latest remarks come as his team works to shift public focus away from his past ties to Epstein, a subject that has increasingly unsettled segments of his political base. However, his admission that Giuffre was among those allegedly “stolen” by Epstein has reignited scrutiny over his long-standing acquaintance with the disgraced financier.
