A tranche of documents released by the House oversight committee on Wednesday revealed that Jeffrey Epstein’s staff kept him apprised of Donald Trump’s air travel as it related to his own transportation – and that the late sex trafficker kept up with news about his former friend years after their relationship soured.
This disclosure of about 20,000 pages from Republican members of the committee related to Epstein comes as Trump continues to battle with the political fallout related to their past friendship – and his justice department’s failure to release documents as he had long promised on the campaign trail.
Most of the discussions reviewed by the Guardian surrounding Trump’s location appeared to relate to flight logistics, as he and Epstein often used the same airports.
On 25 November 2016, just weeks after Trump won the presidential election, Epstein’s pilot, Larry Visoski, wrote: “Trump is still scheduled to depart Sunday between 4 and 6 pm,, Let me know if we are firm for wheels up Saturday at 6pm still?” Epstein replied: “will let you know tomorrow morning.”
But other emails tracked Trump’s movements more generally. Epstein received a heads-up on 2 December 2017: “Trump in our neighborhood today. Looks like he is going to 740 Park for a fundraiser.” The sender’s name was redacted in the email release, but it was signed by Richard Kahn, Epstein’s accountant.
One visitor waiting outside Epstein’s home made a joke about Trump while waiting to get inside. “[I’m] at the door but i will wait for my time. . i dont want to come early to find trump in your house,” they wrote, adding two smiling emojis. Their name was redacted in the email.
The cache of filings also indicates Epstein’s associates forwarded numerous news articles related to Trump, including reports that involved controversies surrounding the president. The news coverage included a January 2019 story on Trump ally Roger Stone’s arrest, and an article on Michael Cohen’s discussions with prosecutors.
Email exchanges with friends and associates showed Epstein disparaging Trump. In one December 2018 correspondence, Epstein told former treasury secretary Larry Summers that “trump – borderline insane. dersh, a few feet further from the border but not by much” – apparently referencing his one-time attorney, Alan Dershowitz.
Summers asked: “Will trump crack into insanity?”
“This is not a new phenomenon for him. in the past he was told not to come out of his apt. thats how he got through near personal bankruptcy. is strength is remarkable. he is pounded 24/7,” Epstein replied. “I hope someone close to him gets indicted, but not sure, otherwise the pressure of the unknown will force him to do crazy things.”
In another exchange in March 2018, Landon Thomas Jr, then a reporter at the New York Times, sent Epstein an article from the Daily Beast that mused on whether Trump was close to a “psychiatric breakdown”. Epstein replied: “he feels alone, and is nuts !!! , I told everyone from day one. evil beyond belief mad, and most thought i was speaking metaphorically, its obvious he could crack. stormy daniels. ? lies after lies after lies.”
Asked for comment on the emails, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said: “These emails prove literally nothing.” A representative for Summers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Epstein received multiple updates from his pilot about Trump’s movements during the years covered by the release. “Updated President Elect schedule: Trump Plane to arrive Orlando at 5 pm friday for event,, then arrive Palm Beach estimate 10 pm, . He usually runs late, so 11pm could be realistic time for his PBI Arrival,” Visoski wrote in December 2016, also noting that the airport would shut down for 20 minutes before and after Trump’s arrival.
“I’ll keep you posted if time changes,” he also said. Visoksi’s emails about Trump’s flights appeared to be in response to Epstein emailing him “wont leave until 8 pm tomorrow.”
Visoski had more information on Trump on 30 September 2017. “I hear Pres Trump arrives in St Thomas on Tuesday FYI,” he wrote.
In November of that year, Epstein discussed an apparent planned trip to Little St James, an island in the US Virgin Islands where he abused teenage girls.
“At the moment we will go to [Little St James] on Sunday the 26th early then to New York where I will stay the week,” Epstein told his pilot, Visoski. “Trump is in town that week.” There is nothing in the email suggesting Epstein planned on meeting with Trump.
Visoski responded with Trump’s arrival and departure times and said in a following email that it “shouldn’t be to bad if we are leaving early and Trump is not scheduled to depart until 3pm on Sunday”, adding: “The departure will be similar to a DCA departure with customs.”
In another email that month, Visoski wrote: “While Trump is in PBI, TSA only allows arrival and departures between 8am and 5pm for General Aviation.”
A few months later, in March 2018, Visoski gave Epstein another update about Trump related to air travel. “Thx 3pm Wednesday to Teterboro confirmed,, Friday Trump arrives in PBI, I’ll confirm time, Thx.”
Later that year, in December, in another email, Visoski wrote: “Since Pres Trump didn’t come to PBI yet” – seemingly referring to Palm Beach international airport – “for you departure to Ls3 on Dec 26, should Darren and Dave pick you up in PBI? Or do you prefer Boca for departure, at this time no TSA issue in PBI.”
Several months before his arrest on sex-trafficking charges, Epstein provided information to his staff. “President trump is going to be at our neighbors on thurs, so dont be surprised if secret service check in.” The employee responded: “Thank you for the heads up sir.”
Trump was not the only high-profile figure whose travels were discussed by Epstein. The documents also show that in September 2012, an assistant of Epstein’s was told to inform Epstein that “Vice-President Joe Biden is in West Palm Beach and is scheduled to depart between 5pm and 6pm today”.
“He parks at the Galaxy ramp also in Palm Beach,” the email added. “The airport will be closed between 5pm and 6pm. We’ll need to wheels up at 4pm or 2pm.”
The newly released documents were published shortly after House Democrats on the oversight committee released three separate previously unseen email exchanges sent by Epstein in 2011, 2015 and 2019, where the disgraced financier described Trump as the “dog that hasn’t barked” and alleged Trump had “spent hours” at Epstein’s home with one of Epstein’s victims, and claimed that “of course” Trump “knew about the girls”.
The release of those email exchanges reignited the Epstein controversy that has plagued Trump for months and has revived public scrutiny of his past ties to Epstein.
In a post to his Truth Social platform, Trump accused Democrats of “trying to bring up the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax again because they’ll do anything at all to deflect on how badly they’ve done on the Shutdown, and so many other subjects”.
In a statement, the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said Democrats had “selectively leaked emails to the liberal media to create a fake narrative to smear President Trump”. She added that the unnamed victim referenced in the emails was the late Virginia Giuffre, whom she said “repeatedly said President Trump was not involved in any wrongdoing whatsoever”.
“Trump kicked Jeffrey Epstein out of his club decades ago for being a creep to his female employees, including Giuffre,” Leavitt said, adding: “These stories are nothing more than bad-faith efforts to distract from President Trump’s historic accomplishments, and any American with common sense sees right through this hoax and clear distraction from the government opening back up again.”
