President Donald Trump refused to rule out pardoning convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, telling reporters: “It’s something I haven’t thought about... I’m allowed to do it”. The non-denial came as Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump’s former personal lawyer conducted a second day of closed-door interviews with Maxwell at a Florida prison. Legal experts condemned the arrangement as “highly unusual,” noting Blanche’s role typically involves oversight, not direct interrogation. Maxwell’s attorney David Markus openly courted Trump’s favor, declaring: “We hope [Trump] exercises [pardon power] in the right and just way”.
The interviews follow intense backlash over Attorney General Pam Bondi’s abrupt reversal on releasing Epstein files. After Bondi promised conservative influencers in February that Epstein’s “client list” was “sitting on my desk,” the DOJ declared in July that no such list exists and closed the investigation, contradicting Trump’s 2024 campaign pledge for transparency. Internal sources reveal the DOJ informed Trump in May that his name appeared in unreleased files, though the White House initially dismissed the report as “fake news”.
Newly declassified documents confirm Trump flew on Epstein’s private jet at least seven times between 1993–1997, including flights with his then-wife Marla Maples, daughter Tiffany, and nanny. While logs show no trips to Epstein’s Caribbean island, they contradict Trump’s claim that he “never flew on [Epstein’s] plane”. Witnesses note Trump socialized extensively with Epstein in the 1990s, once calling him a “terrific guy” who “likes beautiful women on the younger side”.
Trump’s refusal to release Epstein files has sparked rare internal rebellion. Far-right figures like Laura Loomer face accusations of “shilling” for Trump after downplaying his Epstein ties. QAnon adherents and GOP senators including Thom Tillis demand transparency, with Tillis bluntly stating: “Release the damn files”. Online MAGA forums reveal deepening distrust, with one user lamenting: “Trump made the wedge himself by running his mouth”. The rift intensified after Trump blamed “stupid Republicans” for buying into “bullshit” conspiracy theories.
Legal analysts warn Maxwell, convicted of perjury in 2016 has every incentive to trade fabricated testimony for leniency. Former Watergate prosecutor Nick Akerman noted Blanche’s involvement suggests a “pardon negotiation,” adding: “There’s no way you could ever believe Maxwell”. Victims’ attorney Bradley Edwards called the DOJ interviews a “betrayal,” noting survivors feel “like an afterthought”.
As pressure mounts, Trump has deflected by suing the Wall Street Journal over reports of a 2003 “bawdy” birthday note he wrote to Epstein, ordering declassification of Russia probe documents to accuse Barack Obama of “treason” and banning WSJ reporters from covering his Scotland golf trip. House Democrats and three Republicans voted to subpoena all Epstein files, signaling bipartisan demand for accountability.