# Donald Trump
## Summary
Donald Trump, 45th and 47th President of the United States, does not appear as a direct correspondent in Jeffrey Epstein's email archive. However, Trump is referenced in numerous emails and documents spanning 2010-2018, primarily in the context of news articles, political commentary, and a 2016 lawsuit that Epstein circulated widely to contacts. Trump's documented social relationship with Epstein lasted approximately 15 years, from the late 1980s through the early-to-mid 2000s, including parties at Mar-a-Lago and other social events. The two had a falling out, with varying accounts placing it between 2004 and 2007. Trump has [consistently denied](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/the-facts-and-timeline-of-trump-and-epsteins-falling-out) any knowledge of Epstein's criminal activities and stated he banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago.
The archive contains significant evidence documenting the Trump-Epstein relationship, including an FBI witness statement claiming [Epstein introduced Melania Trump to Donald Trump](/drive/vol00009-efta00090773-pdf) through modeling industry connections, [staff testimony placing Trump at Epstein's Palm Beach residence](/drive/vol00009-efta00157613-pdf) during the 1990s-2002 period, and [confirmation that Trump's name appeared in Epstein's personal address book](/drive/EFTA00017193-pdf) with contact information for multiple homes. Notably, [staff testimony indicates that while most visitors to Epstein's Palm Beach house received massages, Trump did not](/drive/vol00009-efta00157613-pdf), distinguishing his visits from those who participated in the massage activities central to Epstein's abuse operations.
## Background
Donald John Trump was born [June 14, 1946](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Donald-Trump), in Queens, New York. He is a [real estate developer and businessman](https://millercenter.org/president/trump/life-presidency) who built his career in his father's real estate business before expanding into hotels, casinos, and branding. Trump became a household name through [his reality television show _The Apprentice_](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-35318432) in the 2000s. He served as the 45th President of the United States from 2017 to 2021 and was elected to a second term as the 47th President in 2024.
Trump's relationship with Epstein has been [extensively documented in public reporting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relationship_of_Donald_Trump_and_Jeffrey_Epstein). The two socialized frequently in the 1990s and early 2000s in Palm Beach and New York social circles. In a [2002 _New York Magazine_ profile](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/18/trump-epstein-friendship) of Epstein, Trump said: "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." This quote is referenced in [archive documents](/drive/vol00010-efta01433755-pdf) alongside coverage of later legal proceedings. A [March 2003 Vanity Fair article](/drive/vol00009-efta00204650-pdf) titled "The Talented Mr. Epstein" listed Trump among the "businessmen who dine with him at his home," alongside newspaper publisher Mort Zuckerman, banker Louis Ranieri, Revlon chairman Ronald Perelman, real-estate tycoon Leon Black, former Microsoft executive Nathan Myhrvold, Tom Pritzker (of Hyatt Hotels), describing these men as sometimes seeming "not all that clear as to what he actually does to earn his millions."
Trump and Epstein [had a falling out](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/the-facts-and-timeline-of-trump-and-epsteins-falling-out), without](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/the-facts-and-timeline-of-trump-and-epsteins-falling-out). Trump statingstated in 2019 that he hadn't spoken to Epstein in 15 years, suggestingwhich theywould ceasedplace the end of their contact around 2004. However, [an October 2010 email in the archive](/drive/vol00011-efta02421526-pdf) from an associate named Nleese suggests Epstein may have still described Trump as a contact at that time, writing: "I remember you said to me once that he is a mate of yours" when asking about connecting to Trump regarding a business matter. Multiple reports indicate Trump [banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2407jrn83o) after Epstein allegedly behaved inappropriately toward a member's teenage daughter, though no documentation of this ban appears in the archive.
### Modeling Industry Connection
According to [an FBI proffer interview dated July 12, 2019](/drive/vol00009-efta00090773-pdf), a former Epstein assistant stated that model agent Paolo Zempoli "worked with 'ID Models'" and that **"EPSTEIN introduced MELANIA TRUMP to DONALD TRUMP."** The witness also stated that "ZEMPOLI was trying to buy Elite Models with EPSTEIN" and that "EPSTEIN was visiting ZEMPOLI at the agency when there were casting auditions for models. EPSTEIN was looking through portfolios." This witness statement, if accurate, suggests the Trump-Epstein relationship extended beyond casual social acquaintance to include shared business interests in the modeling industry and that Epstein played a role in Trump meeting his future wife. The statement remains unverified by other archive sources.
## Correspondence with Epstein
Trump does not appear in the archive as a sender or recipient of emails. His name surfaces in emails Epstein sent to others, primarily as a subject of news coverage and political commentary during the 2016 and 2018 election cycles.
