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Epstein was 'terrified' of Trump in his last days, reveals author Michale Wolff
A protest group called "Hot Mess" hold up signs of Jeffrey Epstein and President Donald Trump in front of the Federal courthouse on July 8, 2019 in New York City. File Photo/AFP
Journalist and author Michael Wolff has claimed that Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier, was reportedly 'afraid' of Donald Trump, whom he knew 'better' than most and whose rise to power deeply unsettled him.
Wolff, author of the bestselling Fire and Fury, revealed on his podcast that Epstein was a key behind-the-scenes source for the book.
The author discussed hours of private conversations with Epstein before he died in 2019.
'When I was writing Fire and Fury, I became an outlet for Epstein to express his incredulity about someone whose sins he knew so well, and then this person actually being elected president,' Wolff stated.
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'Epstein was utterly preoccupied with Trump, and I think, frankly, afraid of him.'
According to Wolff, Trump and Epstein's friendship, which began in the 1980s, was marked by rivalry over money, women, and social status.
'I think Epstein saw Trump as essentially Bush League,' Wolff noted.
'Epstein knew him, really, I think, better than most. I mean, this was a true BFF situation: two playboys very much styling themselves as playboys in that (Hugh) Hefner sense, who palled around for the better part of 15 years.'
Their relationship reportedly deteriorated in 2004 when Trump outbid Epstein on a luxurious Palm Beach property.
'He was really, really, really p****d,' Wolff recalled Epstein saying.
The rift widened after Trump's 2016 presidential victory.
'When Epstein and I were talking about this, Trump was now the president of the United States, and I think frightening,' Wolff said.
'Because the most inappropriate person to be the president of the United States was probably Donald Trump.'
'I was always startled how afraid he seemed about Trump. And I've Focal I've spoken to several other people who knew Epstein well. They make the same point. And I know that Epstein would emphasize how he believed Trump was capable of doing anything. He had no scruples.'
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Wolff urged Epstein to share his story publicly. 'I urged Epstein to go public with everything I've told you here, but Epstein's attitude was that I was unaware of how the real world operated,' Wolff recounted.
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