Trump Claims Epstein ‘Stole’ Virginia Giuffre From Mar-a-Lago, Sparking Fallout
President Donald Trump stated Tuesday that his long-standing relationship with Jeffrey Epstein came to an end after the disgraced financier repeatedly “stole” young female employees from his Mar-a-Lago resort — including then-17-year-old Virginia Giuffre.
Speaking aboard Air Force One as he returned from a five-day trip that combined golf and trade talks in Scotland, Trump addressed comments made over the weekend suggesting he had banned Epstein from his Palm Beach club for poaching staff.
“He took people that work for me,” Trump confirmed, “and I told him, don’t do it anymore. And he did it again. I said, stay the hell out of here.”
When pressed specifically about Giuffre — who previously worked at Mar-a-Lago’s pool locker room and was introduced to Epstein’s circle after meeting Ghislaine Maxwell at the club — Trump acknowledged she was among the staffers Epstein allegedly recruited.
“I think she worked at the spa. I think so. I think that was one of the people,” Trump said, referring to Giuffre, who died by suicide earlier this year at age 41. “He stole her,” he added. “And by the way, she had no complaints about us, as you know, none whatsoever.”
Giuffre, who publicly accused Epstein and Maxwell of sexually abusing her beginning at age 17, told the BBC she was approached by Maxwell in 2000 at Mar-a-Lago with the offer of a job training as a massage therapist. She later alleged she was sexually abused by Epstein on numerous occasions and trafficked to his powerful associates.
Trump’s latest remarks about his break with Epstein contrast with past explanations. He previously said he cut ties because Epstein was a “creep,” referencing the financier’s 2009 conviction for soliciting sex from a minor. Trump and his allies have often used this break to distance him from Epstein’s crimes, despite multiple photos and social events tying the two together throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.
These comments come amid renewed scrutiny over the federal government’s handling of Epstein-related documents. As Trump’s presidency nears its end, pressure has mounted from both parties to release sealed files connected to Epstein and Maxwell’s cases. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence for her role in the sex trafficking ring.
During a bilateral meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Monday, Trump was asked about the Epstein files. He responded with a lengthy tirade, calling the bipartisan calls for transparency a politically motivated “hoax.”
“Those files were run by the worst scum on earth,” Trump said, accusing FBI Director James Comey, Attorney General Merrick Garland, President Biden, and others of mishandling the case. “If they had anything, I assume they would have released it.”
He also claimed to have turned down an invitation to Epstein’s infamous private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, calling that decision “one of my very good moments.”
“I never had the privilege of going to his island,” Trump said. “I did turn it down. A lot of people in Palm Beach were invited to his island. I didn’t want to go.”
Meanwhile, Trump is suing The Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch over a report claiming he once sent Epstein a sexually suggestive birthday card. Trump has labeled the article false and defamatory.
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