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Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
The secret recordings that could blow open Trump's true relationship with Epstein
'I have been beating this horse for a very, very long time,' says Michael Wolff. 'And suddenly now everybody's [saying] 'oh yeah, Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein '. Why people did not see that this was a story a long time ago is just amazing to me. It is confusing that it could have been out there in plain view, and ignored for so long.' Five years before Epstein's death in 2019, Wolff, best known as the author of four bestselling books on Trump's presidency, began recording hundreds of interviews with the financier, and attended exclusive events at his flat in New York. For years, no publisher or broadcaster has dared to touch the explosive cache – which he claims runs close to 100 hours of tape, split over some 30 sessions together. Instead, Wolff has released only snippets of the recordings to date. But now, thanks to the mounting speculation about the extent of Trump's relationship with Epstein, the tapes have become some of the most in-demand material in America. Epstein died by suicide while awaiting trial for sex trafficking, accused of procuring prostitutes – some underage – for his friends and acquaintances. Trump's Maga base have long clamoured for the release of classified documents about his case, believing they could incriminate establishment figures, in particular Bill Clinton (who has denied all knowledge of Epstein's crimes). Having been friends with Epstein for years before a bitter falling out in 2004, Trump took full advantage of the situation, repeatedly suggesting that there was explosive material possessed by authorities which would come to light if he was re-elected, and hinting Epstein might not have taken his own life. Yet as Trump has backed away from his promises of disclosure on Epstein, Maga commentators have started to turn on him. The disgraced former general Mike Flynn, a sometime ally who has become a political commentator, posted on social media reminding the president – in capital letters – that the 'EPSTEIN AFFAIR IS NOT GOING AWAY'. Having stoked Epstein conspiracy theories for years, including indulging the idea he kept a so-called 'client list' used to blackmail co-conspirators, Trump and his team may now find that their strategy comes back to bite them. '[Threatening disclosure] was a typical Trump blow-hard kind of thing,' Wolff says. According to his reportage, Trump and Epstein were at one time even closer than had been previously thought. Trump and Epstein, wealthy and connected men of similar ages, mixed in similar fields and socialised together frequently. They were on several occasions spotted at the same parties. In 2002, Trump called Epstein a 'terrific guy' in a New York Magazine profile, adding that 'he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.' In audio files previously released on Wolff's Fire and Fury podcast, Epstein said he had been Trump's 'best friend' for 10 years; Wolff has also said Trump's nickname for Epstein was 'Jeffy'. 'From 1988/89 through to 2004 Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump were the best friends,' Wolff, 71, says over the phone from his home in the Hamptons. 'These were Eighties guys, from a moment when having money forgave anything and everybody idolised anybody who had money. Having money gave you this extraordinary entitlement. This was the last blush of what it is to be a playboy. They had the money, the planes, the total disregard of middle class rules. [...] 'They had the same interests. They did the same things, pursued the same activities, pursued very often the same women. Someone called me the other day and said 'you don't mean Trump was interested in little girls?' I said 'no … but they [Trump and Epstein] were both obsessed with models. 'They started modelling agencies, invested in modelling agencies. Trump has his beauty pageants, Epstein had the Victoria's Secret stuff [Epstein was an advisor to Les Wexner, the Victoria's Secret boss].' Wolff says the friendship centred on Palm Beach, Florida, where Epstein and Trump were neighbours. 'Epstein had this set of a dozen Polaroids of Trump around Epstein's swimming pool,' Wolff recalls. He alleges the images were held in Epstein's safe, which the FBI seized when they raided his homes in New York and Palm Beach in July 2019. 'I remember three of them vividly. Two of the pictures had topless girls sitting in Trump's lap, and one where Trump has a stain on the front of his [trousers] and three or five topless girls are pointing at it and laughing. These guys defined each other. Epstein is the best window through which to understand Trump.' Last week, a report in The Wall Street Journal alleged that Trump sent Epstein a card on his 50th birthday in 2003, with a drawing of a naked woman and inscribed 'may every day be another wonderful secret'. Trump immediately denied doing so, claiming: 'it's not my language … it's not my words.' He added he did not 'draw pictures of women'. In the wake of the story, the White House has banned the WSJ from covering an upcoming trip to Scotland due to the 'fake and defamatory conduct' and Trump has moved to sue the Rupert Murdoch-owned publication for $10bn. The president has spoken of being subjected to a ' witch hunt '. On Monday, White House communications director Stephen Cheung said Trump once kicked Epstein out of his club for being a 'creep' and called allegations about him 'recycled, old fake news'. After decades of friendship, in 2004, Trump and Epstein had what Wolff describes as an 'acrimonious' falling out over a real estate deal, so were not close during Epstein's alleged crimes at the so-called 'Epstein Island', Little St James in the US Virgin Islands. It was after that that criminal accusations first started to gather around Epstein, culminating in a 13-month prison sentence for prostitution in 2008. In 2014, Epstein approached Wolff, a highly respected New York journalist who had been the media columnist of Vanity Fair, with a view to being written about. Wolff had just begun writing about Trump, work which would form the basis of Fire and Fury, the first of his accounts of the president's time in the White House. 