Donald Trump has made clear that he wants the name Jeffrey Epstein to fade from public conversation. “Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein?” he asked a reporter in July. “Are people still talking about this guy, this creep? That is unbelievable.” But the subject continues to surface, driven by lingering questions about Epstein’s crimes and the growing push for full transparency.
Polling shows that most Americans want the government to release all remaining materials tied to Epstein’s investigations. Many of Trump’s supporters have been especially vocal, convinced the so-called “Epstein files” could expose a network of powerful figures. During his 2024 campaign, Trump suggested he would make these records public if he returned to the White House.
The complication is that Trump himself appears in these documents, something the Justice Department confirmed to him in May. Trump has denied any knowledge of or involvement in Epstein’s illegal activities. Still, each new disclosure adds pressure. On Wednesday, House Democrats released a 2019 email in which Epstein claimed that Trump “knew about the girls,” the latest example of details that have worked against the president’s efforts to distance himself.
Trump’s long connection to Epstein stretches back to the late 1980s, when the two moved in the same social circles in Palm Beach. According to Jack O’Donnell, a Trump Plaza executive, “In my mind, [Epstein] was his best friend” during those years. Their closeness extended into the 1990s, with footage of them together at a 1992 Mar-a-Lago party drawing renewed attention in recent years.
In the early 2000s, Trump spoke glowingly of Epstein. “I’ve known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy,” he said in 2002. A year later, Maxwell compiled a birthday scrapbook for Epstein that included a letter appearing to be from Trump, featuring a drawing, typed dialogue, and a signature he now claims he did not write.
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The relationship soured in the mid-2000s. Trump banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago in 2007, reportedly after Epstein harassed a teenage girl at the club. Epstein later pleaded guilty to state charges in 2008 under a widely criticized plea deal negotiated by Alexander Acosta, who served as Trump’s Labor Secretary until he resigned in 2019.
Epstein’s 2019 arrest on federal sex trafficking charges renewed the focus on Trump, who insisted they had not spoken in 15 years. After Epstein died by suicide in federal custody, conspiracy theories surged. Trump fueled some of them, suggesting Bill Clinton might have been involved.
Calls for transparency intensified once Maxwell was charged in 2020. Trump sparked criticism by saying, “I just wish her well, frankly.” As his second presidency began, his supporters expected full disclosure of the files, but the administration instead released only public-record materials, sparking outrage.
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The Justice Department attempted to close the matter this summer, reaffirming that Epstein died by suicide and saying no client list exists. The move ignited internal conflict and angered conspiracy theorists. More than 20,000 documents released Wednesday added fuel, including messages in which Epstein described Trump as “borderline insane” and claimed he “spent hours at my house” with a young woman who later accused Epstein of abuse.
Despite Trump’s efforts to move on, the Epstein story continues to shadow him, driven by newly uncovered records, renewed bipartisan calls for transparency, and a public that remains unwilling to let the matter fade.