Donald Trump makes bombshell claim about involvement in Jeffrey Epstein files
Donald Trump has made a shocking new claim about the Epstein files, as the ongoing saga continues and pressure mounts for him to release the alleged documents.
For weeks now, the American President has been facing backlash from the world, including his own Republican supporters, for the way his administration has handled the case.
Jeffrey Epstein, 66, was found dead by suicide in his New York prison cell on 10 August 2019 as he awaited his trial on sex trafficking charges without the chance of bail.
But, the strong reaction really began when an investigation from the FBI and the Department of Justice stated that the disgraced financier had no so-called ‘client list’ and that no more information would be released.
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Trump has also maintained the stance that he wants to move on from the case and doesn’t understand why people are so interested in it.
As the details continue to unfold, here is everything that you need to know so far…
What are the ‘Epstein files'?
Essentially, they are a trove of documents related to the child sexual abuse offender and his criminal case.
Some of the material that’s already out there includes flight logs from Epstein's private plane and a redacted version of his contacts book. However, during his campaign trail, Trump said he would release more of the information, and Attorney General Pam Bondi even said that there were 'a lot of documents' related to Epstein that were sitting 'on her desk' waiting to be reviewed.
But, the US President is yet to release much that’s new, including the so-called ‘client list’ which has been at the centre of conspiracy theories over the years.
Is there a ‘client list’ in the Epstein files?
People are convinced that Epstein kept a list of his clients, which includes the names of high-profile figures, hence why theorists think it’s being kept out of the spotlight.
Theorists also believe that the convicted sex offender was killed and his death was made to look like a suicide to protect the name of those on the ‘list’.
However, an investigation by the Department of Justice and FBI concluded that he didn't keep a supposed 'client list' and he was not murdered during his 36-day-stay at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan.
They also said that no more information would be released, to the outrage of Trump supporters who have closely followed the case.
Despite the investigation, some people are still convinced that such a list exists.
The alleged list has often been confused with the general files, with Bondi later confirming that she was referring to ‘overall files’ rather than a black book of names.
What has Trump said about the Epstein files?
Trump has been keen to steer clear of the topic and has publicly questioned why people are still talking about the case. But, his latest comments from yesterday (July 28) have left people seriously shocked.
According to the Independent, while speaking during a trip to Scotland to meet with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump suggested that any mention of his name in the files would be there as a result of a Democrat ‘hoax’.
His comments come after a Wall Street Journal report claimed that officials told him his own name was in the files.
However, it’s important to note that your name being in the documents doesn’t immediately mean wrong doing, as hundreds of names are reportedly included.
Trump said: “Those files were run by the worst scum on Earth. They were run by Comey, they were run by Garland, they were run by Biden, and all of the people that actually ran the government, including the auto pen.
“Those files were run for four years by those people. If they had anything, I assume they would have released it.”
He went on to add that his opposition could have ‘easily put something in the files that’s a phony’ and compared the situation to his alleged links to Russia during the 2016 presidential election.
The president continued: “Christopher Steele, as an example, wrote a book a dossier. We call it the fake news dossier. And the whole thing was a fake. The whole thing was a fake.
“They could put things in the file that are fake, but those files were run by bad, sick people.”
He also said questioned that hypothetically if his adversaries did have any damning information, why wouldn’t they have released it during last year’s election when he was up against Joe Biden and then Kamala Harris.
Trump added: “The whole thing was a fake. They could put things in the file that are fake, but those files were run by bad, sick people. If they had anything, why didn't they use it when I was killing Joe?”
What do we know about Trump and Epstein’s relationship?
As the rumours and theories continue to swirl, Trump’s previous relationship with Epstein has understandably been in the spotlight.
They were in a similar social circle and were seemingly pals for a number of years during the early 2000s, before the sex offender’s crimes were unearthed.
According to the BBC, previously released files reveal that the Republican’s details were in Epstein's contact book and flight logs showed he travelled on the financier's plane on multiple occasions.
As per The Guardian, he told New York Magazine in 2002: “I’ve known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy. He’s 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.”
Trump says that he and Epstein fell out in the early 2000s, two years before the criminal was first arrested.
At the recent press conference in Scotland this week, he explained that the two stopped talking because Epstein ‘did something inappropriate’.
He said: “For years I wouldn’t talk to Jeffrey Epstein, I wouldn’t talk, because he did something that was inappropriate. He hired help. And I said, ‘Don’t ever do that again’. 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,”.
He concluded: “Persona non grata. I threw him out, and that was it. I’m glad I did, to tell you the truth.”
Steven Cheung, the White House communications director also recently said on Twitter that: "The fact is that the President kicked him out of his club for being a creep.”
Topics: Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, Politics, US News, Crime
Madison Burgess