Michael_Novakhov shared this story from ![]() |
Footage of a friendly exchange between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein at a party has surfaced after the president tried to distance himself from the wealthy financier who was arrested earlier this month over the alleged sex trafficking of minors.
The video was released on Wednesday morning from the NBC archive and was shot in 1992 for a segment on the Faith Daniels talkshow A Closer Look about Trump’s then life as a newly divorced bachelor.
In between clips of Trump smiling and dancing with a group of young women at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump can be seen making friendly conversation with Epstein.
Though the conversation is mostly drowned out by loud music, Trump is shown pointing out women to Epstein. “Look at her back there – she’s hot,” he appears to say. At one point in the clip, Trump tells something to Epstein that makes him double over with laughter.
Epstein was arrested in early July on sex trafficking and sex trafficking conspiracy charges. Some victims allege he assaulted them when they were as young as 14. Epstein is being held at a federal jail in Manhattan, though his request to be put under house arrest in his mansion is to be decided by a judge this week.
In the wake of Epstein’s arrest, Trump was quizzed about his relationship with Epstein. Trump told reporters he “knew [Epstein], like everybody in Palm Beach knew him”. But Trump added: “I had a falling out with him. I haven’t spoken to him in 15 years. I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you.”
However, in a 2002 profile of Epstein from New York magazine, Trump was quoted as saying: “I’ve known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy. He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”