What Democrats' new emails suggest about Trump's links with Epstein victims

The Democrats released a new batch of emails revealing shocking details about Trump's ties to Epstein, claiming that he "knew about the girls" and "the victim spent hours with him"

It's been years since sex offender Jeffrey Epstein died, but his shadow continues to follow US President Donald Trump, threatening his political standing. Trump’s connection with Epstein has been one of the most talked-about scandals for nearly six years, even casting doubt on his bid ahead of a second presidential term last year. The controversy trails Trump everywhere, from Britain’s Windsor Castle to the US Capitol, with no signs of fading.

 

Now, the Democrats have released a new batch of emails revealing shocking details about Trump’s ties to Epstein, claiming that he "knew about the girls" and "the victim spent hours with him".

 

Here’s a breakdown of who Epstein was, why Trump’s association with him has sparked backlash, and what new accusations reveal.

Who was Jeffrey Epstein?

Epstein, born and raised in New York, taught math and physics at the Dalton School in the 1970s before joining Wall Street firm Bear Stearns, where he quickly rose to partner. In 1982, he founded J Epstein & Co, managing assets worth over $1 billion. He lived lavishly and often mingled with powerful figures, including Trump, former US President Bill Clinton and Michael Jackson.

 

In 2005, he was accused of molesting a 14-year-old girl in Florida, leading to multiple investigations. Arrested in July 2019 on sex trafficking charges, he was denied bail and later died by suicide in his New York prison cell on August 10, 2019.

What are the Epstein files?

The Epstein files refer to a collection of court documents, evidence, and related records linked to Epstein’s sex trafficking cases and his connections with high-profile individuals. These files include testimony, flight logs, emails, photos, and legal depositions that detail Epstein’s activities and the people involved in or associated with him.

 

The pressure to release the Epstein files was on the rise, given that Trump himself has been named in unreleased documents. However, the White House has maintained that being named in the files was not evidence of wrongdoing.

What was Epstein’s connection with Trump?

Trump and Epstein reportedly shared a close relationship before their fallout. According to The New York Times, the two were friends in the 1980s and 1990s and often attended social events together in New York and Florida. 

 

In a 2002 interview with New York Magazine, Trump said, "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."

 

Trump has claimed that he cut ties with Epstein after learning that the latter's associates had recruited teenage girls from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Despite the fallout, Epstein reportedly continued to monitor Trump’s business ventures and political rise.

What are the allegations made against Trump?

The Democrats on Wednesday (local time) released several emails from Epstein’s estate, claiming they showed that Trump may have known more about Epstein’s actions than he admitted. Shortly after, Republicans released over 20,000 pages of Epstein’s documents, including years of emails and messages.

 

Here are the key emails released and what they show about Epstein and Trump’s relationship.

2011: Epstein claims Trump knew a victim

According to The New York Times, in one of the emails dated back to April 2011, Jeffrey Epstein told his aide Ghislaine Maxwell, “I want you to realise that that dog that hasn’t barked is Trump... VICTIM spent hours at my house with him... he has never once been mentioned.”

 

In 2011, Epstein was trying to rebuild his reputation after his first conviction. Around this time, one of his victims, Virginia Giuffre, had gone public with allegations of abuse. Republicans later said the 'victim' mentioned in the email was Giuffre, who had worked briefly at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. However, Giuffre clarified that she never saw Trump involved in or witnessing any abuse. 

2015: Epstein discusses Trump’s response to the media

In another exchange, Epstein and notable journalist Michael Wolff discussed how Trump might respond if asked publicly about knowing Epstein. Wolff suggested Epstein could use Trump’s comments for “political currency.”

 

This exchange took place during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Epstein was keeping a low profile but remained in touch with journalists and public figures, including Wolff. However, Trump was never asked about Epstein during that debate.

2018: ‘I know how dirty Donald is’: Epstein

According to CNBC, Epstein wrote in a 2018 email thread, “I know how dirty Donald is,” while discussing Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen, who had pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations and agreed to cooperate in a federal investigation into the president.

2019: Epstein tells Wolff Trump ‘knew about the girls’

According to another email excerpt released by the Democrats, Epstein told Wolff, “...of course he (Trump) knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop.”

 

By 2019, Trump was president, and renewed media coverage was exposing Epstein’s past plea deal. Shortly after this email, the Justice Department reopened its investigation into Epstein’s earlier conviction.

Trump’s birthday note to Epstein

In September this year, US lawmakers released a letter said to be from Trump to Epstein. The note, part of a 2003 birthday book given to Epstein, included a drawing of a woman’s body and a few lines written as if it were a playful conversation between Trump and Epstein. It ended with the line: “Happy Birthday, and may every day be another wonderful secret.”

 

However, the White House denied the letter’s authenticity, saying Trump “did not draw this picture, and he did not sign it".