{"id":32343,"date":"2025-07-28T19:32:51","date_gmt":"2025-07-28T19:32:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=32343"},"modified":"2025-07-28T19:32:51","modified_gmt":"2025-07-28T19:32:51","slug":"trump-says-he-never-had-the-privilege-to-go-to-epsteins-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=32343","title":{"rendered":"Trump Says He &#8216;Never Had the Privilege&#8217; to Go to Epstein&#8217;s Island"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"article__primary-video-container_1-0\" class=\"comp article__primary-video-container mntl-block\"><\/div>\n<figure id=\"figure-article_1-0\" class=\"comp figure-article mntl-universal-primary-image right-rail__offset text-utility-100 figure-landscape primary-image\">\n<div class=\"primary-image__media\">\n<div class=\"img-placeholder\" style=\"padding-bottom: 66.6%;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"max-width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; margin: 1em auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/people.com\/thmb\/BO9-I2S19C3AT8WTCGwmBl2jsg8=\/1500x0\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)\/donald-trump-jeffrey-epstein-072825-4af34424a1174b98b288be9eca0671cc.jpg\" alt=\"President Donald Trump; Jeffrey Epstein\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<div id=\"article-content_1-0\" class=\"comp article-content mntl-block\">\n<div id=\"mntl-sc-page_1-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-page mntl-block structured-content\" data-sc-sticky-offset=\"90\" data-sc-ad-label-height=\"24\" data-sc-ad-track-spacing=\"100\" data-sc-min-track-height=\"250\" data-sc-max-track-height=\"600\" data-sc-breakpoint=\"50em\" data-sc-load-immediate=\"4\" data-sc-content-positions=\"[1, 1250, 1550, 1950, 2350, 2750, 3150, 3550, 3950]\" data-bind-scroll-on-start=\"true\">\n<div id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block people-sc-block-callout mntl-sc-block-universal-callout theme-needtoknow\" data-tracking-id=\"mntl-sc-block-callout\" data-tracking-container=\"true\">\n<div class=\"mntl-sc-block-universal-callout__body\">\n<ul>\n<li>Donald Trump denied ever visiting Jeffrey Epstein&#8217;s private Caribbean island, where many of the late financier&#8217;s alleged sex crimes were committed<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;I never had the privilege of going to his island,&#8221; the president told reporters on Monday. &#8220;In one of my very good moments, I turned it down&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>Trump, who was a longtime friend to Epstein, has come under fire for his administration&#8217;s handling of evidence related to the convicted sex offender&#8217;s 2019 trafficking case<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_2-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"><a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\">Donald Trump<\/a> is denying that he ever visited <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/trump-reportedly-told-epstein-they-have-certain-things-in-common-in-lewd-birthday-card-11690275\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"2\">Jeffrey Epstein<\/a>&#8216;s private island.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_4-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">During a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=F5omZWp6SFs\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\">bilateral meeting<\/a> with U.K. Prime Minister <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/labour-party-wins-historic-uk-election-form-first-government-since-2005-8672701\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"2\">Keir Starmer<\/a> on Monday, July 28, the U.S. president claimed he never set foot on the convicted sex offender&#8217;s island, Little Saint James, where many of Epstein&#8217;s alleged crimes were committed.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_6-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">Trump&#8217;s comment comes as his administration faces increased pressure for more transparency regarding Epstein&#8217;s 2019 child sex trafficking case.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_8-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">Trump told reporters on Monday he had been invited to Epstein&#8217;s island, but rejected his friend&#8217;s offer.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_10-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">&#8220;I never had the privilege of going to his island, and I did turn it down, but a lot of people in Palm Beach were invited to his island,&#8221; Trump, 79, said. &#8220;In one of my very good moments, I turned it down, I didn&#8217;t want to go to his island.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"mntl-sc-block_12-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block people-sc-block-image mntl-sc-block-image mntl-sc-block-image--no-theme no-theme figure-landscape figure-high-res\">\n<div class=\"figure-media\">\n<div class=\"img-placeholder\" style=\"padding-bottom: 66.6%;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_13-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">One reporter had previously asked what caused the breach in the two men&#8217;s friendship \u2014 which, Trump has claimed previously, ended before Epstein&#8217;s fall from grace \u2014\u00a0though Trump declined to get into specifics.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_15-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">&#8220;That&#8217;s such old history \u2014\u00a0very easy to explain, but I don&#8217;t want to waste your time by explaining it,&#8221; he replied. &#8220;But for years I wouldn&#8217;t talk to Jeffrey Epstein. I wouldn&#8217;t talk because he did something that was inappropriate. He hired help, and I said, &#8216;Don&#8217;t ever do that again.&#8217; He stole people that worked for me. I said, &#8216;Don&#8217;t ever do that again.&#8217; He did it again, and I threw him out of the place. Persona non grata.