'Epstein said 'you can ask me anything, I have nothing to hide, and you judge for yourself whether I'm honest,'' Wolff recalls. After a couple of 'pretty damn interesting' conversations, Wolff began attending the events Epstein held at his mansion on the Upper East side, thought to be one of the largest private residences in New York. 'It was kind of extraordinary,' Wolff says. 'The people there were amazing. From Bill Gates to Ehud Barak [former Israeli prime minister] to Larry Summers, just one person after another.' Prince Andrew? 'Yeah,' Wolff says. 'Epstein conducted these things at his dining table. People came in from morning until night. There were very few women, it had a men's club feel to it. But it was kind of irresistible, frankly, and I confess to having a good time. The subjects were foreign policy, the economy. No girls, that was never a topic. 'Then in 2015, when Trump started to run [for the presidency], Epstein started to talk about his relationship with Trump, which was eye-opening. I was starting to write about Trump, so it was very valuable. In 2017, [Epstein] became friends with Steve Bannon and they bonded over their mutual obsession slash hatred of Trump. They talked about Trump all the time.' As the authorities closed in on Epstein prior to his arrest in 2019, he remained in touch with Wolff. In a piece from 2020, The Last Days of Jeffrey Epstein, Wolff details the acrimony between Epstein and Trump. Epstein refers to Trump as a 'moron,' and makes derogatory claims about his leadership style. 'He lets someone else be in charge, until other people realise that someone else is in charge. When that happens, you're no longer in charge.' After the fall-out over their property deal, Wolff says Epstein came to believe it was Trump – who had close relations to the Florida law enforcement – who turned Epstein in before he was jailed for soliciting prostitutes in 2008. In the same piece, Wolff quotes Bannon telling Epstein he was the 'only person' he was afraid of during Trump's first presidential campaign, implying he believed the financier knew dangerous secrets about Trump. 'As well you should have been,' Epstein is reported to have replied. It was during Trump's presidency that Epstein was arrested. Wolff's own relationship with Epstein had a macabre denouement. 'The last message he wrote appears to be to me,' Wolff says. 'He died on Saturday morning and I got the message on Friday evening. I had written a note through his lawyers asking how he was doing. The message was 'pretty crazy. But still hanging around – no pun intended'. Then he died with the bedsheet around his neck a few hours later. It was very weird.' The circumstances of Epstein's death have become a lightning rod for conspiracy theorists. He was found in the early hours of Aug 10 2019, hanging off the side of his cell's bed. The official ruling was a suicide by hanging, but Epstein's lawyers challenged that account. Two guards who were meant to check on him had fallen asleep, and two CCTV cameras in front of his cell malfunctioned at the critical moment. Surveys have suggested that only 15 per cent of Americans believe Epstein died by suicide. When the US Department of Justice finally released a tape of events that evening two weeks ago, analysts found that nearly three minutes had been cut out. 'It seems implausible that he could have killed himself in the way they say he would have had to have killed himself,' Wolff says, 'but equally implausible that he would have been murdered and all of the people, the FBI agents and assistant US attorneys would either know something or keep quiet about it. I don't know.' In the years since Epstein's death, Wolff has tried to draw attention to what he claims was the true extent of his relationship with Trump. But he has not gained much traction. 'I've been trying to place this stuff for a long time.' Wolff says, describing how he has pitched larger treatments of his 'endless amounts of recordings' countless times, only for the plug to be pulled at the last minute. 'It's so compelling that everyone's always interested, but executives decide it's too complicated and controversial. Because as soon as you start to deal with Epstein as a person with multiple dimensions, instead of just this evil guy, it freaks everybody out.' He says he thinks partly the press has not been willing to further confront Trump's friendship with Epstein. 'There has been, among the respectable press, a view that this subject is too icky,' Wolff says. 'Good people don't discuss this. He's the president of the United States, how can you link him to the president of the United States without evidence… It has something to do with the fact that there is not the language in the post MeToo world to discuss sex. You have to talk about sex, you have to make distinctions between girls and women, talk about the complicated idea of consent of victims. It's very hard in the recent climate. 'People don't know how to approach this,' he adds. 'They think it's going to be too hot to handle, the Right wing is going to yell at us and the Left wing is going to yell at us and the women are going to yell at us and Trump is going to yell at us. We're not going to be a hero to anyone if we tell this story.'
