Video of Jeffrey Epstein Talking About Donald Trump Resurfaces

Footage from 2010 of Jeffrey Epstein asserting his “Fifth, Sixth and 14th Amendment rights” when asked whether he had ever “socialized with Donald Trump in the presence of females under the age of 18” has gone viral on X, racking up more than 2 million views since Wednesday evening.

Newsweek contacted the White House press office for comment on Thursday via email outside regular office hours.

Why It Matters

On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that in May, Attorney General Pam Bondi informed President Donald Trump that his name appeared “multiple times” in the so-called Epstein files, documents related to the convicted sex offender possessed by the Justice Department. White House communications director Steven Cheung described the report as “another fake news story.”

Trump has come under sustained pressure from a section of his Make America Great Again base after the Justice Department released a memo earlier this month that said Epstein had “no incriminating ‘client list'” and restated that he died by suicide in his cell in August 2019.

Conspiracy theorists have long suggested Epstein was murdered to protect the identify of powerful figures on his alleged client list, and in September 2024, Trump told podcaster Lex Fridman he would have “no problem” releasing additional information about the case if he won November’s presidential election.

What To Know

On Wednesday, MeidasTouch, a self-styled “pro-democracy” media outlet, shared a 34-second clip of Epstein being questioned over his relationship with Trump in 2010. According to a 2016 article in the Daily Wire, which describes itself as being “right of center,” Epstein’s interviewer was a lawyer representing one of his alleged underage victims.

In the video, the lawyer asks Epstein, “Have you ever had a personal relationship with Donald Trump?” When Epstein asks for clarification, the lawyer says, “Have you socialized with him?” Epstein then replies, “Yes sir.”

The interviewer continues, “Have you ever socialized with Donald Trump in the presence of females under the age of 18?”

Epstein replies, “Though I’d like to answer that question, at least today I’m going to have to assert my Fifth, Sixth and 14th Amendment rights, sir.”

The Constitution’s Fifth Amendment protects those accused of crimes against self-incrimination, meaning they cannot be compelled to answer questions or testify against themselves.

The Sixth Amendment incorporates a range of protections for alleged criminals, including the rights to an impartial jury, legal counsel and to confront witnesses. Under the 14th Amendment, no person can be deprived of life, liberty or property by the state without going through due process.

According to flight logs released in January 2024 in response to a case brought by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, Trump flew on Epstein’s private jets on a number of occasions.

Speaking with New York magazine in 2002 about Epstein, Trump said: “He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”

In 2019, Trump said he was “not a fan” of Epstein and insisted the pair hadn’t spoken in 15 years because of a “falling out.”

In 2008, Epstein was convicted of solicitation of prostitution and solicitation of prostitution from a minor as part of a plea deal. He was arrested again in New York in July 2019 over allegations that he trafficked “dozens of underage girls” and was found dead in his jail cell a month later. Authorities said he died by suicide.

British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in jail in June 2022 after being convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor. Prosecutors said she was involved in procuring underage girls for Epstein.

On Tuesday, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson announced he was adjourning the lower chamber early until September in a move critics said was designed to block a vote on the release of the Epstein files.

What People Are Saying

Senator Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California, wrote on X: “Trump told the press he was not informed that his name was in the Epstein files. Now we learn that this was a lie. He was told by Bondi, his former criminal defense lawyer and now the AG. Time to end the Trump/Epstein cover-up. Release the files.”

In response to the Wall Street Journal report that said Trump was in the Epstein files, Attorney General Pam Bondi and her deputy Todd Blanche said in a joint statement: “Nothing in the files warranted further investigation or prosecution, and we have filed a motion in court to unseal the underlying grand jury transcripts. As part of our routine briefing, we made the President aware of the findings.”

What Happens Next

The Trump administration is likely to face continued pressure to release what documentation it can on the Epstein case both from Democrats in Congress and a section of the president’s own MAGA base.