In a post on Truth Social, US President Donald Trump has hit back at allegations linked to Jeffrey Epstein, claiming they are a conspiracy to damage his presidency.
“Not only was I not friendly with Jeffrey Epstein, but based on information just released by the DOJ, Epstein and a SLEAZEBAG lying ‘author’ named Michael Wolff conspired to harm me and/or my presidency,” Trump wrote.
Trump also took aim at his political opponents: “So much for the radical left’s hope against hope, some of whom I will sue.”
Trump went on to deny that he had ever visited Epstein’s private island, contrasting himself with the Democrats he criticized: “Furthermore, unlike many people who like to ‘talk’ trash, I have never been to Epstein’s infested island, but almost all of these Crooked Democrats and their donors have.”
The statement follows recently released information from the Department of Justice that Trump says supports his claims.
Trump, who has long condemned Wolff, noted that he ended his friendship with Epstein in the early 2000s. The latest batch of Justice Department files, released Friday (Jan. 30), mentioned Trump’s name several hundred times, mostly in emails exchanged between Wolff and Epstein.
Trump responds on Air Force One
Aboard Air Force One en route to Palm Beach, Florida, Trump addressed reporters about the documents, which include more than three million records and personal emails. He claimed the emails suggested Wolff and Epstein conspired against him:
“It looked like this guy, Wolff, was a writer, he conspired with Epstein to hurt me,” Trump said. “I haven’t seen it myself, but I’ve been told by some very important people that not only does it exonerate me, but it’s the opposite of what people were hoping for … that Wolff, who is a third-rate writer, conspired with Jeffrey Epstein to harm me, politically or otherwise, and that came through loud and clear.”
He also hinted at possible legal action: “I’m considering suing Wolff and the Epstein estate because he conspired with Wolff to hurt me politically. That’s not a friend.”
Background on Wolff, Epstein and the 2016 election
Some of the emails between Wolff and Epstein date back to February 2016, during Trump’s presidential campaign. In one exchange, Wolff suggested that Epstein could serve as a “bullet” to end Trump’s campaign: “Yeah, you’re Trump’s bullet,” Wolff responded to an email from Epstein, who noted he was being approached by reporters about Trump’s presidential bid.
Trump and Epstein reportedly split around 2004, before Epstein’s criminal indictment for sex crimes. Epstein died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial, with authorities treating it as suicide.