President Donald Trump has made his most extensive public comments about his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, claiming he ended their decades-long friendship because Epstein “stole” employees from his Mar-a-Lago resort, including trafficking victim Virginia Giuffre.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday, Trump provided new details about why he severed ties with Epstein, saying the late financier repeatedly hired away staff from the spa at his Florida club despite being warned against it. “People were taken out of the spa, hired by him,” Trump told reporters, acknowledging that one of those employees was Virginia Giuffre.
Admission raises new questions. The President’s acknowledgement that Giuffre worked at Mar-a-Lago before being recruited into Epstein’s trafficking network represents what observers describe as a stunning admission that could increase scrutiny of his knowledge about Epstein’s activities. Giuffre has previously stated she was recruited into the sex-trafficking ring whilst working at Mar-a-Lago in 2000.
Trump explained that he repeatedly warned Epstein against poaching his employees, saying, “I said, ‘Listen, we don’t want you taking our people, whether it was spa or not spa.'” According to the President, Epstein continued this behaviour despite warnings, prompting him to ban the financier from Mar-a-Lago permanently.
Pattern of recruitment alleged. The President suggested this was not an isolated incident, indicating that Epstein hired away Mar-a-Lago spa employees more than once, even after being warned against it. Trump described Epstein’s actions as “inappropriate” and said he told him “don’t ever do that again” before ultimately throwing “him out of the place persona non grata” when the behaviour continued.
The comments come as Trump’s administration faces ongoing congressional investigations into Epstein’s activities and connections to high-profile figures. Virginia Giuffre has become one of the most prominent and outspoken survivors of Epstein’s trafficking operation, which operated for years before his 2019 arrest and subsequent death in federal custody.
Political implications: Trump’s detailed explanation of his falling out with Epstein represents an attempt to distance himself from the convicted sex offender amid continued scrutiny of their past association. However, his admission that he was aware Epstein was recruiting young women from his property raises questions about what he knew about Epstein’s intentions and activities.
The President’s comments were made during his return from Scotland, where he had been conducting official business. His willingness to address the Epstein connection publicly suggests an effort to control the narrative around their relationship as investigations continue.
REFH – Newshub, 30 July 2025