President Donald Trump on Monday said he expelled his longtime friend Jeffrey Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago club and severed ties years ago because Epstein “stole people who worked for me.”
Speaking in Scotland, Trump said Epstein poached at least one more employee from him even after being warned not to do so again.
“That’s such old history, very easy to explain, but I don’t want to waste your time by explaining it,” Trump said, when asked about the reasons behind their falling out and Epstein’s ban from the Palm Beach club.
Details of the Rift
“For years, I wouldn’t talk to Jeffrey Epstein. I wouldn’t talk because he did something that was inappropriate,” Trump explained.
“He hired help, and I said, ‘Don’t ever do that again.’ He stole people that work for me. I said, ‘Don’t ever do that again.’ He did it again,” Trump said.
Epstein then became “persona non grata,” the president added.
“I threw him out, and that was it. I’m glad I did, if you want to know the truth,” he said.
Background on Epstein and Trump
Virginia Giuffre, who accused Epstein of sexual abuse, stated that British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell recruited her as a teenager to be exploited by Epstein while Giuffre worked as a spa attendant at Mar-a-Lago. Giuffre died by suicide in April.
It has long been known that Trump and Epstein were once friends, though their relationship soured years before Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea on soliciting a minor for prostitution in Florida.
Recent attention on their relationship surged after Attorney General Pam Bondi reversed a promise to release investigative files on Epstein.
Earlier reports suggested the fallout happened after 2004, when Trump outbid Epstein for a French Regency-style estate in Palm Beach.
A White House spokesperson described Epstein’s expulsion as being “for being a creep.”
Bondi recently asked the Department of Justice to seek unsealing of grand jury transcripts involving Epstein and Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for procuring underage girls.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Maxwell and her lawyer last week, reportedly aiming to identify others involved in Epstein’s abuse network.
Author’s Opinion
The ongoing secrecy surrounding Jeffrey Epstein’s network continues to fuel public distrust. While Trump’s distancing from Epstein is notable, it’s the full exposure of all involved that matters most. Transparency will help victims find justice and ensure accountability, preventing such abuses from being hidden behind powerful connections. Without openness, suspicions and misinformation will persist, undermining faith in the system.
Featured image credit: Heute
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