On July 29, 2025, aboard Air Force One returning from Scotland, President Donald Trump made a startling claim about his former friend Jeffrey Epstein, stating that Epstein “stole” Virginia Giuffre and other young women from his Mar-a-Lago club’s spa in the early 2000s, leading to their falling out. Speaking to reporters, Trump elaborated on earlier comments from July 28, where he said he banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago “for being a creep” after he “stole people that worked for me,” per NBC News. When pressed if these workers were young women, Trump confirmed, “The answer is yes, they were in the spa,” and specifically named Giuffre, saying, “I think she worked at the spa. I think that was one of the people. He stole her.” He added, “She had no complaints about us, none whatsoever,” a statement that raised eyebrows given Giuffre’s allegations. This admission, reported by The Guardian and ABC News, has reignited scrutiny of Trump’s ties to Epstein, especially amid calls for transparency over Epstein-related files.
The Epstein-Trump Relationship
Trump and Epstein were close for over a decade, socializing in Manhattan and Palm Beach from the late 1980s until their fallout around 2004, per The New York Times. Photos, like one from 2000 showing Trump, Melania, Epstein, and Ghislaine Maxwell at Mar-a-Lago, capture their camaraderie. Trump’s 2002 New York magazine quote, calling Epstein a “terrific guy” who liked “beautiful women… on the younger side,” has haunted him, especially as Epstein’s crimes came to light. Giuffre, who died by suicide in April 2025 at age 41, alleged in a 2016 deposition that Maxwell recruited her in 2000 at age 16 while she worked as a Mar-a-Lago locker-room attendant, leading to years of sexual abuse by Epstein and others, including Prince Andrew, per The Washington Post. Trump’s claim that he banned Epstein after repeated poaching contradicts earlier narratives, like a 2004 dispute over a Palm Beach mansion, per The Miami Herald, and raises questions about his awareness of Epstein’s actions.
Giuffre’s Allegations and Mar-a-Lago’s Role
Virginia Giuffre’s story is central to the Epstein saga. Hired at Mar-a-Lago through her father, a maintenance worker, she was reading a massage therapy book when Maxwell allegedly offered her a job as Epstein’s masseuse, a role that led to her abuse, per court documents unsealed in 2019. Giuffre’s 2021 lawsuit against Prince Andrew, settled out of court, and her accusations against Epstein and Maxwell made her a prominent advocate for trafficking survivors. Trump’s claim that Epstein “stole” her suggests he knew of her recruitment, yet his assertion that she had “no complaints” about Mar-a-Lago is misleading, as her allegations focused on Epstein and Maxwell, not the club itself. Posts on X, like @RpsAgainstTrump’s, highlight Mar-a-Lago’s role as a recruiting ground, noting Giuffre’s age of 15–16 at the time, amplifying public unease.
Pressure for Epstein Files
Trump’s comments come amid growing demands, even from his MAGA base, to release Epstein-related documents, fueled by Attorney General Pam Bondi’s July 2025 decision to withhold investigative files, despite earlier promises, per CNBC. An airplane banner over Florida on July 25 reading “Trump and Bondi are protecting predators” reflected public frustration, per AP News. Ghislaine Maxwell, serving a 20-year sentence for conspiring with Epstein, was subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee for an August 11 deposition but demanded immunity, a request the committee rejected, per The Guardian. Trump’s remarks, coupled with his denial of writing a 2003 “bawdy” letter to Epstein (prompting a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal), have intensified speculation about what the files might reveal.
Contradictions and Public Reaction
Trump’s narrative raises inconsistencies. His claim of banning Epstein in the early 2000s conflicts with The Miami Herald’s reporting that Epstein remained on Mar-a-Lago’s membership rolls until 2007, after his first arrest. Critics, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, have called for an FBI counterintelligence assessment of Trump’s Epstein ties, citing national security concerns, per The Guardian. On X, sentiments vary: @RedpillDrifter claimed Giuffre said Trump was uninvolved, while @JamesSurowiecki and @ProjectLincoln emphasized their close ties, citing Epstein’s own words and Trump’s past praise. Trump’s attempt to distance himself by framing Epstein’s actions as mere “poaching” has backfired, with The Independent noting it “inadvertently reopened a door many hoped he had firmly closed.” As pressure mounts, Trump’s remarks have only deepened the controversy surrounding his Epstein connection
