Trump Reveals New Details on Fallout with Epstein

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump offered new details on Tuesday regarding his breakup with Jeffrey Epstein, stating that Epstein “stole” young women from his Mar-a-Lago spa. Trump made his remarks aboard Air Force One while returning from Scotland, igniting further scrutiny about their contentious relationship.

“I threw him out of the place — persona non grata,” Trump said, referencing Epstein’s actions that he deemed inappropriate. He claimed that he had specifically warned Epstein not to take employees from his club, particularly from the spa. “The answer is yes, they were young women,” Trump stated when asked if the employees Epstein poached were indeed young.

Among those young women, Trump acknowledged, was Virginia Giuffre, a well-known accuser of Epstein who tragically died by suicide earlier this year. Giuffre alleged that she was recruited by Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s close associate, while she worked at Mar-a-Lago when she was just 16.

Trump’s comments represent a departure from his previous explanations regarding their fallout, which included vague references to Epstein’s conduct being inappropriate. Last week, the White House had described Epstein as a “creep” and stated that he was banned from the club for his behavior.

On Tuesday, perhaps reflecting a desire to clarify matters, Trump reiterated that his discontent stemmed from Epstein hiring away his staff. “Don’t ever do that again… he did it again and that was it,” Trump emphasized, pointing to ongoing questions about the dynamics of their former friendship.

The timeline of their split has been a subject of contention, with a previous report linking their breakup to a property dispute in 2004. However, Trump’s remarks suggest that the issue of employee poaching may have played a crucial role, potentially occurring earlier than often presumed.

The Giuffre family released a statement shortly after Trump’s comments, expressing their dismay that their sister’s experience was used in the discussion. They highlighted that it was Maxwell who targeted Giuffre, questioning Trump’s awareness of Epstein and Maxwell’s criminal actions. “Virginia always said that Ghislaine Maxwell was vicious and could often be more cruel than Epstein,” the family stated.

The fallout from Trump’s account raises more questions than answers regarding his knowledge of Epstein’s alleged criminal activities over the years, indicating greater scrutiny as the conversation surrounding Epstein continues to evolve.