President Trump walks to board Marine One at Trump Worldwide Golf Hyperlinks in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, on Tuesday on the finish of his journey to Scotland.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
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Brendan Smialowski/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
President Trump provided new particulars Tuesday over what led to his falling out with Jeffrey Epstein some 20 years in the past, telling reporters aboard Air Pressure One which the rupture needed to do with workers who labored on the spa at Mar-a-Lago.
Trump has repeatedly mentioned he kicked Epstein out of his membership for hiring employees away from Mar-a-Lago. When requested if the employees who have been employed away have been younger ladies, Trump responded, “the reply is sure, they have been.”
“Individuals have been taken out of the spa — employed by him — in different phrases, gone. And different folks would come and complain, ‘This man is taking folks from the spa,'” Trump mentioned. “I did not know that. After which once I heard about it, I advised him, I mentioned, ‘Hear, we do not need you taking our folks, whether or not it was spa or not spa, I do not need them taking folks.’ And he was wonderful. After which not too lengthy after that, he did it once more. And I mentioned, ‘Out of right here.’ ”
Trump was additionally requested if one of many workers taken by Epstein was Virginia Giuffre, who was amongst those that accused Epstein of sexual abuse and have become an advocate for intercourse trafficking survivors. Giuffre died by suicide earlier this 12 months.
“I do not know. I believe she labored on the spa. I believe so. I believe that was one of many folks. He stole her,” Trump advised reporters. “And by the way in which, she had no complaints about us, as you already know, none in anyway.”
In a 2016 deposition throughout her swimsuit in opposition to Epstein affiliate Ghislain Maxwell, Giuffre mentioned she labored at Mar-a-Lago in the summertime of 2000, when she was 16 years previous.
It is unclear when Trump’s fallout with Epstein over the workers came about. Trump has lengthy maintained that his friendship with Epstein ended earlier than the disgraced financier was indicted for soliciting prostitution in 2006.
The remarks got here on the finish of journey to Scotland that was dominated at instances by questions on Trump’s historical past with Epstein — questions that got here even because the president introduced a preliminary new commerce cope with the European Union on Sunday. Regardless of being an ocean away, Trump couldn’t escape the political drama again in Washington, D.C., over his administration’s dealing with of the recordsdata of the convicted intercourse offender.
On Monday, Trump was requested by reporters in regards to the timing of the commerce announcement and whether or not it was an try to vary the topic.
“You gotta be kidding with that,” Trump mentioned, including, “that had nothing to do with it.”
Trump confronted much more questions as he mentioned the meals disaster in Gaza whereas assembly with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Trump defined that he reduce off his friendship with Epstein for hiring employees away from his Florida membership, calling what Epstein did “inappropriate.”
“He stole those that labored for me. I mentioned, ‘do not ever do this once more.’ He did it once more. And I threw him out of the place persona non-grata,” Trump mentioned.
Whereas a lot of the stress for extra data is coming from the president’s personal MAGA base, Trump continues to insist the controversy is a hoax that is been constructed up manner past proportion by his political enemies.
Maxwell asks for immunity
Nonetheless, the White Home has struggled to maneuver previous the Epstein story as lots of the president’s personal allies in Congress proceed to press for solutions – together with from Maxwell, the longtime Epstein confidant at present serving a 20-year jail sentence for serving to Epstein sexually abuse underage ladies.
A number of Home Republicans have referred to as on the Trump administration to launch Justice Division recordsdata from the Epstein investigation, and final week, the Home Oversight Committee issued a subpoena to Maxwell for a deposition.
On Tuesday, attorneys for Maxwell requested the committee for immunity in alternate for her testimony. In a letter to the panel obtained by NPR, her authorized staff additionally mentioned they need to postpone the looks within the hopes the Supreme Courtroom will take up her case first.
Within the letter, Maxwell’s attorneys mentioned they initially believed she would invoke her fifth Modification rights or refuse to testify. Nonetheless, they mentioned testifying inside sure parameters may change that.
“We want to discover a strategy to cooperate with Congress if a good and protected path ahead may be established,” attorneys David Oscar Markus, Leah Saffian and Melissa Madrigal wrote on Maxwell’s behalf within the 3-page letter.
Within the subpoena, Home Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., referred to as for Maxwell’s testimony on August eleventh, however her attorneys mentioned that is too quickly. They argued that the Supreme Courtroom may take up her case once they reconvene in October.
The committee mentioned Maxwell’s ask for immunity goes too far.
“The Oversight Committee will reply to Ms. Maxwell’s legal professional quickly, nevertheless it is not going to contemplate granting congressional immunity for her testimony,” a committee spokesperson advised NPR.
The panel had hoped to take a seat down with Maxwell on the Tallahassee Florida jail the place she’s serving her jail sentence, and haven’t dominated out a delay within the high-profile sit-down.
