During a joint press conference at his Turnberry golf resort in Scotland, President Donald Trump addressed lingering public interest in his past connection with Jeffrey Epstein. While initially calling the matter “old history,” Trump offered a detailed explanation about why he severed ties with the now-deceased sex offender.
According to Trump, the split occurred after Epstein allegedly hired away staff from Mar-a-Lago without permission. Trump described the act as “inappropriate,” claiming he warned Epstein not to repeat it. “He did it again. And I threw him out of the place, persona non grata. I threw him out, and that was it. I’m glad I did, if you want to know the truth,” Trump stated.
The former president went on to stress that, although Epstein had extended an invitation, he never visited Epstein’s private island. Trump noted, “I never went to the island,” repeating the claim for emphasis. He contrasted his own conduct with that of others, including former President Bill Clinton, who he said had been to the island “28 times.”
Trump also mentioned other public figures whose names have surfaced in connection with Epstein, including former Harvard President Larry Summers. He pointed out the media silence around those individuals, saying, “Nobody ever talks about them.”
Throughout the remarks, Trump appeared focused on creating distance from Epstein, emphasizing both his refusal to associate with him after the dispute and his decision not to accept invitations to the island. “In one of my very good moments, I turned it down. I didn’t want to go to his island,” he said.
Trump’s statements, while brief, bring renewed attention to the associations many powerful individuals had with Epstein over the years. The topic remains sensitive and politically charged, especially given the lack of public scrutiny aimed at some of the other names mentioned in Epstein’s circle.