In November 2016, immediately following Trump's presidential election victory, Epstein circulated a Daily Mail article titled ["Troubled woman history drug use claimed assaulted Donald Trump Jeffrey Epstein sex party age 13 FABRICATED story"](/thread/EFTA02670025) to multiple contacts. The article reported that a lawsuit filed against both Trump and Epstein had been dropped and the allegations deemed fabricated. Epstein sent this link to numerous associates, including [Michael Wolff](/thread/vol00009-efta01062269-pdf), [Nathan Myhrvold](/thread/vol00009-efta01062297-pdf), and others, responding ["nope"](/thread/vol00009-efta01062320-pdf) when asked by one contact if he had known the woman who filed the suit. Following the article circulation, [Nathan Myhrvold joked](/thread/vol00009-efta01062452-pdf) to Epstein about whether he would become "secretary of treasury, or in a demonstration of irony, head of IRS," to which Epstein replied "great idea."
In March 2018, Epstein forwarded [an article titled "How Close Is Donald Trump to a Psychiatric Breakdown?"](/thread/vol00009-efta00853348-pdf) from _The Daily Beast_. In response to [Steve Bannon](/person/bannon-steve), who had sent him the same article, Epstein wrote: ["he feels alone. and is nuts !!! , I told everyone from day one. evil beyond belief. mad, and most thought i was speaking metaphorically. its obvious he could crack. stormy daniels. ? lies after lies aflter lies"](/thread/vol00009-efta00853370-pdf). When journalist [Landon Thomas Jr.](/person/thomas-landon-recovered) suggested Epstein should reach out to Trump to "talk sense to him," Epstein's negative characterization indicated no active relationship remained between them.
Other Trump references in the archive include news forwarding: [Richard Kahn](/person/kahn-richard) sent Epstein articles about [Trump Jr.'s divorce](/thread/EFTA02508089) and a [CNBC piece about Bill Richardson suggesting Trump could beat Hillary Clinton](/thread/EFTA02470686). In 2010, an associate named Nleese wrote Epstein asking if he could connect them to Trump regarding ["Donald Trumps customized vitamin business(which isn't customized)"](/thread/EFTA02421526), describing Trump as "a mate of yours." [Sultan Bin Sulayem](/person/bin-sulayem-sultan-recovered) forwarded Epstein [a BBC article about the "TrumpTapes story"](/thread/EFTA02447231) in October 2016. [Deepak Chopra](/person/chopra-deepak) sent Epstein [an article titled "America's Shadow. The Real Secret of Donald J. Trump"](/thread/vol00011-efta02454543-pdf) before a meeting.
## Connections
Trump's name appears in correspondence and documents alongside several Epstein associates. In [Alan Dershowitz's 2016 deposition](/drive/doj-6b116b6fb98e8351.pdf), Dershowitz testified that "Donald Trump has been to Jeffrey Epstein's home, and I've seen him there" when asked about Bill Clinton's visits. Ghislaine Maxwell, in her [July 2025 proffer to federal prosecutors](/drive/doj-551c6c4aaa84c3b2.wav), stated she "may have met Donald Trump" in 1990 when her father was friendly with him and liked both Trump and Ivana Trump, who "was also from Czechoslovakia where my dad was from." Maxwell indicated she did not remember definitively meeting Trump at that time but "knew about" him through her father's acquaintance. In the same proffer, when asked about [Trump's alleged contribution to Epstein's 50th birthday book](/drive/doj-b08fac468de6698f.wav), Maxwell stated: "I don't remember what it does with Donald Trump. I I don't I don't know." She later stated that the birthday book materials in her trial discovery contained no submission from Trump.
A [2011 Daily Mail article](/drive/COURT_giuffre-115cv07433_16-1.pdf) filed in Giuffre v. Maxwell proceedings noted that Epstein "once counted Bill Clinton and Donald Trump among his friends" and that Virginia Roberts' father "was maintenance manager at Donald Trump's country club, Mar-a-Lago," where Roberts met Ghislaine Maxwell. According to the article, Roberts "got a part-time job as a changing room assistant—which is where, soon after her 15th birthday, she met Ghislaine Maxwell, who invited her to work as Epstein's personal masseuse." Roberts stated: "I was wearing my uniform — a white miniskirt and a skin-tight white polo top — when I was approached by Ghislaine."
### Mar-a-Lago Recruitment of Virginia Roberts
[Prep notes from Juan Alessi](/drive/vol00009-efta00157613-pdf), Epstein's longtime Palm Beach house manager, provide detailed eyewitness testimony about Ghislaine Maxwell's recruitment of Virginia Roberts directly from Trump's Mar-a-Lago property. According to Alessi's June 8, 2021 testimony:
- Alessi "first saw [Virginia] when he was driving a convertible Mercedes to Mar-a-Lago spa with GM [Ghislaine Maxwell]."
