"I was not only not close to Jeffrey Epstein, but based on information just released by the Department of Justice, Epstein also colluded with the deceitful, unethical author Michael Wolff to harm me and my presidency," US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on 2/2.
Trump's statement came days after the US Department of Justice released an additional 3 million pages of documents related to the investigations into Epstein. These documents included many passages mentioning Trump, which the department described as potentially containing "untrue and sensational allegations".
"Thus, the faint hope of the radical left has vanished into thin air, and I will also sue some of these individuals. Furthermore, unlike many who only like to slander others, I have never set foot on Epstein's infamous island. Yet almost all deceitful Democrats and their donors have been there," Trump added, without providing evidence for this accusation.
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US President Donald Trump at the White House on 27/1. Photo: AP
Michael Wolff, an author and journalist, has written four books about Trump's emergence in US politics. In 2018, he released the bestseller Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, which depicted an administration described as chaotic and disorganized, and criticized former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon.
Wolff and the Democratic National Committee have not yet commented on the President's post.
Jeffrey Epstein, born in 1953, was arrested in New York in July 2019 on charges of enticing dozens of minors and engaging in sexual acts with them. The businessman faced 45 years in prison if convicted. Epstein denied all charges and was held at a Manhattan jail in New York. While awaiting trial, Epstein hanged himself in his cell in August 2019.
Epstein owned the private island of Little St. James in the Caribbean. US media dubbed it "pedophile island," where Epstein was accused of committing sexual crimes with underage girls and inviting several celebrities to visit.
According to emails released last year by Democratic members of the House Oversight Committee, Epstein mentioned Trump multiple times in private messages sent to authors Wolff and Ghislaine Maxwell from 2011 to 2019.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later criticized the committee's Democratic members, arguing these were "emails selectively leaked to the liberal media to create a fake narrative to smear President Trump".
Neither Trump nor former Democratic President Bill Clinton, who also appeared in Epstein's files, have been accused of wrongdoing related to Epstein's activities. Both stated they were unaware of Epstein's abuse of underage girls.
The Clintons agreed to testify before the House Oversight Committee regarding their connections to Epstein, following pressure from lawmakers.
