Jeffrey Epstein emails claim Donald Trump ‘knew about the girls,’ say Democrats

Trump has long denied any involvement in or knowledge of Epstein’s sex-trafficking network, calling allegations of his association a “Democrat hoax.” He has said that while he once knew Epstein socially, the two had a falling out in the early 2000s.

But Democrats say the newly disclosed emails challenge that narrative. “These latest emails and correspondence raise glaring questions about what else the White House is hiding and the nature of the relationship between Epstein and the president,” said Representative Robert Garcia of California, the committee’s top Democrat.

The three email exchanges, dated between 2011 and 2019, came years after Epstein’s controversial 2008 plea deal on prostitution charges that allowed him to avoid federal prosecution. In one April 2011 email to Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein wrote, “That dog that hasn’t barked is Trump,” referring to Trump’s silence about his interactions with Epstein. “He has never once been mentioned,” Epstein added, claiming one of his victims had spent “hours” at his house with Trump.

Maxwell, who was later convicted of sex trafficking and sentenced to 20 years in prison, replied, “I have been thinking about that.”

In another message from January 2019 to author Michael Wolff, Epstein wrote, “Of course he knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop.” The Oversight Committee cited an unnamed whistle-blower who claimed Maxwell had recently considered asking Trump to commute her prison sentence.

Epstein’s email correspondence with Wolff also included a December 2015 exchange, just before a Republican presidential debate. Wolff warned Epstein that CNN was preparing to question Trump about their relationship. Epstein replied by asking what Trump should say if asked, to which Wolff responded, “I think you should let him hang himself… If he says he hasn’t been on the plane or to the house, that gives you valuable political currency.”

Trump was not questioned about Epstein during that debate.

The release of the emails comes amid renewed political tension over the handling of the Epstein files. The Trump administration had previously promised full disclosure of the records before reversing course — a move that split Republicans and angered some of Trump’s own supporters.

Democrats now say the withheld documents may reveal deeper connections between Epstein and prominent political figures. The White House, however, has dismissed the Oversight Committee’s probe as politically motivated.

The timing of the email release coincides with the expected swearing-in of Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva of Arizona, whose signature would enable Democrats to force a vote on a measure demanding the full public release of Epstein-related materials.

Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting federal trial on sex-trafficking charges.