Donald Trump has revealed that he is inclined to release the Jeffrey Epstein list if he ever gets a chance to look at it. He shared that Epstein maintained relationships with a lot of people, and some of them visited his island, but he added that he was not one of them. However, Trump also added that releasing the Epstein list is not similar to releasing the documents pertaining to John F. Kennedy’s assassination.
Interestingly, Trump once maintained close ties with the disgraced financier, who was facing trial for s*x trafficking. Epstein committed suicide in his jail cell in 2019. The former President claimed that he had a fallout with Epstein in 2004, after which he kept his distance from the s*x offender.
Donald Trump Addressed Epstein List During His Recent Interview
Donald Trump was asked a lot of uncomfortable questions when he appeared on Lex Fridman’s podcast and one of them was Epstein’s list. Trump was believed to be in strong ties with financier Jeffrey Epstein. Some speculated that he was on the infamous list alongside Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, Stephen Hawking, Michael Jackson, Leonardo DiCaprio, and others.
However, nothing has been proven against the former President or any of the names mentioned above. During the interview, Fridman asked why there was a hesitation in releasing the Epstein list. Trump answered that he never had any hesitation and added that he would be inclined to release the list to the public. He shared on the Lex Fridman podcast:
He (Epstein) was a good salesman. He was a hale and hearty type of a guy. He had some nice assets that he’d throw around like islands. But a lot of big people went to that island. But fortunately I was not one of them.
However, Trump also shared that it was very different from releasing the Kennedy files years later. It was the Trump administration who announced the release of the files, which included the investigation details into John F. Kennedy’s assassination. He shared that the Epstein files, being more recent, posed dangers to the people involved.
Epstein and his girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell were both accused of involving minors for s*x. Maxwell currently serves prison time on charges of s*x trafficking and conspiracy for helping Epstein to procure girls. It was reported that they would invite celebrities to their private island and luxury homes.
Donald Trump’s Opinion Of Jeffrey Epstein Allegedly Changed Over The Years
During a 2002 feature on Jeffrey Epstein in the New York Magazine, Donald Trump was one of the top celebrities to speak about Epstein. In fact, Trump painted a picture of the financier that was very different from how others viewed him at the time. He shared with New York Magazine:
I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy. He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it — Jeffrey enjoys his social life.
When Epstein was accused of the crimes in 2019, Trump shared with reporters in the Oval Office that he only knew Epstein like “everybody in Palm Beach knew him.” Trump shared that he had a falling out with him and that he hadn’t spoken to him in years. He shared (via The New York Times):
I had a falling out with him. I haven’t spoken to him in 15 years. I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you.
However, Epstein maintained the story that he was close with Trump and even claimed that it was he who introduced Melania Trump to him. The story was neither corroborated by Trump nor by Mrs. Trump.
According to NY Post, Trump and Epstein feuded over a $41 million mansion in Palm Beach.