NZ Herald
5 hours ago
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Republicans are stopping votes on legislation over fear Democrats will bring in Epstein amendments
The Jeffrey Epstein case has President Donald Trump and Republican leaders in Congress under pressure from Democrats and the Maga base. Photo / Doug Mills, the New York Times The House has largely come to a halt as Republican leaders struggle to assuage an irate group of lawmakers who are demanding that the Justice Department release files related to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The House will adjourn tomorrow, a day earlier than expected, for its month-long recess from
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Listen: Lara Trump releases new single Eyes of God
Lara Trump, the president's daughter-in-law, is releasing a new single this week even as she continues to mull entering the race for North Carolina's vacant Senate seat. She shared the song, entitled Eyes of God, exclusively with The Telegraph. 'This song is a reminder that we are all more alike than we are different – everyone is dealing with different highs and lows and, in the era of hiding behind a screen, we should all take a moment to give one another a little grace,' she said. 'Instead of turning to a negative comment, maybe it's time we all turn to God.' The track is due to be released on Friday. Mrs Trump, 42, is married to the president's son Eric, making her one half of a Maga power couple. While he oversees the family business, and will be in Scotland with his father for the opening of a new golf course next week, she has been a key Trump cheerleader on Fox News and an important factor in the 2024 election win. Mrs Trump launched her musical career last year with a string of singles even as she served as co-chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, a key fundraising arm for Mr Trump's presidential run. In the meantime, she hosts a Fox News TV show and last week interviewed the president to mark the anniversary of the Butler assassination attempt. She also has a line of sports clothing based around patriotic or conservative themes including 'Made in America' and 'Maga Red'. Her busy schedule raises questions around whether she has the bandwidth to enter politics full-time with a run for the Senate. LJ Fino, her producer, said he had not discussed political plans with Mrs Trump. 'She's an incredibly talented, driven, and capable woman,' he said. 'Whether it's music, media, or potentially public service, she approaches everything with heart and excellence. 'I'm sure whatever decision she makes will be what's best for her family and for this country.' Her fans will have to wait a little longer for another collection of songs. She was originally due to release an EP of songs on Friday. 'We've made the decision to delay the release of Lara Trump's EP, Just Lara, in order to put our final touches on the project and allow our incredible collaborators the time they need to deliver their very best work,' said Mr Fino. 'The new release date will be announced shortly.' It includes a collaboration with Gims, the French-Congolese rapper, best known for his work in the hip hop group Sexion d'Assaut. Mr Fino said the president's daughter-in-law was unafraid to step outside her comfort zone. 'So it felt completely natural for me to be open to this collaboration – especially since the song itself has real depth and represents a style that's quite different from what she usually does, which makes the project all the more exciting,' he said. Last month Thom Tillis announced he was retiring from the Senate after clashing with Mr Trump. It means the Republican's Senate seat in North Carolina is up for grabs, and Mrs Trump, who was born and raised in the state, emerged as the clear favourite for the party nomination. The president indicated he was her first choice but left her an excuse to gracefully decline. 'She's a great person, Lara Trump. I mean, that would always be my first choice, but she doesn't live there now,' Mr Trump said. 'But she's there all the time, her parents are there. You know, she really knows North Carolina well.' Analysts say she would benefit from strong name recognition and instant backing at the very highest levels of the Republican Party.
Business Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Times
What's the deal with the Epstein thing?
