Donald Trump insists he severed ties with Jeffrey Epstein years ago, yet he continues to bring up the disgraced financier in ways that keep the controversy alive. Despite claiming he wants the issue behind him, his repeated remarks have fueled ongoing scrutiny and left even his own aides weary.
CNN’s Maggie Haberman observed that Trump appears caught in a cycle of avoidance and revelation. “He can’t find a way to stop talking about it, and also doesn’t wanna keep talking about it,” Haberman said Wednesday on The Source.
The renewed focus on Trump’s Epstein connection comes after the Department of Justice declined to release long-anticipated Epstein-related files. Since then, the press has pressed Trump for clarification about his history with the convicted pedophile.
Rather than quelling speculation, Trump has made a series of decisions that keep the headlines alive. He sued The Wall Street Journal for reporting that he sent Epstein a playful birthday card in 2003—an allegation he denies. The lawsuit, however, only prolonged media attention.
In another move, Trump’s Justice Department dispatched Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to question Epstein’s former associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, in prison. Trump has also declined to rule out granting Maxwell a pardon.
Most recently, he claimed Epstein had “stolen” a teenage employee from his Mar-a-Lago resort, later identified as Virginia Giuffre. Giuffre, who became a victim of Epstein’s trafficking network, died by suicide earlier this year in Australia at the age of 41.
Haberman noted that Trump unexpectedly revived the controversy during a press chat aboard Air Force One on his return from Europe. “He provided, on Air Force One yesterday… new information that had not been heard before,” she explained. Trump alleged Epstein lured away young female staffers from Mar-a-Lago, a story he had not previously shared publicly.
Kaitlan Collins, co-anchor on CNN, remarked that Trump’s tendency to open the door to questions, then avoid clarifying details, only compounds the issue. “It is notable when he engages on Air Force One, and he’s telling these stories about his history with him and then not answering the follow-ups,” Collins said.
Haberman added that Trump’s use of the word “stole” in reference to female staffers is likely to be received poorly, especially among Epstein’s victims. “Providing new information in his own voice, unsolicited, about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein… I don’t know how this calms this down,” she said.
Speaking to reporters in Scotland on July 28, Trump again defended himself, insisting he distanced himself from Epstein years ago. “For years, I wouldn’t talk to Jeffrey Epstein,” Trump said. “He stole people who work for me. I said, ‘Don’t ever do that again.’ He did it again, and I threw him out… persona non grata. I threw him out, and that was it. I’m glad I did.” Trump also reiterated that he never visited Epstein’s private island, Little St. James.