New Emails Undermine Trump’s Claim of Cutting Ties With Epstein

Donald Trump has long insisted that he neither knew about nor had any involvement in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation.

In one message, Epstein claimed that the future president “knew about the girls.”  (Photo: Netflix)

As political controversy surrounding the president and his former friend has intensified over the past year, Trump has repeatedly condemned the scandal as a “scam” and a “hoax” concocted by his Democratic critics, Steve Benen reported for MSNBC.

Despite the Republican’s efforts to make the story go away, a steady stream of new revelations continues to create problems for the president and his White House.

Last week, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released a package of emails obtained from the Epstein estate, in which the convicted sex offender wrote that Trump had “spent hours” at Epstein’s home with one of his victims.

In a separate message, Epstein claimed that the future president “knew about the girls,” the Associated Press (AP) also reported.

That Trump and the late financier had a relationship is not new. Footage has long circulated showing the two men socializing, and as MSNBC’s James Downie noted, Trump told New York magazine in 2002:

“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.”

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, said, “The more Donald Trump tries to cover up the Epstein files, the more we uncover. 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. The Department of Justice must fully release the Epstein files to the public immediately. The Oversight Committee will continue pushing for answers and will not stop until we get justice for the victims.”