President Donald Trump revealed that his falling out with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein stemmed from what he called an “inappropriate” move—allegedly poaching employees from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in the early 2000s.
Speaking to reporters during his visit to Scotland on Monday, the president told the Daily Mail that Epstein had crossed a line by luring staff members away from his Palm Beach club.
“He did something that was inappropriate. He stole people that work for me. I said, ‘Don’t ever do that again.’ He did it again, and I threw him out—persona non grata. And that was it,” Trump said. “I’m glad I did, if you want to know the truth.”
Trump officially banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago in 2004. Before that, however, the two were seen together at social events, including alongside Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell and Trump’s then-girlfriend, now-wife Melania Knauss.
Questions About Virginia Giuffre
One of the staff members allegedly recruited from Mar-a-Lago was Virginia Giuffre, who later became one of Epstein’s most prominent accusers. Giuffre has said Maxwell approached her while she was working as a spa attendant at the club, offering her a job as Epstein’s personal masseuse when she was just 16.
The White House did not confirm whether Trump was specifically referring to Giuffre in his comments, instead deferring to his earlier statement.
Not Just About a Property Feud
While reports have long suggested the two men had a dispute over a high-value Palm Beach property sold out of bankruptcy, Trump has now placed greater emphasis on Epstein’s behavior around his staff.
He also took the opportunity to deflect attention toward others linked to Epstein, saying, “Bill Clinton went there, supposedly, 28 times… and many other big people. Nobody ever talks about them.”
Trump reiterated that he never visited Epstein’s private Caribbean island, which has been the center of multiple abuse allegations.
“I never had the privilege of going to his island, and I did turn it down,” Trump said. “In one of my very good moments, I turned it down.”
Polls and Pardons
While Trump claimed that the renewed attention around Epstein had boosted his poll numbers by 4.5 points, public polling data does not support that assertion. Most major surveys show his approval rating either remaining steady or slightly declining through July.
Asked whether he had been approached about issuing a presidential pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell—who is currently serving a 20-year sentence for her role in Epstein’s sex trafficking operation—Trump said:
“Nobody’s approached me with it. Nobody’s asked me. It’s in the news… but right now, it would be inappropriate to talk about it.”
Controversial Artwork and Lawsuit
Trump also denied claims made in a Wall Street Journal report that he drew a nude female silhouette in a birthday note to Epstein. The president dismissed the idea outright:
“I don’t do drawings. Sometimes people say, ‘Would you draw a building?’ and I’ll draw four lines and a roof for charity stuff. But I’m not a drawing person.”
Trump is currently suing The Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch for $10 billion in a defamation lawsuit related to that article.
Epstein Questions Follow Trump Abroad
Even while abroad, questions about Trump’s past relationship with Epstein have trailed him—most recently during his meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Trump continued to distance himself from the convicted sex offender, stating again that he wished he had “never met Epstein in the first place,” echoing sentiments he expressed in his memoir Citizen.
Despite his efforts to pivot attention elsewhere, Trump’s past ties to Epstein remain a persistent source of scrutiny—as does public curiosity about who else might be named in still-sealed documents related to the case.