- "That day, JA drove GM to many other spas and massage places in the area. GM made me make a list of spas and addresses to visit them so that she could see and meet massage therapists. JA made a list from the telephone book."
- "After GM went in, as they were driving out, GM saw this girl in a white uniform... and told JA to stop. GM went and talked to the girl."
- "Later that afternoon, [Virginia] was at JE's Palm Beach residence"
- "After that first visit, [Virginia] came to JE's house very often. Not every day, but two or three times per week."
- Alessi "knew that [Virginia] was very young because she didn't drive."
- "That first afternoon her father drove her to JE's residence."
- Alessi "observed [Virginia] go to the airport with JE and GM and then get on JE's plane with them multiple times."
- "At the very end of JA's time working for JE, JA saw [Virginia] bringing two girls to JE's Palm Beach residence."
This testimony establishes that Maxwell conducted a deliberate, systematic search of massage facilities and spas in the Palm Beach area, with Mar-a-Lago as one target location. Roberts was recruited while in her Mar-a-Lago uniform and brought to Epstein's residence the same day, beginning a pattern of frequent visits and international travel. Alessi's employment with Epstein lasted from approximately 1990 to December 2002, placing this recruitment in the late 1990s or early 2000s, during the period of Trump's active social relationship with Epstein.
## Document References
Trump appears in multiple court documents and investigation files. In [depositions from Edwards v. Dershowitz litigation](/drive/doj-6b116b6fb98e8351.pdf), Dershowitz testified that Trump had visited Epstein's residence and that he had seen Trump there, contrasting this with his lack of knowledge about whether Bill Clinton had made similar visits. The deposition established Trump's social connection to Epstein through their overlapping social circles in the 1990s and early 2000s.
### Katie Johnson/Jane Doe Lawsuit (2016)
In 2016, a woman using the pseudonym "Jane Doe" (also identified as "Katie Johnson") [filed a federal lawsuit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump_sexual_misconduct_allegations) in New York accusing both Trump and Epstein of rape and sexual assault at Epstein's Manhattan residence in 1994, when she was 13 years old. The case was [dismissed and refiled multiple times](https://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/donald-trump-rape-lawsuit-dropped-230770) before being voluntarily withdrawn in November 2016. Trump denied the allegations, and the accuser never appeared publicly. Documents referencing this case appear [throughout the archive](/drive/vol00010-efta01433755-pdf), particularly as Epstein circulated news of its dismissal.
The archive contains [the full text of the original complaint](/drive/vol00009-efta00622303-pdf) filed April 26, 2016 in U.S. District Court, Central District of California. The complaint alleges that the plaintiff was 13 years old during summer 1994 when she was "enticed by promises of money and a modeling career to attend a series of underage sex parties held at the New York City residence of Defendant Jeffrey E. Epstein." The complaint describes four separate encounters and includes graphic allegations, including:
- A claim that Trump and Epstein argued "over who would be the one to take Plaintiff Johnson's virginity" with Trump "clearly heard referring to Defendant, Jeffrey E. Epstein, as a 'Jew Bastard'"
- An allegation that after the fourth assault, "when the Plaintiff, Katie Johnson, in tears asked Defendant Trump what would happen if he had impregnated her, Defendant Trump grabbed his wallet and threw some money at her and screamed that she should use the money 'to get a fucking abortion'"
- Claims of death threats: "were she ever to reveal any of the details...Plaintiff Johnson and her family would be in mortal danger"
- Reference to material witness "Tiffany Doe" described as "employed by the Defendant, Jeffrey E. Epstein, for more than 10 years as a party planner for his underage sex parties"
[An FBI complaint form dated November 23, 2016](/drive/vol00009-efta00129126-pdf) documents a report from attorney Tom Meagher to the FBI Public Access Line, adding details not in the original complaint:
- Jane Doe "took a three day bus trip from her father's home in the Midwest under the pretense that she would be visiting her grandmother"
- "Tiffany mailed Doe a 'buddy pass' plane ticket to fly her back to NY"
- "Tiffany instructed Doe to use the name Katie Johnson at these parties"
- "Doe was paid around $500 for her attendance"
- After the fourth assault: "Doe was then threatened with violence by both men to not make any report of what happened: 'We'll make you disappear like [redacted].'"
- "Doe's parents were never informed of what happened to her and still are not aware"
[Archive documents](/drive/vol00010-efta01386393-pdf) note that Trump attorney Alan Garten responded to the lawsuit stating "The allegations are not only categorically false, but disgusting." The case was voluntarily dismissed shortly before the November 2016 election, with the plaintiff's attorney citing threats against his client.
