What the Jeffrey Epstein Documents Reveal About Donald Trump – New York Magazine
Photo: Davidoff Studios Photography/Getty Images
For weeks, speculation has been building about which famous and powerful figures would be tarnished by the Jeffrey Epstein scandal when court documents from a years-old case related to the disgraced financier were made public. And while Epsteins black book contained a staggering number of A-listers and high-society pals, perhaps the biggest question surrounding the court documents unsealing is what they reveal about Donald Trump.
They hype escalated on the afternoon of January 3, when Mark Epstein said that three years before his brother died in jail while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, he told him he knew secrets that could blow up the presidential election between Trump and Hillary Clinton.
Heres a direct quote: If I said what I know about both candidates, theyd have to cancel the election. Thats what Jeffrey told me in 2016, Mark Epstein told the New York Post.
Wild stuff! But of course, Mark Epstein said he doesnt know what information his brother was referring to. And while Trump and Bill Clinton (who have both denied any Epstein-related wrongdoing) are both mentioned in the court documents that were made public hours later, there was nothing that could have upended a previous presidential race or Trumps current reelection bid.
But questions about Trumps ties to Epstein persist, as the convicted sex offender is now a conspiracy theory fixture, and more court records are set to be released in the coming days and weeks. Heres a running list of revelations from the newly unsealed documents, and what weve already learned about Trumps friendship with Epstein.
.
The newly unsealed documents are from Virginia Roberts Giuffres settled 2015 defamation lawsuit against Epsteins former girlfriend Ghislane Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison termfor trafficking women and girls for Epstein to sexually abuse. Giuffre is one of dozens of women, some as young as 14, whom Epstein allegedly abused.
Some documents were blacked out or sealed when the suit was settled in 2017 over privacy concerns. But in December 2023, federal Judge Loretta Preska ruled that most of the records would be made public, as most of the names were already public. The first 40 exhibits, totaling 943 pages, were released on January 3, 2024. (Read about the other figures listed in the new Epstein documents here.)
.
In short: not much. His name is mentioned only four times, in a May 2016 deposition of Johanna Sjoberg, one of Epsteins alleged victims, who said she was around him from 2001 to 2006.
Sjoberg said that while flying on one of Epsteins planes, they made an unplanned stop in Atlantic City and went to one of Trumps casinos. She recalled that when she relayed the pilots message that theyd need to land in New Jersey, Jeffrey said, Great, well call up Trump and well go to I dont recall the name of the casino, but well go to the casino.
Later, Sjoberg said she never gave Trump a massage.
.
Trump began palling around with Epstein in the late 80s but the depth of their friendship is a subject of debate.
Footage unearthed by NBC News in 2019 shows the two men joking around and ogling women during a party at Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort in 1992.
Trump and Epstein were also photographed together in 1992 and 1997. The now famous image below shows Trump and then-girlfriend Melania Knauss partying with Epstein and Maxwell at Mar-a-Lago on February 12, 2000.
Photo: Davidoff Studios Photography/Getty Images
In 2002, the mogul told New York, Ive known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy. Hes 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.
On January 3, Trumps spokesperson Steven Cheung offered a terse statement on the new document release, telling Newsweek that any claims about Trumps relationship with Epstein were thoroughly debunked.
In 2016 a woman who went by the pseudonyms Katie Johnson and Jane Doe in legal filings accused Trump of raping her in 1994, when she was 13, during an orgy held at Epsteins home in Manhattan. She accused Epstein of raping her as well.
Three suits were filed over the same allegations; the first was dismissed for failure to properly state a claim the other two were voluntarily dismissed. The third case was withdrawn just days before the 2016 election, and the accuser canceled a press conference at the last minute. Her attorney, Lisa Bloom, said the woman had received death threats and She has decided she is too afraid to show her face She is in terrible fear.
The circumstances around the case were bizarre, as Vox summarized at the time:
It was the end of an incredibly strange case that featured an anonymous plaintiff who had refused almost all requests for interviews, two anonymous corroborating witnesses whom no one in the press had spoken to, and a couple of seriously shady characters with an anti-Trump agenda and a penchant for drama who had aggressively shopped the story around to media outlets for over a year.
