President Donald Trump, addressing questions about his past friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, stated on Monday that he severed ties with the disgraced financier after Epstein repeatedly hired Trump’s employees, an act Trump deemed “inappropriate.” Speaking at his Turnberry golf property in Scotland alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump said, “He stole people that worked for me. I said, ‘Don’t ever do that again.’ He did it again, and I threw him out of the place, persona non grata.” The White House declined further comment, though Communications Director Steven Cheung previously cited Epstein’s “creep” behavior as the reason for his expulsion from Mar-a-Lago.
The Epstein case continues to shadow Trump’s second term. Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, was a longtime associate of Trump’s in the 1980s and 1990s, with the two socializing at Mar-a-Lago and New York events. Their 15-year friendship, marked by shared jet trips and high-profile parties, ended around 2004, reportedly over a real estate rivalry and Epstein’s alleged harassment of a Mar-a-Lago member’s daughter. Trump’s recent claim of staff poaching adds a new layer to the narrative, though he provided no specifics on the employees or their roles.
Public and political pressure has intensified following a Justice Department decision not to release additional Epstein files, despite earlier promises from Trump allies, including Attorney General Pam Bondi. Bondi informed Trump in May 2025 that his name appeared in unreleased documents, though no wrongdoing was implied. Trump directed Bondi to seek the unsealing of grand jury transcripts, but one federal judge denied the request, with another yet to rule. Vice President JD Vance, addressing protests in Canton, Ohio, where signs accused Republicans of shielding pedophiles, reaffirmed Trump’s commitment to “full transparency,” noting that gathering credible information “takes time.”
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Trump also denied contributing to a 2003 birthday letter for Epstein, reported by The Wall Street Journal, which allegedly included a lewd drawing and suggestive text. “I don’t do drawings of women, that I can tell you,” he said, labeling the report a “fake” and threatening to sue. The controversy has fueled speculation, with critics like Democratic Rep. Sean Casten calling Trump’s ties to Epstein “disgusting” and MAGA supporters demanding more disclosures, frustrated by the administration’s backtracking.
The Epstein saga, compounded by conspiracy theories Trump once amplified, remains a political liability. While Trump insists the case is “old history,” his administration’s handling of the files and his past association with Epstein continue to spark debate, with no clear resolution in sight.
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