Trump says he turned down invitation to Epstein's island
EDINBURGH, Scotland - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he "never had the privilege" of visiting Jeffrey Epstein's island, saying he turned down an invitation from the convicted sex offender in what the president called a moment of good judgment.
Trump's remarks were his latest effort to distance himself from the political furor over his administration's handling of files related to Epstein's case and renewed questions over his past relationship with the disgraced financier, who died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019.
"I never had the privilege of going to his island, and I did turn it down," Trump told reporters during a trip to Scotland. "In one of my very good moments, I turned it down."
Epstein owned a private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands where he entertained prominent people from politics, business and entertainment. Prosecutors have alleged he used the compound to conceal the sex trafficking and abuse of under-age victims.
Trump, who socialized with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s, also offered new insight into why their relationship ended. The president said he cut ties after Epstein attempted to recruit staff who worked for Trump.
"He hired help. And I said, 'Don't ever do that again.' He stole people that work for me," Trump said. "He did it again. And I threw him out of the place persona non grata."
Last week, White House communications director Steven Cheung said Trump had cut ties with Epstein because he regarded him as a "creep."
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Asia Cambodia, Thailand agree to 'immediate and unconditional ceasefire' to de-escalate border row
Singapore Tanjong Katong sinkhole: Road recovery works progressing steadily, tests under way
Singapore ST Explains: What we know about the Tanjong Katong sinkhole so far
Singapore Foreign workers who rescued woman from sinkhole given tokens of appreciation
Sport Gan Ching Hwee breaks 2 national records, qualifies for World Aquatics C'ships 1,500m final
Asia Gunman kills 5 near Bangkok's Chatuchak market before taking own life
Business SIA Q1 profit falls 59%; airline group sees volatile times ahead
Singapore Man exposed daughter's identity despite court order after she was removed from his care
The White House has been under growing pressure from Trump's supporters and political opponents to release more information about the Justice Department's investigation into Epstein.
After Attorney General Pam Bondi earlier this year promised to release additional materials related to possible Epstein clients and the circumstances surrounding his death, the Justice Department reversed course this month and issued a memo concluding there was no basis to continue investigating and no evidence of a client list.
Those findings sparked an angry outcry from some of Trump's supporters who have long believed the government was covering up Epstein's ties to the rich and powerful.
Trump's efforts to deflect attention from the case have so far faltered. On Monday, the president again called the story "a hoax."
"It's a hoax that's been built up way beyond proportion," Trump said, saying Democrats controlled the Epstein files for several years and would have used them against him during the last presidential election if there was anything in them.
Trump flew with Epstein aboard his plane at least six times, according to logs for flights spanning from 1991 through 2005. None of those trips were to Epstein's private island.
Trump has denied ever being on the plane and has not been accused of any wrongdoing. REUTERS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
14 minutes ago
- Straits Times
India PM Modi faces opposition fury after Trump's 25% tariff threat
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands as they attend a joint press conference at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 13, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque//File Photo NEW DELHI - Indian opposition parties criticised the government on Thursday, describing U.S. President Donald Trump's threat of a 25% tariff as a diplomatic failure for New Delhi, while the rupee currency tumbled and equity indexes slid in response to the news. The 25% rate would single out India more harshly than other major trading partners, and threatens to unravel months of talks, undermining one of Washington's strategic partners in the region, viewed as a counterbalance to China. Trump said the tariff on goods imports from India would start from Friday, in addition to an unspecified penalty for Russian dealings and involvement in the BRICS grouping of nations, but added later that trade talks continued. In response, the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it was studying the implications of Trump's remarks and was dedicated to securing a fair trade deal. "This development reflects a broader collapse of foreign policy under the Modi government," a lawmaker of the main opposition Congress said in a notice asking for a discussion of the matter in the lower house. The debate would focus on the "government's economic and diplomatic failure in preventing the imposition of 25% U.S. tariffs plus penalties on Indian exports," it added. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is expected to brief the lower house later on Thursday, television news channels said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 17-member committee to drive roll-out of autonomous vehicles in Singapore Asia US-Malaysia tariff deal set for Aug 1 after Trump-Anwar phone call Singapore Underground pipe leak likely reason for water supply issues during Toa Payoh fire: Town council Business Singapore gold investment soars 37% to 2.2 tonnes in Q2 while jewellery demand wanes Multimedia 60 years, 60 items: A National Day game challenge Life Milo tees, kaya toast pimple patches, crockery: Here are the SG60 merch to collect Business Deepening Singapore-Latin America ties a matter of urgency amid global trade uncertainty: Alvin Tan Singapore 'Switching careers just as I became a dad was risky, but I had to do it for my family' Economists warned the steep tariff could hurt India's manufacturing ambitions and trim up to 40 basis points from economic growth in the financial year to March 2026. India's benchmark equity indices, the Nifty 50 and BSE Sensex, fell about 0.6% each, while the rupee declined to 87.74, its lowest in more than five months, before paring losses. India has received a "raw deal", said Priyanka Kishore, an economist at Asia Decoded. "While further trade talks may bring the tariff rate down, it appears unlikely that India will secure a significantly better outcome than its eastern neighbours," she added. That would raise questions about India's relative appeal as a China plus one destination, she said, referring to a