A newly resurfaced email written by Jeffrey Epstein months before his death is drawing fresh scrutiny to his past connection with Donald Trump, adding another layer to a relationship that has been debated for years. The message — sent in January 2019 — appears to contradict the former president’s public statements about what he knew, and when he knew it, regarding Epstein’s behavior.
The email, released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, quickly sparked controversy. While it does not provide definitive proof of wrongdoing, the language Epstein used has renewed calls for the Justice Department to release all remaining documents tied to his case.
The Email That Reignited the Debate
In the message, Epstein was responding to comments reportedly made by Trump about their association, particularly regarding allegations that Epstein’s accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, had attempted to recruit young girls from the spa at Mar-a-Lago. Trump has previously said he banned Epstein from the resort after learning of inappropriate behavior.
But Epstein’s email tells a different story. Writing to author Michael Wolff on January 31, 2019, Epstein claimed Trump had long been aware of the activity.
“Of course he knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop,” Epstein wrote.
The line was brief but explosive — a direct allegation that Trump not only knew Maxwell had been approaching girls at Mar-a-Lago, but that he personally asked her to stop doing it. The Oversight Committee released the email as part of a larger push for transparency surrounding Epstein’s network and contacts.
Whether Epstein’s statement was truthful, exaggerated, or self-serving is impossible to verify, but its release has added new fuel to a long-burning political fire.
Trump’s Public Position: He Acted Immediately
Trump has consistently downplayed his past connection to Epstein. At a July 2025 press conference, he described Epstein as someone who “stole people that worked for me,” referring to Trump’s claim that Epstein was recruiting employees away from Mar-a-Lago for his own staff.
Trump went on to say:
“Everyone knows the people that were taken, and it was the concept of taking people that work for me that is bad.”
He also recalled confronting Epstein:
“Listen, we don’t want you taking our people.”
Trump’s framing suggests he believed Epstein was poaching employees — not exploiting them. In Trump’s telling, he shut the situation down once he became aware of it. He has repeatedly said he had no knowledge of Epstein’s trafficking operation.
Epstein’s 2019 email, however, implies Trump knew “about the girls,” not just the staffing issues. That single discrepancy is what now fuels debate.
A Complicated Relationship Spanning Decades
Trump and Epstein’s connection dates back to the 1990s and early 2000s, when both were part of the same Palm Beach social circuit. Photos and public records confirm they attended events together. Trump himself once described Epstein as a “terrific guy” in a 2002 magazine interview, though he later said he had a falling out with him.
Their relationship reportedly soured over a real estate dispute in the mid-2000s. After that, Trump claims he barred Epstein from Mar-a-Lago permanently. The exact timeline of that ban has always been debated.
What is clear is that both men kept in contact with Ghislaine Maxwell. Epstein and Maxwell continued communicating through at least 2011, according to emails released during Maxwell’s trial.
One message from that period included Epstein referring to Trump as:
“That dog that hasn’t barked.”
Observers interpret that line as frustration — Epstein seemingly felt Trump had avoided publicly defending him or acknowledging their past closeness. Maxwell responded cryptically:
“I have been thinking about that…”
The exchange suggests that both were aware of Trump’s distance and perhaps expected him to take a public stance on their behalf — something he never did.
Maxwell’s Role and Her Prison Sentence
Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted in 2021 for her role in Epstein’s trafficking scheme, remains a central figure in understanding the network’s reach. Prosecutors established that she played a pivotal role in grooming and recruiting victims. Epstein’s emails often referenced her, revealing how embedded she was in his operation.
The resurfaced 2019 email fits into a broader picture: Epstein believed Maxwell was responsible for certain recruitment attempts at Mar-a-Lago, and he claimed Trump personally intervened.
Whether Epstein’s recollection was accurate is unknown, but the allegation adds a new wrinkle to an already tangled history.
Why This Email Matters Now
The Epstein case remains one of the most disturbing scandals of the last two decades — a combination of wealth, political connections, and systemic failures that allowed abuse to flourish. Despite Epstein’s death, the public’s appetite for answers has not faded.
Each new document, each unsealed court filing, each released email pulls back another layer. The 2019 email is not conclusive evidence of misconduct, but it adds pressure on federal agencies to release the remaining Epstein files.
Lawmakers, particularly Democrats on the Oversight Committee, argue that transparency is the only way to restore public trust.
Republicans, for their part, point to the timing and political nature of the releases, arguing that many of these documents are being surfaced selectively to damage Trump.
The broader public simply wants clarity.
What Happens Next
The push for more records from the Justice Department is unlikely to disappear. Epstein’s network connected to influential names across politics, finance, and entertainment. The mystery around his death only amplified the public’s suspicion that the full story has not yet been revealed.
This email — whether truthful, exaggerated, or self-serving — intensifies that pressure. It raises questions but answers none. It reveals another piece of a puzzle that still feels incomplete years later.
One thing is certain: until the full archive of Epstein-related documents is released, the speculation surrounding his connections to powerful figures — Trump included — will continue.