Epstein email claims Trump 'aware of the girls,' White House calls release a Democratic smear
Jeffrey Epstein wrote in a 2019 email to a journalist that Donald Trump “knew about the girls,” according to documents released Wednesday, though what Trump knew—and whether it related to Epstein’s crimes—is unclear. The White House condemned the release, accusing Democrats of selectively leaking the emails to smear the president.
House Oversight Committee Democrats released three emails referencing Trump, including one from 2011 in which Epstein told Ghislaine Maxwell that Trump had “spent hours” at Epstein’s home with a sex trafficking victim. The disclosures raise questions about Trump’s friendship with Epstein and any potential knowledge of the sex offender’s alleged exploitation of underage girls. Trump has consistently denied any involvement or knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and said he ended their relationship years ago.
Trump did not take questions from reporters on Wednesday, despite inviting them into the Oval Office to watch him sign legislation ending the government shutdown. The 2011 email released by Democrats redacted the victim’s name, but committee Republicans later said it was Virginia Giuffre, who had accused Epstein of arranging sexual encounters with wealthy and powerful men. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial.
The emails are part of 23,000 documents provided by Epstein’s estate to the Oversight Committee. Giuffre, who died earlier this year, had consistently said Trump was not among those who victimized her. In sworn depositions and her memoir, she described meeting Trump only once at Mar-a-Lago while working as a spa attendant and said he “couldn’t have been friendlier.” Other Epstein household staff also testified that while Trump visited the house, they saw no inappropriate behavior.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Democrats “selectively leaked emails” to craft a “fake narrative to smear President Trump.” Trump wrote on Truth Social that the release was a diversion from Democratic failures on issues like the government shutdown.
Trump previously said he banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago after Epstein took employees, including Giuffre, from the club without permission. The White House reiterated that Trump acted to remove Epstein from the club decades ago.
Republicans on the Oversight Committee released an additional 20,000 pages of documents from Epstein’s estate, including emails in which Epstein commented unfavorably on Trump’s political rise and communicated with journalists.
One 2019 email from Epstein to journalist Michael Wolff said Trump “of course knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop.” In an April 2011 email to Maxwell, Epstein wrote, “I want you to realize that that dog that hasn’t barked is Trump. Virginia spent hours at my house with him, he has never once been mentioned… I’m 75% there.” Maxwell replied, “I have been thinking about that.”
Leavitt said the individual referenced in the emails was Giuffre, who had accused others, including Britain’s Prince Andrew, of sexual exploitation but repeatedly stated that Trump was not involved. Maxwell, now serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in Epstein’s trafficking operation, told the Justice Department in a July interview that she never witnessed Trump engaging in inappropriate behavior.
The release of these emails revives scrutiny of Trump’s connection to Epstein but does not provide evidence of wrongdoing by Trump. Giuffre and Maxwell’s statements suggest Trump was not involved in any sexual misconduct, and the White House maintains the documents are being misused to create a false narrative.
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