strategy of diversifying supply chains through manufacturing outside China to reduce geopolitical and operational risks. Trade talks continued, Trump said on social media, however, as nations face a Friday deadline to strike deals on reciprocal tariffs or have a U.S. tariff slapped on their exports. The U.S. levy on India exceeds those achieved by some other nations in deals with the Trump administration. For example, the tariff on Vietnam is set at 20% and on Indonesia at 19%, with levies of 15% on Japanese and European Union exports. On Wednesday, Trump said Washington had reached a trade deal with India's arch-rival Pakistan that Islamabad said would lead to lower tariffs on its exports, but neither side have yet revealed the agreed rate. Since India's short but deadly conflict with Pakistan in May, New Delhi has been unhappy about Trump's closeness with Islamabad and has protested, casting a shadow over trade talks. Despite former public displays of bonhomie between Trump and Modi, India has taken a slightly harder stance against the United States in recent weeks. Trump has repeatedly taken credit for the India-Pakistan ceasefire he announced on social media on May 10, but India disputes his claim that it resulted from his intervention and trade threats. "The country is now bearing the cost of Narendra Modi's friendship," Congress said. The United States, the world's largest economy, now has a trade deficit of $45.7 billion with India, the fifth largest. Russia remained India's top oil supplier during the first six months of 2025, accounting for 35% of overall supplies. "I don't care what India does with Russia," Trump said in a Truth Social post on Thursday, adding, "They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care." REUTERS
AsiaOne
14 minutes ago
- AsiaOne
Russian air strikes pound Kyiv, 6-year-old boy among dead, Zelenskiy says, World News
KYIV — Russia launched missile and drone attacks on Kyiv in the early hours of Thursday (July 31), killing at least six people including a six-year-old boy and his mother, and wounding at least 82 others, Ukrainian officials said. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia launched more than 300 drones and eight missiles and hit residential buildings in the capital. "Today the world has once again seen Russia's response to our desire for peace with America and Europe. Therefore, peace without strength is impossible," Zelenskiy said on the Telegram app. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said nine children were wounded, the largest number hurt in a single night in the city since Russia started its full-scale invasion almost three and a half years ago. Yurii Kravchuk, 62, stood wrapped in a blanket next to a damaged building, with a bandage around his head. He heard the missile alert but did not get to a shelter in time, he told Reuters. "I started waking up my wife and then there was an explosion... My daughter ended up in the hospital." Emergency crews were putting out fires and cutting through concrete blocks in search for survivors across the city. Explosions rocked Kyiv for hours and blazes lit up the night sky. Schools and hospitals were among the buildings that took hits across 27 locations in the city, officials said. The air force reported five direct missile hits and 21 drone hits in 12 locations. Russia, which denies targeting civilians, has stepped up air strikes on Ukrainian towns and cities far from the front line of the war in recent months. US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States would start imposing tariffs and other measures on Russia "10 days from today" if Moscow showed no progress toward ending the conflict. "This is Putin's response to Trump's deadlines," Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said. "The world must respond with a tribunal and maximum pressure." Zelenskiy posted a video of burning ruins, saying people were still trapped under the rubble of one partially-ruined residential building. Ukrainian air defence units downed 288 attack drones and three cruise missiles, the air force said. [[nid:720729]]
Business Times
32 minutes ago
- Business Times
Malaysia, US discussed tariff rate of below 20 per cent
[KUALA LUMPUR] The US tariff rate on Malaysian goods will be announced on Friday (Aug 1), Malaysian Premier Anwar Ibrahim said on Thursday after speaking on the phone to US President Donald Trump. The two countries discussed a tariff rate below 20 per cent, people familiar with the talks said, asking not to be identified as the talks are private. The call lasted about 20 minutes, they added. Malaysia is facing a 25 per cent tariff on its exports to the US unless a deal with Washington is reached by Friday. That would have been higher than the agreements announced so far with South-east Asian neighbors, with goods from the Philippines and Indonesia facing tariffs of 19 per cent, and Vietnam 20 per cent. The two countries have held multiple rounds of talks, with Malaysia's trade minister saying several sticking points remained, particularly on non-trade barriers. Anwar said he discussed tariffs 'in the spirit and principle of free trade' during his call with Trump. 'After the explanation I provided, (Trump) decided to review the tariff rates imposed on Malaysia, with an announcement expected (on Friday). We pray, God willing, that it will help and not burden our country's economy,' Anwar said in a speech to parliament to present the country's new five-year economic plan. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up Trump to visit Malaysia in October Anwar also said Trump confirmed that he would attend the next Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean) summit in Malaysia in October. Malaysia will target annual gross domestic product growth of 4.5 per cent to 5.5 per cent from 2026 to 2030, with a deficit of less than 3 per cent of GDP by the end of that period, Anwar said when launching the new five-year plan. Malaysia is also targeting export growth of 5.8 per cent a year in the plan, and will strive to keep inflation at an average rate of 2 per cent-3 per cent for the period, he said. Malaysia will allocate RM611 billion (S$185 billion) for the economic plan, with RM430 billion of the total coming from the government's coffers, and the remainder from government-linked companies and the private sector. 'The next five years will be a crucial period for Malaysia to not only transition into a high-income nation but also to provide a high quality of living for the people,' Anwar said. Malaysia's central bank on Monday lowered its growth forecast for 2025 to a range of 4 per cent to 4.8 per cent from 4.5 per cent to 5.5 per cent due to global tariff uncertainties and shifting trade policies. The bank also cut interest rates for the first time in five years earlier this month to 'pre-emptively preserve' the export-oriented economy's growth. REUTERS, BLOOMBERG