Those shady characters a former reality TV producer who calls himself Al Taylor and a Never Trump conservative activist named Steve Baer had been mostly unsuccessful in getting the media to bite. There are a few very good reasons for that, which the Huffington Posts Ryan Grim succinctlysummed up: Taylor and Baer have beenreally sketchyabout the whole thing, and since the accuser is anonymous, journalists cant do anything to verify her claims. The only journalist who has actually interviewed Johnson,Emily Shugermanat Revelist, came away confused and even doubting whether Johnson really exists.
Trump has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than 20 other women over the years; those women were not underage and their allegations did not involve Epstein. In May 2023 a federal jury found Trump civilly liable for sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll in the mid-1990s, and for defaming her when he denied her rape allegation in 2022. He was ordered to pay Carroll $5 million in damages, and is currently appealing the verdict.
.
Trump has claimed that he and Epstein had a falling out years before the financier was first arrested in Palm Beach in 2005, after he was accused of paying a 14-year-old girl for sex. (Though dozens of other underage girls accused Epstein of sexual abuse at the time, through a 2008 plea deal he served only 13 months in jail in a work-release program).
There are reports that a battle over a choice Palm Beach property ended the friendship, but its unclear what exactly came between the two men. Days after Epstein was arrested on federal sex-trafficking charges in 2019, Trump downplayed their relationship while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office. He said he merely knew him like everybody in Palm Beach knew him, adding, I had a falling out with him. I havent spoken to him in 15 years. I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you.
.
During an August 2023 interview Tucker Carlson asked Trump if he believes that Epstein killed himself in jail. I dont know, said Trump, who seemed more interested in bashing his former attorney general Bill Barr. After more prodding from Carlson, Trump said he thinks its possible that Epstein was killed, but I think he probably committed suicide.
Life with beautiful homes, beautiful everything, and all of a sudden hes incarcerated and not doing well, Trump said. A lot of people think he was killed. He knew a lot on a lot of people. Carlson confirmed hes among those who believe Epstein was killed, and Trump replied that a case could be made either way.
This post has been updated.
Daily news about the politics, business, and technology shaping our world.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us.
More here:
What the Jeffrey Epstein Documents Reveal About Donald Trump - New York Magazine
- Hillary Clinton 'ages backwards' as ex-First Lady unrecognizable on glitzy NYC date with Bill Clinton - Irish Star - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton debuts major change in appearance on glam NYC date night with ex-pres hubby Bill - The Mirror US - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton, 77, looks unrecognizable in taut-faced photos during date night with Bill - Daily Mail - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- New Trump portrait slotted between Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush in White House - The Independent - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Pete Hegseth's shift on handling sensitive info: From shaming Hillary Clinton to sharing strikes - NBC News - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Trump sues law firm that helped Hillary Clinton acquire Russia dossier - The Telegraph - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton warns women over House GOP voting bill - MSN - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton Torches Donald Trump Admin Move With Scathing, Sarcastic Jab - HuffPost - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton Torches Donald Trump Admin Move With Scathing, Sarcastic Jab - Yahoo News Canada - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton Torches Donald Trump Admin Move With Scathing, Sarcastic Jab - AOL.com - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- I Worked for Hillary Clinton. The Hypocrisy in Signalgate Is Stunning. - U.S. News & World Report - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton on Trumps dumb power: its feeble, friendless, stupid and lethal - The Age - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton on Trumps dumb power: its feeble, friendless, stupid and lethal - The Sydney Morning Herald - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton: Signal group chat dangerous and just dumb - The Hill - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Opinion | Hillary Clinton: How Much Dumber Will This Get? - The New York Times - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton on Signal military plans chat leak: It's not the hypocrisy that bothers me; it's the