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President Donald Trump said Tuesday that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein “stole” Virginia Giuffre from his Mar-a-Lago estate, an explosive statement that adds a new and controversial layer to Trump’s longstanding connection with the disgraced financier.
Speaking to reporters, Trump confirmed that Giuffre — one of Epstein’s most prominent accusers — was among a number of young women Epstein allegedly poached from Trump’s club staff, specifically from the on-site spa.
“The answer is yes, they were in the spa,” Trump said. “I told him, I said, ‘Listen, we don’t want you taking our people, whether it was spa or not spa.’ … And he was fine. And then not too long after that, he did it again.”
When asked directly if Giuffre, who said she met Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell while working at Mar-a-Lago as a teen, was one of those taken, Trump replied: “I think she worked at the spa. I think so. I think that was one of the people. He stole her.”
Giuffre, who accused Epstein and Maxwell of recruiting her into a sex trafficking ring when she was 17, died by suicide in April. She had been a public advocate for Epstein’s prosecution for nearly two decades.
Trump Attempts to Distance Himself from Epstein
Trump, who once socialized frequently with Epstein, reiterated that he banned the financier from Mar-a-Lago. “He took people that worked for me. And I told him, ‘Don’t do it anymore.’ And he did it. I said, ‘Stay the hell out of here.’”
White House communications director Steven Cheung echoed the president’s message last week, saying Trump barred Epstein from the property “for being a creep.”
However, Tuesday’s comments mark the first time Trump has acknowledged that Giuffre may have been among those Epstein recruited from Mar-a-Lago. Legal documents and court records had previously shown Giuffre claimed to have been working at the club when she was approached by Maxwell.
Trump added that “she had no complaints about us, as you know, none whatsoever.”
Renewed Pressure for Epstein Transparency
The admission comes amid a surge in public and political pressure—including from members of Trump’s own MAGA base—for more transparency around Epstein’s associates and government investigations.
Though Trump has previously shared conspiracy theories implying that others, including former President Bill Clinton, were more closely tied to Epstein’s crimes, he has recently tried to downplay the topic.
“It’s boring,” Trump said earlier this month, brushing off questions about why his administration has not declassified more Epstein-related records.
But that effort to change the subject may falter. The House Oversight Committee is moving forward with subpoenas for Justice Department officials and potentially even figures like Trump, Clinton, and Prince Andrew as part of a widening investigation into how Epstein operated with apparent impunity.
Broader Implications
Giuffre’s death in April sparked a new wave of activism and outrage, particularly over the lack of accountability for Epstein’s network. While Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted in 2021 for her role in Epstein’s sex trafficking ring, many survivors and advocates have demanded a full accounting of other alleged enablers.
Trump’s remarks — particularly his offhand acknowledgment of Giuffre’s recruitment from his own property — are likely to reignite questions about who else knew, and when.
Civil rights attorney Lisa Bloom, who has represented several Epstein victims, said on social media Tuesday, “Trump just admitted something the public has long suspected — that Mar-a-Lago was a recruitment site. This cannot be ignored.”