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div id=\"mntl-sc-block_17-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block people-sc-block-spotlight--mid-circ mntl-sc-block-spotlight--mid-circ mntl-block\">\n<div id=\"midcirc__card-list_1-0\" class=\"comp midcirc__card-list mntl-block\">\n<div id=\"midcirc-card__title_1-0\" class=\"comp midcirc-card__title mntl-text-block\">Musk&#8217;s AI Chatbot Grok Tells X User That Trump&#8217;s New Obama Probe Is Baseless Attempt to &#8216;Distract from Epstein File Scrutiny&#8217;<\/div>\n<div id=\"midcirc-card__image-wrapper_1-0\" class=\"comp midcirc-card__image-wrapper mntl-block\">\n<div class=\"img-placeholder\" style=\"padding-bottom: 66.6%;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"midcirc-card__title_2-0\" class=\"comp midcirc-card__title mntl-text-block\">Trump Administration Guts Office to Combat Human Trafficking amid Criticism over President&#8217;s Epstein Ties<\/div>\n<div id=\"midcirc-card__image-wrapper_2-0\" class=\"comp midcirc-card__image-wrapper mntl-block\">\n<div class=\"img-placeholder\" style=\"padding-bottom: 66.6%;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_19-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">Trump&#8217;s comments come days after a top official in the Department of Justice met with <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/doj-meeting-ghislaine-maxwell-day-after-explosive-trump-epstein-report-11778341\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\">Ghislaine Maxwell<\/a>, Epstein&#8217;s former associate who was convicted on child sex trafficking charges in 2021 in relation to Epstein&#8217;s sex abuse.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_21-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">On July 24, Maxwell \u2014 who is seeking to get her conviction overturned \u2014 reportedly <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/ghislaine-maxwell-doj-epstein-associates-angles-trump-pardon-11779406\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\">told the DOJ about approximately 100 people<\/a> with potential connections to Epstein.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"mntl-sc-block_23-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block people-sc-block-image mntl-sc-block-image mntl-sc-block-image--no-theme no-theme figure-landscape figure-high-res\">\n<div class=\"figure-media\">\n<div class=\"img-placeholder\" style=\"padding-bottom: 66.6%;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_24-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">Just one day prior, on July 23, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/politics\/justice-department-told-trump-name-in-epstein-files-727a8038?st=U3ravM\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\">The Wall Street Journal<\/a> <\/em>released a report which alleged that Attorney General Pam Bondi previously <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/doj-trump-appeared-epstein-files-multiple-times-before-halt-release-report-11777834\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"2\">informed Trump of his repeated presence in the Epstein files<\/a> and told him that the DOJ would halt further release of evidence. One week before <em>WSJ<\/em>&#8216;s report, when a reporter asked Trump if Bondi had ever told him that his name appeared in evidence, the president said no.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_26-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">In response to the\u00a0<em>Journal<\/em>&#8216;s report contradicting Trump&#8217;s answer, White House communications director Steven Cheung told the outlet, \u201cThis is another fake news story, just like the previous story by\u00a0<em>The Wall Street Journal<\/em>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_28-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">Trump is currently suing the outlet for $20 billion over its previous reporting, <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/trump-doodles-resurface-after-denying-graphic-epstein-letter-11774987\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\">which the White House denies<\/a>, that the president once <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/trump-reportedly-told-epstein-they-have-certain-things-in-common-in-lewd-birthday-card-11690275\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"2\">drew a photo of a naked woman and wrote a cryptic message<\/a> in a 50th birthday card to Epstein.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_30-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"><strong>Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for<a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/people-news-daily-newsletter-sign-up-8692701\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\">\u00a0PEOPLE&#8217;s free daily newsletter<\/a>\u00a0to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_32-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">The Trump administration has faced intense public and political scrutiny regarding its handling of Epstein&#8217;s evidence, which many members of the MAGA base believe would implicate a wide range of high-profile names.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_34-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">Trump vowed on the 2024 campaign trail that he would seek to publicize more information about his crimes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Donald Trump denied ever visiting Jeffrey Epstein&#8217;s private Caribbean island, where many of the late financier&#8217;s alleged sex crimes were committed &#8220;I never had the privilege of going to his &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":32344,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=32343"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32343\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32345,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32343\/revisions\/32345"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/32344"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=32343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=32343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=32343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}