Trump Claims Epstein "Stole" Trafficking Victim From Him

Trump's Claims About His Relationship with Jeffrey Epstein

Donald Trump has recently made a series of statements regarding his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and sex trafficker. According to Trump, their friendship came to an end after Epstein allegedly took several underage employees from Trump’s workforce at Mar-a-Lago. The former president shared these details while speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday.

During the conversation, a reporter asked Trump if Epstein had taken some of his workers, specifically young women. Trump responded by acknowledging that he had confronted Epstein about the issue. “I’m just curious, were some of the workers that were taken from you, were some of them young women?” the reporter inquired.

“Well, I don’t want to say but everyone knows the people that were taken, and the concept of taking people that work for me is bad,” Trump said. “But that story has been pretty well out there, and the answer is yes, they were.” He added that the individuals were taken from the spa at Mar-a-Lago.

Trump continued to elaborate on the situation, stating that Epstein had hired away some of the staff. “Hired, by him, in other words—gone,” he said, referring to Epstein. He mentioned that others had complained about Epstein taking people from the spa, but he only became aware of it later. When he finally found out, he told Epstein, “Listen, we don’t want you taking our people.”

He went on to explain that Epstein initially complied, but then repeated the behavior. “And he was fine, and then not too long after that he did it again and I said, ‘Out of here,’” Trump recalled.

Another reporter asked whether Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s earliest and most prominent accusers, was among those taken. Trump responded, “Um, I don’t know. I think she worked at the spa.” He added that he believed Giuffre had been “stolen” by Epstein and noted that she had no complaints about Trump or his team.

This account aligns with Giuffre’s own testimony about being abducted in 2000 by Ghislaine Maxwell at Mar-a-Lago, where she worked as a pool attendant. However, Trump continued to maintain ties with Epstein for years after this alleged incident.

In a 2002 profile of Epstein published in New York Magazine, Trump described their relationship as long-standing. He stated that he had known Epstein for 15 years and referred to him as a “terrific guy.” Trump even joked about their mutual interest in younger women, saying, “It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”

The two men eventually fell out in 2004 over a real estate deal in Palm Beach. Despite this, Trump maintained a close relationship with Epstein for many years. Prior to his death, Epstein described himself as one of Trump’s “closest friends.” They were frequently seen together, including at Trump’s second wedding. Trump reportedly used Epstein’s private jet, nicknamed the “Lolita Express,” for multiple trips between Palm Beach and New York.

Earlier this month, Jack O’Donnell, the former COO of Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, revealed that he had witnessed Trump and Epstein in the late 1980s escorting underage girls into the establishment. O’Donnell told CNN that he warned Trump against spending too much time with Epstein, describing the pair as “pretty good buddies.”