stupidity - MSNBC News - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton Joins Bluesky, Shoots to 120k Followers in 7 Hours - TheWrap - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Atlantic Signal-gate: Why cant Democrats get Hillary Clinton to shut up? - The Telegraph - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton, Once Accused of Her Own Security Breach, Calls Out Trump Administrations Stupidity Over Signal Messaging - The New York Sun - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Hypocrisy Much? Hillary Clinton Calls Out Trump Admin for SignalGate Despite Her Past Controversies - Megyn Kelly The Devil May Care - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton Pens Heated Op-Ed on Signalgate: 'It's Not the Hypocrisy That Bothers Me; It's the Stupidity' - Latin Times - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton warns Trump stupidity will leave US feeble and friendless - The Guardian US - March 28th, 2025 [March 28th, 2025]
- This Is Just Dumb! Hillary Clinton Torches Slash-And-Burn Trump Admin in Scath ... - Mediaite - March 28th, 2025 [March 28th, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton on the Signal Group-Chat Scandal: The Hypocrisy Is Staggering - Glamour - March 28th, 2025 [March 28th, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton on war plans leak: Youve got to be kidding me - The Hill - March 28th, 2025 [March 28th, 2025]
- But her e-mails? Here is how Trump's team reacted to a Hillary Clinton security breach - USA TODAY - March 28th, 2025 [March 28th, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton reacts to military plans leak: You have got to be kidding me - The Guardian US - March 28th, 2025 [March 28th, 2025]
- Trump revokes security clearance for Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton and others - BBC.com - March 28th, 2025 [March 28th, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton Reacts After Trump Admin Messages About War Plans Exposed - Newsweek - March 28th, 2025 [March 28th, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton's Response To The Pete Hegseth Group Chat Scandal Is Going Viral - Yahoo - March 28th, 2025 [March 28th, 2025]
- Trump revokes classified access for Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton and others - NPR - March 28th, 2025 [March 28th, 2025]
- Trump revokes access to classified material for Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton and Biden officials - NBC News - March 28th, 2025 [March 28th, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton issues damning 7-word response to Trump administration's airstrikes group chat scandal - indy100 - March 28th, 2025 [March 28th, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton's Reaction To The Pete Hegseth Group Chat Drama Is Going Viral - BuzzFeed - March 28th, 2025 [March 28th, 2025]
- Trump revokes security clearances of former opponents Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton - Fox News - March 28th, 2025 [March 28th, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton Sides With Unexpected Pundit on Signal Leak - The Daily Beast - March 28th, 2025 [March 28th, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton hit with fierce backlash as she issues hypocritical response to Hegseth's leaked war plans - Daily Mail - March 28th, 2025 [March 28th, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton Calls Out Staggering GOP Hypocrisy Over Signal Scandal - HuffPost - March 28th, 2025 [March 28th, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton Responds To Trump's Admin Using Signal To Discuss War Plans - HuffPost - March 28th, 2025 [March 28th, 2025]
- Years after her own email scandal, Hillary Clinton criticizes leak of war plans - Baltimore Sun - March 28th, 2025 [March 28th, 2025]
- Trump is limiting a law firm with ties to Hillary Clinton from working with the government - Fortune - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- The Appointments Clause has nothing to say: Trump admin scoffs at challenge to DOGEs authority by likening agency head to Hillary Clinton, Karl Rove -... - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Trump signs executive order targeting law firm linked to Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign - Yahoo - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Dishonest and dangerous: Trump name-checks Hillary Clinton in order suspending security clearance for law firm that worked with his perceived enemies... - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Conservatives rally around Hegseth after he turns tables on Hillary Clinton with Russia 'reset' photo - Fox News - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Trump signs executive order targeting law firm linked to Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign - UPI News - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Conservatives rally around Hegseth after he turns tables on Hillary Clinton with Russia 'reset' photo - Yahoo - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton