US lawmakers have released more than 20,000 pages of documents from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, and among them are email exchanges that reference President Donald Trump.
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee published three email exchanges on Wednesday, including correspondence between Epstein and his long-time associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and emails between Epstein and author Michael Wolff. House Republicans responded by releasing a large tranche of documents, saying Democrats had “cherry-picked” material to create a “fake narrative to slander President Trump”. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the emails “selectively leaked” to “liberal media to create a fake narrative to smear President Trump”, and said Trump had kicked Epstein out of his club decades ago for “being a creep to his female employees, including Giuffre”. Trump was long associated with Epstein but says they fell out in the early 2000s and has denied any wrongdoing.
“Dog that hasn’t barked is Trump”
The first email released by Democrats, dated 2011 and between Epstein and Maxwell, includes a line from Epstein: “I want you to realize that that dog that hasn’t barked is Trump.. [VICTIM] spent hours at my house with him.” Epstein adds that Trump “has never once been mentioned”, including by a “police chief”. Maxwell replies, “I have been thinking about that…”
The victim’s name was redacted in the Democratic release; the unredacted version in the committee’s broader tranche shows the name as Virginia, a reference to Virginia Giuffre. The White House pointed out that Giuffre repeatedly said Trump was not involved in any wrongdoing in their limited interactions. Giuffre, a prominent Epstein accuser who died earlier this year, said in a 2016 deposition she never saw Trump participate in any abuse, and her 2024 memoir did not accuse Trump. Representative Robert Garcia, the House Oversight Committee’s leading Democrat, said names of victims were redacted in line with families’ wishes.
Epstein seeks Wolff’s opinion on Trump
Emails between Epstein and Michael Wolff, written as Trump was campaigning and later during his presidency, show Epstein discussing the potential political value of how Trump might characterize their relationship.
In a 2015 email, Wolff warned Epstein that CNN planned to ask Trump about their relationship and suggested letting Trump “hang himself” by denying connections, which could create “valuable PR and political currency” for Epstein. Wolff also suggested that if Trump looked like a possible winner, Epstein could “save him, generating a debt.” In October 2016, days before the presidential election, Wolff offered Epstein an interview opportunity that he said could “finish” Trump or garner Epstein sympathy.
A January 2019 email has Epstein telling Wolff that “Trump said he asked me to resign,” apparently referring to Epstein’s membership at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club, and asserting he was “never a member ever”. Epstein also wrote that “of course he knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop”. Wolff said in an Instagram video that some of the released emails were between him and Epstein and that he had been trying to discuss the story for a long time.
Prince Andrew and a 2011 exchange
The released documents also include an exchange involving Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew. In March 2011, Maxwell forwarded a “right of reply” email from the Mail on Sunday alleging sexual activity between Andrew and a masseuse connected to Epstein. Andrew’s reply, included in the release, reads: “Hey there! What’s all this? I don’t know anything about this! You must SAY so please. This has NOTHING to do with me. I can’t take any more of this.”
The Mail on Sunday published a story on 6 March 2011 including a photo of Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre. Prince Andrew has always denied wrongdoing and has not been charged.
Lord Mandelson contact in 2015–2016
The documents show contact between Epstein and Lord Peter Mandelson, who was removed as the UK’s ambassador to the US in September over his links to Epstein. Previously reported contact included Mandelson seeking Epstein’s advice on a banking deal in 2010 after Epstein’s release from prison.
An email from Epstein to Mandelson on 6 November 2015 reads: “63 years old. You made it.” Mandelson replied less than 90 minutes later: “Just. I have decided to extend my life by spending more of it in the US.” Epstein replied, “in the Donald White House,” a reference to the US election that week. Epstein also wrote, “you were right about staying away from Andrew. I was right in your staying with Rinaldo [sic],” referring to Mandelson’s husband Reinaldo Avilda da Silva. Lord Mandelson has said he regrets his relationship with Epstein and declined to comment on the emails when approached by the BBC.
