President Donald Trump Friday refused to rule out pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell because the sex-trafficking confederate of Jeffrey Epstein met for a second day with a prime Justice Division official behind closed doorways.
As he left the White Home for a visit to Scotland, Trump dodged a reporter’s query about whether or not he was contemplating chopping brief Maxwell’s 20-year jail sentence.
“I’m allowed to do it, but I really haven’t thought about it,” Trump stated, including that he “certainly can’t talk about pardons now.”
Trump’s remarks got here because the No. 2 official on the Justice Division spent a second day assembly behind closed doorways with Maxwell and her lawyer and the White Home seeks to tamp down still-swirling outrage over the Epstein case.
Todd Blanche, who was Trump’s private lawyer earlier than becoming a member of the administration, didn’t give any replace on any data Maxwell might have shared.
Trump additionally sought to counter current bombshell scoops revealing a chummy letter he wrote to Epstein for his birthday and different occasions when the pair have been buddies in Palm Seaside excessive society circles.
“Somebody could have written a letter and used my name,” Trump stated. “That’s happened a lot.”
It’s not clear why Blanche met with Maxwell or what the administration hopes to get her to disclose. It’s extremely uncommon for such a high-ranking prosecutor to fulfill with a convicted prison except they’re looking for details about different potential instances.
Maxwell, who additionally was pleasant with Trump years in the past, is imprisoned at a low-security federal jail in Tallahassee, Florida. She was sentenced three years in the past after being convicted of serving to Epstein sexually abuse underage women.
Officers have stated Epstein killed himself in his New York jail cell whereas awaiting trial in 2019.
Trump himself and his right-wing MAGA base spent years calling for the discharge of any and all details about Epstein and his hyperlinks to well-known folks, together with royals, presidents and billionaires.
However earlier this month, the Justice Division abruptly shifted course and stated it will not launch extra information associated to the Epstein investigation. Lawyer Common Pam Bondi additionally stated an Epstein consumer checklist doesn’t exist.
That flip-flop got here a couple of weeks after Bondi reportedly informed Trump in Might that his identify was amongst high-profile folks talked about in authorities information of Epstein, although the point out doesn’t indicate wrongdoing, based on the Wall Avenue Journal.
Trump additionally began denouncing the Epstein probe as a Democratic “con job” and a “hoax” and referred to as on People to maneuver on from the scandal.
In a uncommon break with their chief, MAGA loyalists and fellow Republicans have refused to drop their calls for for extra transparency.
Republican-led Home committees have voted to subpoena information on the case and rebellious GOP lawmakers pressured Home Speaker Mike Johnson to adjourn the physique early for its August break to keep away from embarrassing votes on the matter.
Trump and congressional allies are hoping the outcry dies down by Labor Day however some analysts say that technique is unlikely to succeed.
Initially Printed: July 25, 2025 at 12:54 PM EDT
