A veteran New York Times journalist who has extensively covered Donald Trump is casting serious doubt on the former president’s latest claim concerning the Jeffrey Epstein case, specifically, his denial of knowing about Ghislaine Maxwell’s prison transfer.
Trump recently stated he was unaware that Maxwell, the convicted accomplice of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, had been moved from a maximum-security facility to a minimum-security prison in Texas. However, New York Times reporter and author Maggie Haberman challenged the credibility of that statement during an appearance on CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins.
“What do you make of Trump’s denials?” asked Collins during the interview. “He says he doesn’t know what [Deputy Attorney General] Todd Blanche and Maxwell talked about, but he also told me yesterday that he was not aware of Maxwell being moved.”
“I was surprised by it,” Haberman responded. “It’s certainly possible, but it’s hard to believe given how closely the DOJ has been working with this White House and how many tabs are being kept related to this investigation.”
Haberman, author of the critically acclaimed book Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America, emphasized that a transfer of this nature would typically require multiple levels of federal oversight and approval, making it unlikely that the president would be out of the loop.
“It would be much harder to see Ghislaine Maxwell being moved to this much less secure prison facility without the President of the United States knowing,” Haberman said.
Maxwell’s transfer has stirred controversy and renewed scrutiny over the handling of her incarceration. As a high-profile inmate convicted of aiding Epstein in the sexual abuse and trafficking of underage girls, her prison arrangements have remained a subject of intense public interest.
Critics argue that the move to a lower-security facility raises serious questions about justice and transparency, especially given the political and social ramifications of the Epstein case, which continues to entangle powerful figures, including Trump himself.
While Trump continues to distance himself from knowledge of Maxwell’s situation, journalists and political analysts remain skeptical. Haberman’s remarks reflect a broader concern among observers who find it difficult to reconcile the president’s statements with the operational reality of such a significant decision within the federal justice system.
As the investigation surrounding Epstein’s network continues to evolve, so too does the scrutiny over who knew what and when inside the highest levels of power.