Resurfaced clip shows Epstein pleading the Fifth when asked if he was with Trump around underage girls
The video clip, unearthed by left-leaning outlet MeidasTouch, shows Epstein responding to questions during a March 2010 deposition. The disgraced financier was questioned by an attorney of an alleged victim, Vice News previously reported.
In the clip, the attorney asks: 'Have you ever socialized with Donald Trump in the presence of females under the age of 18?'
Epstein replied: 'Though l'd like to answer that question, at least today l'm going to have to assert my Fifth, Sixth, and 14th Amendment rights, sir.'
Trump has never been accused of any crime in connection with the Epstein investigation and has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Pleading the Fifth refers to invoking the Fifth Amendment right to remain silent and not self-incriminate.
Epstein once pleaded the Fifth over 1,000 times in a deposition, which addressed his relationships with Virginia Giuffre, Prince Andrew and Bill Clinton, along with subjects including his former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, and his New York mansion. It is unclear whether that deposition, details of which were published in a trove of documents in January 2024, is the same 2010 deposition in which he was questioned about Trump.
In the 2010 clip, the attorney also asked: 'Have you ever had a personal relationship with Donald Trump?'
Epstein asked what the attorney meant by a 'personal relationship.' The attorney rephrased, asking: ' Have you socialized with him?'
'Yes, sir,' Epstein responded.
The attorney questioning Epstein is not identified in the clip.
A deposition involves an individual giving sworn testimony outside of court, and can involve the names of dozens of people, but it does not mean they are implicated in any crimes.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung told The Independent that the clip is "nothing more than out-of-context frame grabs of innocuous videos and pictures of widely attended events to disgustingly infer something nefarious."
"The fact is that The President kicked him out of his club for being a creep," Cheung said. "This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media, just like the Obama Russiagate scandal, which President Trump was right about.'
Epstein and Trump were known to socialize in New York and Palm Beach. The President had called Epstein a 'terrific guy' in a 2002 interview with New York Magazine but the pair had a falling out around 2004, The New York Times reports. Trump then barred Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago club 'for being a creep,' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to prostitution charges and was sentenced to 18 months in a minimum-security facility in Palm Beach County.
In 2019, Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges. He died by suicide in a New York City jail cell about a month after his arrest.
His associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, is the only person who has been charged in connection with the Epstein case. The disgraced British socialite is serving a 20-year sentence in a Florida federal prison for her role in helping Epstein recruit, groom, and abuse young girls.
The Trump administration has come under increasing pressure, from both Democrats and MAGA allies, to release more information since the Justice Department and FBI released a joint memo on July 6 indicating there would be no further disclosures in the Epstein investigation.
The memo said there was no 'client list' containing names of Epstein's alleged high-profile associates. However, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi had insinuated that the same 'client list' was on her desk in February amid a tranche of Epstein files.
The memo also confirmed Epstein died by suicide, pouring cold water on years of conspiracy theories around his death. The agencies released security footage taken from outside Epstein's cell in the hours leading up to his death to bolster their findings. But some have argued the footage was altered and has a 'missing minute.'
The president has tried to quell the outrage, directing Bondi to make attempts to unseal grand jury testimony related to the Epstein investigation. Two judges in Florida and New York denied those requests this week on legal grounds.
On Thursday, U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Maxwell. Her attorney, David Markus, told reporters she 'never declined to answer' questions and did not invoke any privileges during the meeting. A federal judge rejected a separate request from Maxwell's attorneys to release grand jury transcripts Wednesday.
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer also subpoenaed Maxwell Wednesday as a growing number of lawmakers seek more information on the Epstein files.
On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi had told Trump in May that his name appears in the Epstein Files. The president denied to reporters earlier this month that his name was in the files. Appearing in the files does not indicate that an individual has committed any wrongdoing.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung called the WSJ report 'fake news.'
Last week, the WSJ also reported on an alleged 50th birthday card that Trump sent to Epstein. The WSJ described the 2003 note as including a drawing of a naked woman and Trump's signature made to look like her pubic hair. The report alleges Trump ended the note with a birthday wish for Epstein: 'Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.'
