Trump also said of Epstein, and “likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”

Trump made the comments in a 2002 interview, noting that he’d known Epstein for over a decade. In 2008, Epstein was convicted of procuring an underage girl for prostitution and soliciting a prostitute.

Trump tried to distance himself from the child sex trafficker after his 2019 arrest, saying “I don’t think I’ve spoken to him in 15 years” and that he “was not a fan.” A tape surfaced of them chatting and laughing together at a party from 1992, amid reports of Trump having gone to various Epstein-hosted events, including testimony by Epstein’s brother Mark that Trump had flown on Jeffrey’s plane multiple times. Additionally, one of Epstein’s alleged teenage victims claims to have been recruited from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.

After Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested for allegedly helping Epstein traffic children, Trump said “I wish her well.”

New York Magazine – Jeffrey Epstein: International Moneyman of Mystery
The New York Times – Jeffrey Epstein Was a ‘Terrific Guy,’ Donald Trump Once Said. Now He’s ‘Not a Fan.’
The Washington Post – Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein partied together. Then an oceanfront Palm Beach mansion came between them.
NBC News – Tape shows Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein discussing women at 1992 party
Politico – Unsealed documents detail alleged Epstein victim’s recruitment at Mar-a-Lago