Democrats have released a set of emails that they say raise new questions about the relationship between US President Donald Trump and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.In the messages, Epstein claimed Trump had “spent hours at my house” with one of his victims and “knew about the girls,” many of whom were later found to be underage, reports The New York Times.Trump has repeatedly denied any knowledge of or involvement in pedophile Epstein’s crimes. He has said that while the two were once friendly, they parted ways long before Epstein’s 2019 death in federal custody, which was ruled a suicide.According to Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, the emails were chosen from thousands of pages of material turned over by Epstein’s estate. They said the content of the messages raised “glaring questions” about what the White House may still be withholding.“These latest emails and correspondence raise glaring questions about what else the White House is hiding and the nature of the relationship between Epstein and the president,” said Representative Robert Garcia of California, the panel’s top Democrat.
Email to Ghislaine Maxwell
In one of the emails from April 2011, Epstein told his right-hand woman, Ghislaine Maxwell, “I want you to realise that that dog that hasn’t barked is Trump.” He added that one of his victims “spent hours at my house with him, he has never once been mentioned.”Maxwell replied, “I have been thinking about that.” She is now serving a 20-year sentence for aiding Epstein’s crimes.
Email to Michael Wolff in 2019
Another message, dated January 2019, was addressed to author Michael Wolff. Epstein wrote, “Of course he knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop.” According to Democrats, this email was sent months before Epstein’s arrest that year.
Email discussing Trump’s media exposure
A third email, sent in December 2015, showed Epstein discussing with Wolff how to manage media attention during Trump’s rise in the Republican primaries. Wolff warned that CNN planned to ask Trump about his relationship with Epstein, to which Epstein replied, “If we were able to craft an answer for him, what do you think it should be?” Wolff responded, “I think you should let him hang himself. If he says he hasn’t been on the plane or to the house, then that gives you a valuable PR and political currency.”The White House has not commented on the emails. Trump has dismissed any ties to Epstein as a “hoax,” calling Epstein a “creep” and insisting he had no involvement in his sex-trafficking operation.Epstein and Trump were both part of Palm Beach’s social circles in the 1990s and early 2000s. Trump has previously said he banned Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago resort after hearing allegations that Epstein had hired away one of the club’s staff, later identified by some reports as Virginia Giuffre. Giuffre was one of the most well-known victims of Epstein, who committed suicide earlier this year.The release of the emails comes as House Democrats push for full disclosure of all Epstein-related documents, which US Attorney General Pam Bondi had pledged to release before Trump’s second term. Lawmakers say the Trump administration had earlier promised to make the files public but later went back on its word.