The president A spokesperson for Dow Jones, the paper's publisher, said the company has 'full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ITV News
9 minutes ago
- ITV News
Trump's 25% tariff on India exposes cracks in Modi friendship and threatens economic growth
In his latest diplomatic broadside, Donald Trump's decision to slap a 25% tariff on key Indian exports - combined with a provocative tweet teasing a new trade deal with Pakistan - has triggered not only economic alarm in India but also political unease for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose once-touted personal rapport with Trump now appears to be under strain. 'India has been taking advantage of the US for far too long. Time for a level playing field. New deal with Pakistan coming soon. Much fairer," the US President posted on Truth Social earlier this week. '25% tariff now live on Indian medical imports. American jobs matter more than cheap Indian drugs. Too much going to Russia, not fair to us!' The sudden tariff hike, targeting Indian pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and textiles, comes amid simmering friction between the two countries and has sent shockwaves through both the Indian diplomatic and business communities. India's Ministry of Commerce & Industry responded cautiously, saying it had 'taken note' of the US President's remarks and was 'studying their implications.' The ministry reaffirmed India's ongoing commitment to concluding a 'fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial' bilateral trade agreement with Washington. Indian business leaders, however, have not held back. Harsh Vardhan Agarwal, President of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), called the tariff imposition 'disappointing,' warning it would dent export performance and undermine the hard-won trust between the two economies. 'This move is unfortunate and will undoubtedly impact our exporters,' Mr Agarwal said. 'We still believe the two countries can arrive at a comprehensive trade deal that benefits both sides.' Adding to New Delhi's discomfort is Trump's recent and controversial claim that he helped mediate a ceasefire during the latest flare-up on the borders, a statement India has neither confirmed nor directly rebutted. The ambiguity has invited criticism in India. What has made the situation more politically volatile is Prime Minister Modi's long-standing public embrace of Trump. Their joint appearances at 'Howdy Modi' in Houston and 'Namaste Trump' in Ahmedabad were projected as symbols of a thriving personal and strategic alliance. That narrative is now under scrutiny. With Trump turning publicly confrontational, India's opposition parties have pounced. They are demanding that Modi push back against Trump's remarks on the ceasefire and take a firmer line against the tariffs, accusing the government of compromising national dignity for diplomatic optics. Meanwhile, the Indian medical and pharmaceutical sectors, among the worst affected, have voiced strong objections. Dilip Kumar, Chairman of the Medical Tourism division at the Chamber of Commerce, told Indian media that Trump was attempting to 'kill the market of the Indian economy.' 'But that's not going to happen,' Mr Kumar said. 'The American market is dependent on Indian and Chinese suppliers. The real losers will be the US patients, not Indian exporters.' He added that India would now look to strengthen its trade relationships with Europe and other regions. 'We are resilient. We survive and bounce back - even in the toughest times.' For New Delhi, the challenge now is how to safeguard its economic interests without triggering an open confrontation, especially with a leader who rarely pulls his punches, even with friends.
The Guardian
10 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Trump extends deadline for tariff deal with Mexico by another 90 days
Donald Trump has extended the deadline for a tariff deal with Mexico by another 90 days, fuelling speculation that he could announce pauses for dozens of other countries that face punitive higher import duties from Friday. As the countdown continues to his deadline for a trade deal – already extended by four weeks from the original 90 days – the US president said he had made the decision to offer more time to Mexico because of the complexities of the trading relationship. 'We will be talking to Mexico over the next 90 Days with the goal of signing a Trade Deal somewhere within the 90 Day period of time, or longer,' he wrote on social media. A little more than two weeks ago Trump threatened both the EU and Mexico with tariffs of 30% on most exports to the US, but last Sunday he concluded a deal with Brussels with a 15% baseline rate from 1 August. Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said: 'I have just concluded a telephone conversation with the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, which was very successful in that, more and more, we are getting to know and understand each other. 'The complexities of a Deal with Mexico are somewhat different than other Nations because of both the problems, and assets, of the Border. 'We have agreed to extend, for a 90 Day period, the exact same Deal as we had for the last short period of time, namely, that Mexico will continue to pay a 25% Fentanyl Tariff, 25% Tariff on Cars, and 50% Tariff on Steel, Aluminum, and Copper.' Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion More details soon …
Daily Mail
