Trump Says 'Never Had Privilege' To Visit Epstein Island, Claims Power To Pardon Maxwell

Last Updated:July 29, 2025, 07:15 IST

Trump is facing questions over his past relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019.

US President Donald Trump (Reuters Image)

US President Donald Trump on Monday reiterated that he is “allowed" to pardon Jeffrey Epstein’s co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, but no one has asked him to issue one to her. In addition to this, Trump also claimed that he “never had the privilege" of visiting Jeffrey Epstein’s island, saying he turned down an invitation from the convicted sex offender in what the president called a moment of “good judgment".

When asked if he would ever consider a pardon for Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year federal prison sentence for child sex trafficking and other crimes, Trump said, “Well, I’m allowed to give her a pardon, but I — nobody’s approached me with it. Nobody’s asked me about it."

“It’s in the news about that, that aspect of it, but right now, it would be inappropriate to talk about it. It’s something I haven’t thought about," he added.

Epstein was federally charged with sex trafficking of minors and died by suicide while in detention in 2019 and long before any criminal trial. Trump had been accused of attending his parties during the 1990s, and it has been claimed that the President repeatedly flew on his private jet. However, Trump has distanced himself from the controversy amid the public uproar over his administration’s handling of files related to Epstein’s case.

Trump is also facing questions over his past relationship with the disgraced financier, who died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019.

“I have nothing to do with the guy," Trump said during a trip to Scotland. “I never had the privilege of going to his island, and I did turn it down," he added.

“In one of my very good moments, I turned it down."

Notably, Epstein owned a private island in the US Virgin Islands where he entertained prominent people from politics, business and entertainment. Prosecutors have alleged he used the compound to conceal the sex trafficking and abuse of underage victims.

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News world Trump Says 'Never Had Privilege' To Visit Epstein Island, Claims Power To Pardon Maxwell