Trump elaborates on spa workers he accused Epstein of poaching
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Donald Trump and his future wife, Melania Knauss, with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., in February of 2000. Photo: Davidoff Studios/Getty Images
President Trump on Tuesday shared more details about spa workers he says were poached from his Mar-a-Lago estate by Jeffrey Epstein.
The big picture: Trump's past relationship with the disgraced financier who died in jail after being charged with sex trafficking has emerged as a liability with his political base amid demands for more transparency about the case.
- Trump has said he had a falling out with Epstein before the late financier's sex trafficking charges.
- Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection with the case.
Driving the news: Trump on Monday said the men's relationship ended after Epstein "poached" Mar-a-Lago workers. Asked about it aboard Air Force One on Tuesday, Trump said the workers in question worked at his club's spa.
- "Ya, he took people," Trump said. "I said, 'Don't do it anymore, they work for me.' ... Once he did that, that was the end of him. When they steal people, I don't like that."
- Pressed on whether some of those workers were young women, Trump refused to answer: "I don't want to say, but everyone knows the people that were taken."
- "People were taken out of the spa, hired by him," Trump said. "When I heard about it, I told him, 'We don't want you taking our people,' whether it was spa or not spa."
Zoom in: Asked whether one of those poached workers was Virginia Giuffre, Trump said, "I don't know. I think she worked at the spa. I think so. I think that was one of the people, ya. He stole her."
Context: Giuffre accused Ghislaine Maxwell of recruiting her from Mar-a-Lago for Epstein when she was a teenager, per court documents that were unsealed in 2019 in Giuffre's lawsuit against the Epstein associate. Maxwell is appealing to the Supreme Court to have her conviction related to the sex trafficking of minors overturned.
- Giuffre alleged that Epstein arranged for Prince Andrew to sexually abuse her. Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth II's second son, denied the abuse allegations and settled a related lawsuit with Giuffre in 2022 while not admitting wrongdoing.
- Giuffre died by suicide earlier this year.
Of note: It was reported in 2019 that Trump and Epstein fell out over a foreclosed Palm Beach property after the future president outbid him for the property in 2004.
- White House spokesperson Steven Cheung said last week, "The fact is that the President kicked him out of his club for being a creep."
State of play: Trump has faced scrutiny in recent weeks over his administration's handling of the Epstein case, while challenging reports about his associations.
- Trump said Monday that he never had "the privilege" of traveling to the late financier's island, emphasizing he "did turn it down."
- The president is suing the Wall Street Journal and owner Rupert Murdoch for releasing a report about a "bawdy" birthday letter to Epstein bearing Trump's name.
- Trump has also denied reports that Attorney General Pam Bondi briefed him about his name appearing in the Epstein files.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional context.
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