A [Wall Street Journal investigation](https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/epstein-files-appear-to-show-effort-to-get-trump-letter-for-birthday-book-19d96807) reported in July 2025 that Epstein's 50th birthday book, assembled by Ghislaine Maxwell in 2003, contained a sexually suggestive letter bearing Trump's signature with an outline of a naked woman. Trump [denied writing the letter](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/dead-issue-trump-declines-comment-alleged-epstein-birthday/story?id=125396648) and filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the _Wall Street Journal_. The [House Oversight Committee released images](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/see-epsteins-full-birthday-book-with-alleged-personal-messages-from-trump-clinton-and-others) from the birthday book in 2025, though Trump maintained the signature was not his.
## Visits to Epstein Properties
The archive does not document any visits by Trump to Epstein's properties during the period covered by the emails (approximately 2000-2019). However, external evidence and [staff testimony in the archive](/drive/vol00009-efta00157613-pdf) establish their social relationship included interactions at both Trump and Epstein properties during the 1990s and early 2000s:
### Palm Beach Residence
[Juan Alessi's prep notes dated June 8, 2021](/drive/vol00009-efta00157613-pdf) provide the most detailed staff testimony about Trump's visits to Epstein's Palm Beach residence. Alessi, who worked for Epstein from approximately 1990 to December 2002, stated that Trump was among "many famous people" who "came to the house," specifically listing: "**Mr. Trump, Senator George Mitchell, John Kennedy Jr., Alan Dershowitz, Frederick Fecai, Alberto Pinto, a general, Mr. Wexner, Nobel prize winner, Prince Andrew and his wife**."
Critically, Alessi testified: **"Most of JE's visitors to the Palm Beach house received massages, but Mr. Trump did not."** This distinction is significant because the massage activities were central to Epstein's pattern of abuse. Alessi's testimony places Trump at the property during the period when abuse was occurring but distinguishes his visits from those of guests who participated in the massage sessions.
[Staff prep notes from November 30, 2021](/drive/EFTA00017193-pdf) from another former employee confirm that an address book was kept at Epstein's Palm Beach residence: "This book was either dark blue or black. It was a bit bigger than a big iPhone, very thick, and contained a lot of names... estimates it was between 200 and 300 pages." The witness testified: "**Donald Trump's name was there.** Each page had a name, address, company, phone numbers for different homes." The books "were replaced every year and updated with more friends and contacts" and the "updates were adding entries, not removing entries." The books were placed "on JE's desk in living room, JE's desk in the master bedroom, JE's night table in the master bedroom, JE's desk in the cabana, GM's desk next to the pantry room, and by the phone in the kitchen."
[An FBI interview with Epstein's assistant](/drive/vol00009-efta00090773-pdf) confirmed the existence of multiple contact books — "the black ones were MAXWELL's and the colorful ones were EPSTEIN's" — and described how they were maintained and eventually collected during the investigation.
Public reporting documents that [Trump and Epstein socialized at Mar-a-Lago](https://www.wlrn.org/light/south-florida/2025-07-20/a-15-year-bond-between-trump-and-epstein-parties-jets-and-women) in the 1990s and early 2000s before their falling out. A [2002 Vanity Fair article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relationship_of_Donald_Trump_and_Jeffrey_Epstein) reported Trump was a guest at parties thrown by Epstein and Maxwell. Alessi's testimony in the archive provides evidence of the reciprocal nature of their relationship, with Trump visiting Epstein's property just as Epstein visited Trump's Mar-a-Lago.
Alessi also testified that toward the end of his employment, he warned Epstein about the risks of his behavior: "JA told JE one of those girls is going to get you in trouble. JE responded they only want money." This testimony establishes that even Epstein's own staff recognized the inappropriate nature of the activities involving young women at the property during the period when Trump and other prominent figures were visitors.
### Manhattan Townhouse
Dershowitz testified in deposition that he had [personally seen Trump at Epstein's New York residence](/drive/doj-6b116b6fb98e8351.pdf). [The March 2003 Vanity Fair article](/drive/vol00009-efta00204650-pdf) identified Trump as among the businessmen "who dine with him at his home" in New York,York. suggestingThis suggests regular social contact at Epstein's Manhattan townhouse during this period.
### Little St. James Island
Trump has [denied ever visiting Epstein's private island](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/01/us/trump-epstein-files.html). No documentary evidence in the archive confirms any visit.
### New Mexico Ranch
No visits documented in the archive.
### Paris Apartment
No visits documented in the archive.
### Aircraft
[Flight logs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relationship_of_Donald_Trump_and_Jeffrey_Epstein) released during Maxwell's trial confirm Trump flew on Epstein's private jet multiple times in the 1990s. The archive emails do not document these flights.
