President Donald Trump has denied ever visiting Jeffrey Epstein’s private Caribbean island, saying he rejected an invitation and never had any connection to Epstein’s alleged criminal activities.
During his tour to Scotland, Trump said, "I never had the privilege of going to his island, and I did turn it down," He went on to say that several Palm Beach people were invited to the island, but he turned them down.
Epstein owned two islands in the U.S. Virgin Islands — Little St. James and Great St. James — where he allegedly trafficked underage girls and hosted high-profile guests. Trump claimed he distanced himself from Epstein after a personal dispute, saying Epstein hired employees who had previously worked for him. “I threw him out of the place, persona non grata,” Trump said.
Former President Bill Clinton, who Trump accused of visiting Epstein’s island “supposedly a number of times,” has denied the claims. Clinton admitted to flying with Epstein on a trip to Africa in 2002 but says he had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
Trump also addressed a recent Wall Street Journal report claiming he signed a raunchy birthday letter to Epstein. He denied any involvement, saying, “I don’t do drawings of women. That I can tell you.”
Trump and Epstein were once friends, often seen together at social events in the 1990s. While awaiting trial for sex trafficking, Epstein passed away in prison in 2019.
White House officials have dismissed reports linking Trump to Epstein as “fake news,” insisting the president has not been accused of any wrongdoing. Trump himself said if there was any evidence against him, his political opponents would have released it already.
Trump expressed frustration about continued questions over Epstein, calling the scandal a “hoax built up way beyond proportion.” He said he would rather focus on issues like trade deals.
Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance defended Trump and criticized previous administrations, including those of Presidents Obama and Bush, for not being transparent about Epstein’s case.
The White House maintains that it wants to put the controversy behind it and concentrate on both domestic and global issues.