President Donald Trump is reported to have flown on Jeffrey Epstein’s private jet more frequently than previously known, according to an email from a New York prosecutor included in a recent release of Epstein-related documents by the US Justice Department. The email, dated January 7, 2020, revealed that flight records indicate Trump took eight flights on Epstein’s private jet during the 1990s, with at least four of those flights having Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell on board. Maxwell is currently serving a prison sentence for her involvement in Epstein’s sexual abuse of underage girls.
Although Trump denied being on Epstein’s plane or island in a 2024 social media post, the prosecutor’s email did not accuse Trump of any criminal activity. The White House did not provide an immediate response to requests for comment on the email.
One of the flights detailed in the newly disclosed records listed Epstein, Trump, and a redacted 20-year-old woman as the only passengers. Additionally, two other flights mentioned women who could potentially be witnesses in a case involving Maxwell.
While Trump acknowledged knowing Epstein socially in the 1990s and early 2000s, he stated that their association ended in the mid-2000s and that he was unaware of Epstein’s illicit activities. Epstein was convicted in 2008 for procuring a minor for prostitution and faced sex trafficking charges in 2019.
The Justice Department, in a statement released on X, clarified that some of the documents contained unfounded claims against Trump, emphasizing that these claims lacked credibility and had not been utilized against him. The recent document release included approximately 30,000 pages with redactions, along with several video clips, some purportedly filmed within a federal detention center.
Among the disclosed records was an email from 2021 mentioning an image of Trump and Maxwell found on former Trump aide Steve Bannon’s cellphone data. The government redacted parts of the email that identified the sender and recipient. Another file included a photo of Trump and Maxwell, matching a picture from a New York fashion show in 2000.
While the documents referenced Trump in various contexts, there was no clear indication from the government that these references were deemed credible. The Justice Department labeled a card from Epstein to Larry Nassar, linking to Trump, as a fake and stated its commitment to releasing Epstein-related documents as mandated by law.
Moreover, reports of phone calls to an FBI tip line mentioning Trump were disclosed, but the callers’ identities were not revealed, and it was unclear if the calls led to further investigation. One caller claimed to have overheard Trump discussing inappropriate behavior with a girl in a limousine in 1995.
Additionally, a video allegedly showing Epstein in his jail cell was released, but further examination suggested it was a computer-generated clip circulated on social media after Epstein’s death. The video was submitted to the Justice Department by an individual claiming it depicted Epstein’s demise.
The Trump administration recently released a large volume of Epstein files to comply with a new transparency law, despite previous efforts to keep the files sealed. The law, passed by Congress, mandated the disclosure of all Epstein-related records, prompting mixed reactions from politicians and the public. Republican Representative Thomas Massie, a key figure behind the law, responded to Trump’s criticism of the document release, highlighting the importance of transparency and adherence to legal requirements.