President Donald Trump exerted his influence across New York in past decades, rubbing elbows with figures from former Mayor Rudy Giuliani to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
His towering buildings and cash attracted many figures within the city. Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself in 2019 after a child sex trafficking indictment, eventually found his way to Trump, too. Epstein came to prominence as a financial manager of the ultra-wealthy in the 1980s.
Trump and Epstein had a relationship, though it is not totally clear how close it was. Recent reporting from the Wall Street Journal indicated they were friends, as Trump allegedly wrote a letter to Epstein for his birthday that said they had “certain things in common.” Trump has since said he will sue the outlet and its owner, Rupert Murdoch, over the reporting and has denied the letter’s existence.
Here’s a rundown of the twists and turns of the president’s relationship with Epstein.
Trump becomes friends with Epstein — Late 1980s
It’s unclear when and where the pair first met, but Trump said in a 2002 New York magazine profile of Epstein that he had known him for 15 years, which dates the relationship to 1987. In the same profile, he said Epstein likes “beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”
“I’ve known Jeff for 15 years,” Trump told the magazine. “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.”
Epstein and Trump spotted together at Mar-a-Lago party — November 1992
Trump hosted Epstein at his estate in Florida in November 1992. He invited NBC News to take footage of the party, and the outlet captured video of Trump and Epstein chatting.
NBC News unearthed the footage in 2019 as Epstein was arrested on charges of sex trafficking.
Trump threw an NFL-themed party, complete with Buffalo Bills cheerleaders.
“I knew him like everybody in Palm Beach knew him,” the president said of Epstein in 2019. “He was a fixture in Palm Beach.”
The president flies on Epstein’s plane at least seven times — 1993 to 1997
Trump flew on Epstein’s private plane four times in 1993, once in 1994, once in 1995, and once in 1997. Six of the flights were revealed as a result of Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial. All seven of the flights flew between Palm Beach and New York City.
Epstein’s private plane has often been maligned for its journeys to his private island, where his alleged sex trafficking ring took place. Trump has denied ever traveling to the island, and no evidence has surfaced suggesting he has ever been there.
Former President Bill Clinton also rode on Epstein’s jet at least nine times.
Trump falls out with Epstein — 2004
Epstein and Trump’s relationship soured when the two put in rivaling bids for a Palm Beach mansion that had fallen into foreclosure. Both men wanted the mansion, an oceanfront property called the Maison de l’Amitie. Trump won, and little has come out about their relationship since then.
Trump said in 2019 that they had a “falling out” and hadn’t spoken in 15 years.
Epstein is convicted of sex crimes, charged with sex trafficking, and dies by suicide — 2008 and 2019
Epstein secured a plea deal and pleaded guilty to soliciting an underage prostitute, receiving a far lighter sentence than he could have faced on more serious charges, such as molestation and unlawful sexual activity with a minor. He allegedly paid a 14-year-old and other underage girls to give him a massage in their underwear before sexually touching them.
His 2019 case proved far more serious. He was arrested on July 8, 2019, and charged with sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors. The charges indicated that Epstein “sexually exploited and abused dozens of underage girls by enticing them to engage in sex acts with him in exchange for money.” Prosecutors could have put him away for more than 40 years.
But a month later, Epstein was found dead in his cell, and his death was ruled a suicide by hanging.
Many questions revolved around his death, and some believed his former powerful friends had helped kill him to avoid more information linking him to them. Attorney General Pam Bondi recently released video footage that they hoped would strike down any theories regarding his death, but a “missing minute,” which Bondi has attributed to a nontampering problem, has kept some questions open.
Trump, who was in his first term at the time, said he wanted a full investigation into the case.
“I want a full investigation, and that’s what I absolutely am demanding,” Trump said of the Epstein case.
Trump suggests he will release Epstein files — 2024
The then-former president suggested he would release files in Epstein’s case after he became president for a second, nonconsecutive term. “I guess I would,” he told Fox News in June 2024.
“I think that less so because you don’t want to affect people’s lives if it’s phony stuff in there, because it’s a lot of phony stuff with that whole world,” he added, showing doubt. “But I think I would.”
He repeated the same suggestion in September to podcast host Lex Friedman. “Yeah, I’d certainly take a look at it. … Yeah, I’d be inclined to do the Epstein, I’d have no problem with it.”
Trump’s second administration releases Epstein information to influencers before backtracking — 2025
The administration released some “Epstein files” to a group of influencers in February, but little new information was revealed. Bondi said it was the “first phase” of the files, and she demanded that the FBI release more.
The FBI, citing the need to redact victims’ information, sat on the issue for months.
“You’re going to get all that information,” FBI Director Kash Patel told Joe Rogan in June. “Like, that’s literally what we’re putting together. And we’re going to give you every single thing we have and can. And that’s the whole point. … Now we’re figuring out how to put it out.”
Bondi suggested earlier this year that Epstein’s client list was sitting on her desk, but the administration later said there was no evidence of an Epstein client list, that he blackmailed influential figures, or that he was murdered.
TRUMP ASKS BONDI TO RELEASE ‘ANY AND ALL PERTINENT’ EPSTEIN GRAND JURY TESTIMONY
Then this week, Trump suggested the Epstein files were a “hoax” and slammed his supporters for believing in it.
“These Scams and Hoaxes are all the Democrats are good at – It’s all they have – They are no good at governing, no good at policy, and no good at picking winning candidates,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social. “Also, unlike Republicans, they stick together like glue. Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this ‘bulls***,’ hook, line, and sinker.”