Trump Claims Epstein ‘Stole’ Young Women from Mar-a-Lago Spa

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on Tuesday that Jeffrey Epstein “stole” young women who worked at Mar-a-Lago’s spa, marking a significant shift in his account of how their highly scrutinized relationship ended years ago.

Trump acknowledged that one of these women was Virginia Giuffre, who became one of Epstein’s most prominent accusers in his sex trafficking case.

These comments expanded on Trump’s remarks from the previous day, when he stated he had banned Epstein from his private Florida club two decades ago because his former friend “stole people that worked for me.” At the time, Trump did not specify who these workers were.

The Republican president has faced criticism over his administration’s refusal to release more records about Epstein, despite promises of transparency. This represents a rare instance of tension within Trump’s typically unified political coalition.

Trump has attempted to downplay questions about the case, expressing frustration that it remains a topic of discussion six years after Epstein’s suicide while awaiting trial. This comes despite some of Trump’s own allies promoting conspiracy theories about the case.

Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former girlfriend who is currently imprisoned, was recently interviewed by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche inside a Florida courthouse. Officials have not publicly disclosed the content of their conversation. Maxwell’s lawyers stated on Tuesday that she is willing to answer more questions from Congress, provided she is granted immunity from future prosecution for her testimony and lawmakers agree to meet other conditions.

While returning from Scotland on Air Force One, Trump expressed his displeasure that Epstein was “taking people who worked for me.” He claimed the women were “taken out of the spa, hired by him — essentially, they were gone.” Trump recounted saying, “Listen, we don’t want you taking our people.” When it happened again, Trump said he banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago.

When asked if Giuffre was among the employees Epstein had poached, Trump initially hesitated but then affirmed, “he stole her.” The White House had previously stated that Trump banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago because he was behaving like a “creep.” Giuffre, who died by suicide earlier this year, had alleged that Maxwell spotted her working as a spa attendant at Mar-a-Lago in 2000 when she was a teenager. She claimed Maxwell then hired her as Epstein’s masseuse, which led to sexual abuse.

Although Giuffre’s allegations were not part of the criminal prosecutions against Epstein, she remains central to conspiracy theories surrounding the case. She accused Epstein of coercing her into sexual encounters with powerful men.

Maxwell, who denies Giuffre’s allegations, is currently serving a 20-year sentence in a Florida federal prison for conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse underage girls.

A spokesperson for the House Oversight Committee, which requested the interview with Maxwell, stated that the panel would not consider granting the immunity she requested.

The potential interview is part of a renewed surge of interest in the Epstein saga. This follows the Justice Department’s recent announcement that it would not release any additional records from the investigation, a sudden decision that shocked online investigators, conspiracy theorists, and segments of Trump’s political base who had hoped to uncover evidence of a government cover-up.