10 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Trump 'very busy' rushing backdoor deals with ONE day left to new tariff doomsday as coffee, cars and wine face major price increases
The clock is ticking down on Donald Trump 's August 1 tariff deadline, as the president elevated last-minute talks with India and and slapped new levies on products from Brazil. Trump announced he had reached an agreement with South Korea, claiming to having scored $350 billion in U.S. investments 'selected by myself,' as well as with Pakistan. Treasury Secretary Howard Lutnick added late Wednesday that the U.S. had secured deals with Cambodia and Thailand as well. And on Thursday, Trump said he had hatched a deal with Mexico for 25 percent tariffs on cars and a 50 percent levy on steel, aluminum and copper for 90 days. But it looks like rough straits for the U.S. neighbor to the north, with Canada 's recognition of Palestine statehood triggering the ire of the president. 'That will make it very hard for us to make a trade deal with them. Oh Canada,' he posted. That put the total number of deals announced at a dozen, with a mix between formal signed agreements and announced frameworks. It was still far short of the '90 deals in 90 days' touted by Trump trade advisor Peter Navarro back in April. 'We are very busy in the White House today working on Trade Deals,' Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday evening. 'I have spoken to the Leaders of many Countries, all of whom want to make the United States 'extremely happy.'' Once again, there were signs that the store was open for deals, 'frameworks,' and new investment commitments, along with presidential threats of massive tariffs. The president repeated his typical take-it-or-leave it posture, leaving India's fate to twist in the wind. 'We'll see what happens,' he said Wednesday with his trademark ambiguity. The latest trade drama comes after Trump announced a new deal with the European Union on his trip to Scotland. He reassured markets that the EU would follow through with grand pledges of more than $600 billion in new U.S. investments. Trump has been using the deadline – and the threats of high U.S. tariffs he has announced publicly – to try to leverage the opening of foreign markets while bringing down the tariffs paid on imports. To sell the push to Americans, he has been touting new tariff revenues, with $150 billion collected in July, while floating new rebate checks. The president said he was meeting with a delegation from South Korea, which has sought to lower the threatened 25 percent tariff on cars, semiconductors, and household products. Trump has been hammering Brazil, a member of the BRICS block that he said exists to battle the U.S. dollar. On Wednesday, the administration hiked the tariff on Brazil to 50 percent by citing an 'unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.' Since Brazil supplies more than a third of U.S. coffee, analysts forecast the 50 percent tariff could add roughly 25 cents more per cup within the coming months. If deals with auto-exporting countries fail, U.S. tariffs could add $4,700 to a vehicle's price tag. The 20 percent tariff negotiated on EU wines mean bottles could spike by $4 each if the full hike is passed on to the consumer, according to Trump has been mixing trade and politics and blasting the country's handling of the prosecution of ousted conservative leader Jair Bolsonaro, a Trump ally. But a new White House fact sheet carves out a list of exceptions – signaling a wariness of a sweeping policy that could disrupt U.S. markets. Earning exceptions are silicon metal, which is used in solar cells, as well as civilian aircraft, pig iron, wood pulp, tin ore, metallurgical grade alumina, precious metals, energy, and fertilizers. The status of India, the world's fourth-largest economy and a strategic partner to counter a rising China, was murky. Trump posted on Truth Social Wednesday that India is 'our friend' yet its tariffs are 'far too high,' while chiding the country for the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary trade barriers of any country.' 'Also, they have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia's largest buyer of energy, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to stop the killing in Ukraine.' That led him to say India would pay a 25 percent tariff, plus a 'penalty' beginning August 1. At the same time, the Trump administration announced a deal with India's longtime rival, Pakistan, rooted in developing Pakistan's oil reserves. 'Who knows, maybe they'll be selling oil to India some day!,' he quipped. It was the most concrete demonstration of the 'secondary tariffs' he threatened to impose on Russia for its brutal war on its neighbor, after spending months repositioning away from continuous support for Ukraine in his push to bring an end to the war. He criticized so-called BRICS countries, which include India, as 'anti the United States. 'They sell a lot to us, but we don't buy from them.' Japan's deal with Trump to open markets and have the country pay 15 percent tariffs on exports to the U.S. intensified the pressure on the South Koreans to make a deal. Officials in Europe indicated that alcohol and wine were left out of Trump's 15 percent tariff agreement with the EU, creating uncertainty for a market with $1 billion in sales to the U.S. The clock is ticking for those countries who haven't been able to resolve differences and get to a framework. On Thursday, the president is anticipated to sign executive orders setting higher tariffs for those who haven't gotten a deal.
