Disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein wrote in a 2011 email that Donald Trump had "spent hours" at Epstein's residence with a victim of sex trafficking. In a subsequent email years later, Epstein claimed that Trump "knew about the girls," according to communications released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee.

The emails further fuel inquiries into Trump's past friendship with Epstein and whether he possessed any knowledge regarding Epstein's alleged crimes involving the exploitation of underage girls. Trump, who served as a Republican president, has consistently rejected any implication that he was aware of Epstein's illicit activities and has stated that he distanced himself from Epstein years prior.

In one of the 2011 emails sent to Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's girlfriend who is serving time for her role in sex trafficking, Epstein mentioned that Trump had "spent hours at my house" with an individual whose identity was obscured in the emails. House Democrats have identified this person as a "victim." Epstein ominously noted that Trump "has never once been mentioned."

Another email addressed to journalist Michael Wolff contained Epstein asserting that Trump "knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop."

White House Response

In response to the release of these emails, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt accused the Democrats of "selectively leaking emails" to fabricate a negative narrative about President Trump. She stated that the unidentified person in the emails is Virginia Giuffre, a prominent accuser who alleged that British Royal Prince Andrew and other influential individuals had sexually exploited her as a teenager. Giuffre tragically died by suicide in April.

Leavitt emphasized that Giuffre had previously stated that Trump "was not involved in any wrongdoing whatsoever" and described him as having been "couldn’t have been friendlier" during their limited interactions. She further noted that Trump had expelled Epstein from his club decades ago due to Epstein's inappropriate behavior towards female staff, including Giuffre.

Giuffre had publicly asserted her claims after Epstein received an 18-month sentence following a controversial plea deal in 2008 that allowed him to evade federal prosecution on more severe charges. She recounted that she was a teenage spa attendant at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club when Maxwell approached her in 2000.

Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal charges. Meanwhile, Maxwell, a British socialite, was convicted for her involvement in procuring girls for Epstein. She is currently serving a 20-year sentence but has reportedly been transferred from a low-security prison in Florida to a minimum-security camp in Texas.