President Donald Trump repeated to the unrelenting press that he declined an invitation to visit Jeffrey Epstein’s private island—a site now infamous for its alleged connection to Epstein’s criminal activities involving sex trafficking and underage girls. During remarks made while visiting the United Kingdom, Trump took the opportunity to once again separate himself from the disgraced financier, claiming his refusal to go to the island was “one of [his] very good moments.”
Speaking in Scotland alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump said, “I never went to the island, and [former President] Bill Clinton went there supposedly 28 times. I never went, but [former Treasury Secretary] Larry Summers, I hear, went there—he was the head of Harvard. And many other people that are very big people, nobody ever talks about them.”
Trump used the moment to shift focus toward others with documented or alleged ties to Epstein, suggesting that media scrutiny has unfairly centered on him while overlooking other high-profile figures. Although Epstein was known to mingle within elite political, financial, and academic circles, Trump has repeatedly denied having a close relationship with him.
“I never had the privilege of going to his island and I did turn him down,” Trump said. “A lot of people in Palm Beach were invited to his island. In one of my very good moments, I turned it down. I didn’t want to go.”
When questioned about his past interactions with Epstein—particularly Epstein’s ejection from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida—Trump gave a vague response but indicated there was a falling out years ago. He attributed the incident to Epstein poaching employees from Mar-a-Lago.
“For years, I wouldn’t talk to Jeffrey Epstein… because he did something that was inappropriate. He hired help,” Trump explained. “He stole people that worked for me. I said don’t ever do that again. He did it again, and I threw him out of the place.”
These comments come amid renewed public interest in the Epstein case, which continues to make headlines years after his death in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Questions still linger about the full extent of Epstein’s network and who may have participated in or witnessed illicit activities during visits to his properties, including his private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Trump also addressed a Wall Street Journal report claiming he sent Epstein a birthday note featuring a suggestive message written inside the outline of a naked woman. Trump dismissed such implications and reiterated that his interactions with Epstein were limited and eventually hostile.
While Trump’s name has occasionally appeared in Epstein-related legal documents or witness testimonies, there is no public evidence directly tying him to Epstein’s criminal conduct. Still, the former president has repeatedly emphasized that he cut ties with Epstein long before the financier’s arrest and has used that narrative to differentiate himself from others in Epstein’s orbit.
