Trump and Epstein: A Friendship That Fell Apart

Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein were once close friends, spending time together for over a decade and a half. Trump used to call Epstein a "terrific guy" and said he was "a lot of fun to be with. " Epstein, on the other hand, considered Trump his "closest friend" and described him as "charming. " They were often seen together at parties and events, both in New York and Florida. Their friendship started to fall apart in the early 2000s, reportedly due to a disagreement over a property in Florida. After Epstein was convicted of child sex offenses in 2008, Trump distanced himself from him, claiming he was "not a fan. " Despite this, photos and videos from the 1990s show the two men together, often surrounded by women. In 1992, Trump and Epstein attended a "calendar girl" competition at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's private members' club. The event was organized by a Florida-based businessman, who was surprised to see only Trump and Epstein show up. The two men were also photographed together at various events, including a Victoria's Secret Angels event in New York and a party in 2000 with Melania Trump and Ghislaine Maxwell. In 2003, Trump allegedly wrote Epstein a birthday card shaped like a woman's body, with a dialogue between the two men. The card was part of a 50th birthday album organized by Ghislaine Maxwell. Epstein later told a journalist that he had been Trump's "closest friend for 10 years" and that Trump liked to "fuck the wives of his best friends. " Trump's camp denied these claims, calling them "false smears" and "election interference. " Despite his own close relationship with Epstein, Trump has criticized others for their association with him, particularly Bill Clinton. Trump has even shared a conspiracy theory that Clinton was involved in Epstein's death. However, Clinton has denied going to Epstein's island, which was later linked to his crimes. Trump's supporters have been demanding that the FBI and Department of Justice release files related to Epstein. Trump has tried to brush off the saga, telling his supporters not to "waste time and energy" on Epstein. However, this has caused a rift between Trump and his supporters, who believe he should be more transparent. In a recent post on Truth Social, Trump attacked his supporters for buying into the "Jeffrey Epstein hoax. " He claimed that he has had more success in six months than perhaps any president in the country's history and that his supporters should focus on that instead of Epstein. It remains to be seen whether Trump's past friendship with Epstein will have any lasting impact on his presidency. However, it is clear that this friendship has caused some cracks in his support among right-wing Americans.