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump has been commanding his supporters to move on with their fixations over the disgraced financier and registered sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. They need to stop pushing the 'Jeffrey Epstein hoax', the president has said, as his administration's handling of the files relating to the late paedophile investor continues to divide the Make America Great Again (Maga) base. He implored his supporters on social media not to 'waste time and energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about'. But then during the election campaign, Trump promised to release the so-called 'Epstein files', which have been central to ongoing conspiracy theories since the disgraced financier died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. He was found hanging in a New York jail in August 2019. Trump's problems started when the Justice Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) published a two-page memo earlier this month after what they described as an 'exhaustive review' of material relating to Epstein. The memo concluded that, contrary to some speculation, there was no 'client list' and 'credible evidence' that Epstein 'blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions', and that he had died by suicide. The Maga base has since been in uproar. The conclusions ran contrary to numerous conspiracy theories that have been circulating, including by Trump's supporters, after Epstein's death. Hence before joining the Trump administration, FBI director Kash Patel and deputy director Dan Bongino had previously publicly questioned whether Epstein was murdered, as part of a conspiracy to protect powerful figures who were associated with him. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Responding to the rumours about Epstein's alleged client list, Attorney-General Pam Bondi replied in February: 'It's sitting on my desk right now.' Her statement created expectations that the Trump administration would expose that list, and other sensational material about Epstein and his death. But now that Bondi failed to deliver the goods, she has become the focus of attacks by the Maga base. Some conservative pundits and Republican lawmakers are calling on Trump to fire her. Trump has defended Bondi, who played a central role in his efforts to overhaul the judicial system. In a lengthy post on his Truth Social account, he said: 'What's going on with my 'boys' and, in some cases, 'gals'? They're all going after Attorney-General Pam Bondi, who is doing a fantastic job.' And he added: 'Let Pam Bondi do her job – she's great.' But the uproar does not show signs of dying anytime soon. The base is not buying Trump's explanations and it is not clear what would satisfy it, short of confirmation of the conspiracy theories, including exposing the so-called client list revolving around Epstein. The irony is that Trump's entire political career involved spreading conspiracy theories, including suggesting that former president Barack Obama was not born in the US. Now, he is trying to cast the blame for Epstein's conspiracy theories on Obama, and Bill and Hillary Clinton. In a way, the recent scandal goes to the very foundation of the Maga movement, with its adherence to conspiracy theories that are supposed to make sense of the political world. It seems Trump is discovering that if you live by conspiracy theories, do not be surprised if you die by one.
The National
2 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Donald Trump claims rising popularity despite criticism over Epstein files
US President Donald Trump has used his social media platform to vent about the mounting pressure and criticism relating to his recent decisions concerning files about Jeffrey Epstein. Polling shows dissatisfaction with Mr Trump's latest attempts to address the Epstein controversy. According to CBS News, President Trump's approval rating is now hovering at 42 per cent, down from 53 per cent in February. Making matters more problematic for the White House are polls showing that Mr Trump 's numbers waning on the economy, overall job approval and even immigration, once a stronghold for the President. "My poll numbers within the Republican Party and Maga [the Make America Great Again movement] have gone up, significantly, since the Jeffrey Epstein hoax was exposed by the radical left Democrats and, just plain 'troublemakers,'" he posted on Truth Social, his social media platform. He insisted that his poll numbers have hit "90, 92, 93, and 95 per cent," adding that those numbers were "Republican Party records", though he didn't specify to which polls he was referring. There has been a wave of criticism since the White House insisted there was no reason to release documents concerning Mr Epstein, who was arrested in 2019 on charges of solicitation of prostitution, among other allegations. The disgraced financier died in prison awaiting trial in 2019. His death fuelled conspiracy theories, particularly among the Maga movement, that Epstein was murdered to conceal the wealthy and powerful friends implicated in his crimes. Mr Trump tried to turn the tide of public opinion by asking US Attorney General Pam Bondi to request a federal court to unseal Epstein's grand jury transcripts. On Saturday, Mr Trump posted on Truth Social: "Even if the court gave its full and unwavering approval, nothing will be good enough for the troublemakers and radical left lunatics making the request," he wrote. "It will always be more, more, more. Maga!" During an appearance on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday, Republican Congressman Tim Burchett, who has previously pushed for the release of all files related to Mr Epstein, said President Trump's move unseal some of the transcripts was "a good start." President Trump's recent request, however, falls short of Mr Burchett's recent push to release more files related to Epstein. An amendment has been introduced in the House of Representatives to disclose many of the Epstein files and at least 10 Republicans have signed a petition in support of that. Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar told CNN's State of the Union she remained sceptical of Mr Trump's recent decision to try to convince a judge to unseal some of the Epstein transcripts. "They promised that these documents would be out there," she said. They gave people binders that said 'Part One' and now suddenly, with the whistleblower reporting that 100,000 documents were reviewed by the FBI to look for the President's name, they suddenly pulled back and said, 'No, we're not releasing them,'" she added, insisting that President Trump had backtracked on previous promises he made about the Epstein documents. The controversy surrounding the US President and Epstein shows no sign of going away, especially with a decision from Mr Trump to sue The Wall Street Journal. That litigation stems from a story published on Thursday about an alleged letter that Mr Trump wrote to Mr Epstein. The newspaper said the message was part of an album of letters from friends collected for Epstein's 50th birthday in 2003. Mr Trump has repeatedly described The Wall Street Journal 's reporting as "false and defamatory". The newspaper has stood by the story. The President's libel lawsuit against the publication is pursuing at least $20 billion. For several days now, it has been among the most read stories on The Wall Street Journal's website. Back in June, during his falling out with a the one-time staunch supporter and Tesla tycoon, Elon Musk posted on X that Mr Trump had a major presence in the Epstein files.