Shreds Donald Trump Over Putin With Scathing One-Liner - Yahoo - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton Shreds Donald Trump Over Putin With Scathing One-Liner - HuffPost - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Trump signs executive order targeting law firm linked to Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign - MSN - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton's campaign lawyer acquitted of lying to the FBI - WiscNews - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Fact Check: Epstein Files Out: Bill And Hillary Clinton Flee US? Viral Photo Is From 2018 - Newschecker - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Trumps order that had Hillary Clinton cackling is no laughing matter for reporters - NJ.com - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- Chelsea, daughter of Bill and Hillary Clinton, left the Church at the age of six because its opposition to abortion - Voz Media - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- What Hillary Clinton Gets Wrong About DOGE And Aviation Reform - Forbes - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- Elon Musk has control of federal servers and, yes, Hillary Clinton has something to say about that - NJ.com - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton Offers Advice To Kamala Harris Ahead Of 2024 Election - Evrim Aac - February 1st, 2025 [February 1st, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton, Katie Couric, and More the Navalny Screening at the MoMA - WWD - February 1st, 2025 [February 1st, 2025]
- The hysterically catty verdict on Hillary Clinton's 'figure' that stylists whisper behind her back... and why - Daily Mail - January 30th, 2025 [January 30th, 2025]
- 2024s election results dont just resemble Trumps 2016 win over Hillary Clinton. Theyre almost identical - AOL - January 30th, 2025 [January 30th, 2025]
- Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton Are Closer Than Ever - The Daily Beast - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton's Reaction To Donald Trump Saying He'll Rename The Gulf Of Mexico Is Going Viral - BuzzFeed - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- Former VP Kamala Harris takes Hillary Clinton's help on what to do next; will she run for the 2028 U.S. el - The Economic Times - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- Former VP Harris reportedly asking Hillary Clinton for advice on what to do after losing to Trump - Fox News - January 24th, 2025 [January 24th, 2025]
- Kamala Harris consulted Hillary Clinton over how to deal with brutal loss to Trump: report - New York Post - January 24th, 2025 [January 24th, 2025]
- Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton Are Closer Than Ever - NewsBreak - January 24th, 2025 [January 24th, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton's Reaction to Donald Trump Renaming the Gulf of Mexico at Inauguration Goes Viral - Parade Magazine - January 24th, 2025 [January 24th, 2025]
- Watch Hillary Clinton, JD Vance react to Trump's Gulf of America announcement - CNN - January 22nd, 2025 [January 22nd, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton appears to laugh at Trump's 'Gulf of America' remarks - WIS News 10 - January 22nd, 2025 [January 22nd, 2025]
- Watch: Hillary Clinton sniggers at Trumps plan to rename Gulf of Mexico - The Telegraph - January 22nd, 2025 [January 22nd, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton appears to laugh at Trump's 'Gulf of America' remarks - FOX 8 Local First - January 22nd, 2025 [January 22nd, 2025]
- The Internet Is Losing It After Watching Hillary Clinton Laugh During This Part Of Donald Trump's Inauguration Speech - Yahoo Entertainment - January 22nd, 2025 [January 22nd, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton Laughs as Trump Shares Plan to Rename Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America in His Inaugural Address - PEOPLE - January 22nd, 2025 [January 22nd, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton's Peace on Earth Brooch at Donald Trumps Inauguration - WWD - January 22nd, 2025 [January 22nd, 2025]
- Moment Hillary Clinton reacts to Trump's plan to rename Gulf of Mexico - Sky News - January 22nd, 2025 [January 22nd, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton's Reaction to Donald Trump Renaming the Gulf of Mexico at Inauguration Goes Viral - Yahoo Entertainment - January 22nd, 2025 [January 22nd, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton appears to laugh at Trump's 'Gulf of America' remarks - WWSB - January 22nd, 2025 [January 22nd, 2025]
- Hillary Clinton seen laughing at this part of Trumps speech on Monday - WWJ - January 22nd, 2025 [January 22nd, 2025]
- From left, former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former President George W. Bush, former first lady Laura Bush and... - January 22nd, 2025 [January 22nd, 2025]
- Bill and Hillary Clinton Share a Snarky Reaction to Trumps Inauguration Speech - The Daily Beast - January 22nd, 2025 [January 22nd, 2025]