Trump faces Ghislaine Maxwell conundrum

The Hill

3 days ago

President Trump is facing a Ghislaine Maxwell problem.
Publicly releasing testimony from Maxwell, an associate of Jeffrey Epstein who was convicted in 2021 on sex trafficking charges, could help satisfy Trump supporters who have clamored for more transparency around the Epstein case.
But further elevating Maxwell would keep the Epstein controversy front-and-center after Trump and top GOP leaders in the House have spent weeks trying to tamp down outrage among their own base.
At the same time, Trump's comments about Maxwell have in recent days fueled allegations from Democrats that he has something to hide because of his past ties to Epstein. Trump's name reportedly appears in the Epstein files, though the president has repeatedly distanced himself from Epstein and has not been accused of wrongdoing.
Trump has declined to rule out a pardon for Maxwell, saying only that he has the power to do it but hasn't thought about her case. The administration raised eyebrows by moving Maxwell to a lower security prison in Texas. And Trump has continually praised Deputy Attorney Todd Blanche — his former personal attorney — for sitting down with Maxwell for interviews.
'I didn't discuss it with him, but anything he talked about with her, or the fact that he did that, not unusual, number one, and most importantly is something that would be totally above board,' Trump told reporters of Blanche's conversations with Maxwell.
Administration officials are weighing whether to publicly release some of Maxwell's testimony to Blanche.
The furor over the Epstein case, especially among some of Trump's vocal supporters, had engulfed the White House in recent weeks and infuriated the president, who felt it was overshadowing better headlines.
The outrage has died down, coinciding with lawmakers leaving for August recess. But Maxwell's situation threatens to reignite the controversy, depending on what Trump and the administration do. Offering sympathy or clemency for Maxwell would invite bipartisan scrutiny, sources said. And releasing more information could come with legal restrictions.
'There's no question they're trying to thread the needle,' one White House ally told The Hill.
CNN and Fox News reported that top administration officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel and Blanche were set to join Vice President Vance at his residence on Wednesday night to discuss how to handle the ongoing Epstein saga, among other topics.
Vance's office pushed back on the reporting, with a spokesperson asserting there was 'never a supposed meeting scheduled at the Vice President's residence to discuss Epstein Strategy.'
Many Trump supporters, including some in Congress, have pushed for additional disclosures after the FBI and Justice Department last month stated Epstein did not have a 'client list' and that his 2019 death at his New York City jail cell was a suicide.
Some prominent Trump allies have for years promoted conspiracy theories about Epstein's death and claims that a client list would reveal ties between Epstein and prominent Democrats.
Epstein, accused in several cases of sex trafficking young girls, ran in high-powered circles with figures that included Trump, former President Clinton, Britain's Prince Andrew and a number of other celebrities and ultrawealthy people.
House GOP leaders sent members home a day early for August recess amid a logjam created by a push among some members to release more Epstein-related files.
With lawmakers on recess and other issues taking over the news cycle, Trump has gotten some respite from the backlash related to Epstein.
But the administration's interactions with Maxwell, and Trump's own comments about her, have kept interest in the case simmering.
Maxwell met with Blanche over two days in recent weeks to share information about the Epstein case. ABC News reported that Maxwell did not say anything during the interviews that would be harmful to Trump.
In the wake of those interviews, Maxwell was transferred from a low-security prison in Florida to a minimum-security prison in Texas. Officials have not said why.
'I didn't know about it at all. No, I read about it just like you did. It's not a very uncommon thing,' Trump said when asked Tuesday if he'd approved of the transfer.
The administration is now weighing whether to release audio or transcripts of the interview. Doing so would likely aid Trump in distancing himself from Epstein and satisfy some members of his base who would like to see more transparency.
But it may also renew attention on the Epstein case as a whole, something Trump has attempted to squash.
Maxwell, for her part, is asking for the Supreme Court to intervene in her case, and her attorney has said she is seeking 'relief' from her prison sentence.
Sources cautioned that Trump, who famously in 2020 said he wished Maxwell well, must tread carefully in how he handles her case to avoid it creating a larger controversy.
'The president wants to move on. But they may come out with something slightly more transparent, a little more meat on the bone,' the White House ally said.