President Donald Trump on Friday forcefully rejected renewed speculation about his alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein, insisting he “never went to that island” and calling on reporters to shift their focus to former President Bill Clinton and other high-profile Epstein associates.
Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One for a trip to Scotland, Trump was asked whether he would consider granting a pardon to Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate and convicted sex trafficker. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence in Florida and has recently been in contact with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who previously served as Trump’s defense attorney.
“I really don’t know much about that,” Trump responded regarding Maxwell’s talks with Blanche. “I’m not considering a pardon at this time.”
When pressed about whether Maxwell could be trusted, Trump redirected the conversation.
“You should focus on Clinton. You should focus on the former president of Harvard. Focus on the hedge fund guys—I’ll give you a list,” Trump said. “They don’t talk about them. They talk about me. I have nothing to do with Epstein.”
He repeated his denial of ever visiting Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean. “I never went to that island. I don’t even know what they’re talking about,” Trump said. “Bill Clinton went there 28 times. Why aren’t you asking him?”
The president also referenced various public figures and institutions he believes should face more scrutiny over their Epstein ties, including former Harvard president Larry Summers. He accused the media of deliberately ignoring Democratic figures with deeper connections to Epstein.
“They should be asking about Barack Hussein Obama, who led a coup,” Trump said, echoing a conspiracy theory recently revived by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. “Talk about the people who were actually friends with Epstein.”
Trump has long denied any inappropriate relationship with Epstein, despite past comments where he once described the disgraced financier as “a terrific guy” who “likes beautiful women, many of them on the younger side.”
In recent days, Trump has expressed growing frustration over resurfaced stories linking him to Epstein, particularly after a Wall Street Journal report claimed Trump once sent Epstein a suggestive birthday card referencing “secrets.” Trump has denied the allegation and responded with a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the outlet.
His allies say that reports about the president being mentioned in the so-called “Epstein Files” are being weaponized politically. Being named in those documents does not imply wrongdoing—hundreds of people were referenced—but Trump has denied that his name appears at all and has gone as far as to claim the files were “made up” by former FBI Director James Comey and former Presidents Obama and Biden.
During the 2024 campaign, Trump pledged to release all Epstein-related documents if reelected. While that promise remains unfulfilled, his supporters continue to believe those records could expose corruption among powerful liberal elites and Hollywood celebrities.
Trump reiterated that his focus remains on running the country. “People should be talking about how well the country is doing—not this nonsense,” he said.
