Newly released documents from the U.S. Department of Justice indicate that former President Donald Trump flew at least eight times on Jeffrey Epstein’s private jet during the 1990s. These files, which were published briefly before being removed, were obtained by The Washington Post.
The records show that Trump traveled with Epstein between 1993 and 1996. A federal prosecutor from the Southern District of New York wrote in a January 2020 email included in the files: “I want you to know that the flight records we received yesterday reflect that Donald Trump traveled on Epstein’s private jet many more times than had been reported (or than we were aware of).” The prosecutor also noted that this period coincides with investigations into Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s associate and former partner, who was present with Trump on at least four flights.
The documents detail that Trump was accompanied by various individuals on these flights, including his ex-wife Marla Maples, his daughter Tiffany, and his son Eric. On one occasion in 1993, only Trump and Epstein were listed as passengers; another flight included just Epstein, Trump, and a censored name identified as a 20-year-old woman at the time. According to the prosecutor’s message, some passengers could potentially serve as witnesses in Maxwell’s case. Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison for sex trafficking minors in 2021.
Following these revelations, the Department of Justice stated: “It should be clarified that these allegations are unfounded and false, and if they had any credibility whatsoever they would undoubtedly have already been used against him.” The department described several newly published documents as containing “false and sensationalist accusations against President Trump presented to the FBI just before the 2020 elections.”
Trump addressed reporters on Monday regarding the release of these files: “Everyone was friends with this guy,” he said. He acknowledged knowing Epstein during their time as prominent figures in New York social circles but claimed he ended contact before Epstein faced legal issues. Trump has maintained he did not support making all details public because it could harm innocent people. He also tried unsuccessfully to prevent full publication of materials related to Epstein’s case.
