Trump says he ended friendship with Epstein because he 'stole people that worked for me'
Epstein killed himself, authorities say, in a New York jail cell in 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. Trump and his top allies stoked conspiracy theories about Epstein's death before Trump returned to power and are now struggling to manage the fallout after the Justice Department said Epstein did, in fact, die by suicide and that it would not release additional documents about the case. The president and his allies, some of whom are now in the administration, had promised to release the files.
The case has dogged Trump at home and abroad and even followed Vice President JD Vance during an appearance in his home state of Ohio on Monday. A small group of protesters assembled outside a factory in Canton that Vance toured, holding signs that spelled out "JD Protects Pedophiles" and indicating that "GOP" stands for "Guardians Of Pedophiles."
The Republican president spoke at his golf property in Turnberry, Scotland, as he sat with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer after the leaders had met and were answering questions from US and UK journalists. Asked to explain why the relationship had faltered, Trump said, "That's such old history, very easy to explain, but I don't want to waste your time by explaining it."
'I threw him out'
He then explained, saying he stopped talking to Epstein after "he did something that was inappropriate."
"He hired help and I said, 'Don't ever do that again,'" Trump said. "He stole people that worked for me. I said, 'Don't ever do that again.' He did it again, and I threw him out of the place, persona non grata."
"I threw him out and that was it. I'm glad I did, if you want to know the truth," added Trump, who recently directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the public release of sealed grand jury transcripts in the case. One federal judge has denied that request ; a second judge has yet to rule.
Vance, on Monday, visited the factory to promote Trump's tax cut and border bill, but also addressed the Epstein matter, saying the president wants "full transparency" in the case. "The president has been very clear. We're not shielding anything," Vance said in response to a reporter's question. "The president has directed the attorney general to release all credible information and, frankly, to go and find additional credible information related to the Jeffrey Epstein case."
"Some of that stuff takes time," Vance said, adding that Trump has been "very clear. He wants full transparency."
Trump had said back in 2019 that Epstein was a fixture in Palm Beach but that the two had had a falling out a long time ago and he hadn't spoken with Epstein for 15 years. On Monday, Trump also denied contributing to a compilation of letters and drawings to mark Epstein's 50th birthday, first reported on by the Wall Street Journal. The newspaper said the letter believed to be from Trump included a drawing of a woman's body.
"I don't do drawings of women, that I can tell you," Trump said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
20 minutes ago
- Euronews
Thailand accuses Cambodia of violating ceasefire after just hours
Authorities in Thailand have accused Cambodia of violating the ceasefire the two countries agreed to on Monday, following economic pressure from the Trump administration. The truce, which was signed in Malaysia, was supposed to come into force at midnight, bringing an end to cross-border clashes that have killed at least 41 people and displaced thousands. The Thai army accused Cambodia of launching attacks in multiple areas early on Tuesday but Cambodia said there was no firing in any location. Thailand later said fighting had stopped after military commanders along the border from both sides met. They agreed to halt troop movements, avoid escalation and establish coordination teams ahead of a joint border committee meeting in Cambodia on 4 August, army spokesperson Major General Winthai Suvaree said. Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Seiha said he spoke to his Thai counterpart about "incidents" that occurred during the implementation of the ceasefire but stressed the Cambodian army abided by the truce. He said Cambodian defence officials will lead a delegation of diplomats, foreign military attachés and others to observe the situation. The Thai government separately said it has lodged complaints to Malaysia, the US and China about Cambodia's alleged breach of the ceasefire agreement. Along the border, there were signs of calm with some of the more than 260,000 people displaced by the fighting returning to their homes. Ceasefire struck under US pressure Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai agreed to an 'unconditional' halt in fighting on Monday in talks hosted by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. He called the ceasefire a "vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security." Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US applauded the ceasefire declaration. "President Trump and I are committed to an immediate cessation of violence and expect the governments of Cambodia and Thailand to fully honour their commitments to end this conflict," Rubio said in a statement. Hun Manet said on Tuesday that Trump had called to offer congratulations for the peace agreement. He posted on social media that Trump pledged the US would join the monitoring process along with Malaysia to ensure the ceasefire is implemented. Trump also called Phumtham after his return to Bangkok. Phumtham said Trump told him that Thailand's talks with Washington to negotiate tariff levels on Thai exports could now proceed and that he would seek to make them as favourable as possible. The ceasefire comes days before the US is expected to announce new trade tariff decisions. Cambodia and Thailand have both been two of the hardest-hit countries as a result of Trump's trade war, with a 36% tariff on goods from both countries due to take effect on Friday. Trump had warned that the US might not proceed with trade deals with either country if hostilities continued, giving both sides a face-saving justification for halting the clashes. Caution among border residents Cambodia and Thailand have clashed in the past over their 800-kilometre border. The latest fighting began on Thursday after a landmine explosion wounded five Thai soldiers. Tensions had been growing since May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a confrontation that created a diplomatic rift that roiled Thailand's domestic politics. Residents on both sides of the border expressed relief about the ceasefire but remained wary, unsure how long the peace would last. "I am very concerned that new fighting may break out. Thailand often provokes the fighting first, but then accuses Cambodia. Their aims is that they want to occupy our temples. I really don't want to see any new fighting happen," said Soklang Slay, as he helped his daughter move back into her home in Cambodia's Oddar Meanchay province. Meanwhile, in Thailand's Surin province, local community leader Kritsada Jindasri said he heard heavy firing and explosions on Monday night before silence fell at midnight. "We are still cautious. We still don't totally believe (that it would stop). We still wait to assess the situation," said Kitsada, who had stayed back along with 60 other community leaders after some 400 villagers evacuated last week.
Euronews
20 minutes ago
- Euronews
Investors pivot to UK stocks as US faces continued instability
After years of political turbulence in Westminster and post‑Brexit economic whiplash that drove capital away, the current US policy chaos has propelled global investors back to London, turning the UK into 2025's unlikely safe haven. 'Certain investors believe the US is a much higher-risk investment prospect under Trump and they've taken money off the table and reallocated to other parts of the world including the UK," according to Dan Coatsworth, investment analyst at AJ Bell. "This is a dramatic shift in thinking, given that the US has been a top place to make money for years." US President Donald Trump's administration has spent most of 2025 imposing, scrapping and re-imposing tariffs on its biggest trading partners and allies. "Political stability since last summer's general election, along with the UK being the first to strike a trade agreement with the US under the Trump administration, have prompted certain overseas investors to think again about the UK's situation and prospects," Coatsworth continued. The FTSE 100 Index broke the 9,000 valuation record in mid July, taking it nine times above its baseline of 1,000. The index's previous major milestone came in February 2023, when it briefly pushed past 8,000. US dollar in freefall amid fights with the Fed In May, Moody's downgraded the United States' credit rating from AAA to AA1, marking the first time in over a century that the US no longer held a triple-A rating from any major credit agency. Last week, footage of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell went viral as he stood next to Trump during a visit to the Fed building, with the bank chief shaking his head in apparent disagreement. Trump's criticism of Powell — who is arguably the most powerful guardian of the dollar's value — has aggravated the currency's steady slide since the new administration took office in January. 'Dollar weakness will have spurred UK investors to look closer to home for opportunities. A weaker dollar versus the pound makes US assets less attractive," explained Coatsworth. Although the greenback has risen in recent days, the dollar index is still down almost 9% in the year to date. Defence is a money magnet Trump's departure from US foreign policy norms, for instance by demanding that Europe pay more for NATO while sending positive signals to Russia, has shocked leaders across the continent, undermining global security. Interest in government defence spending across the EU and the UK has risen at a record pace since the Cold War, with some governments fast‑tracking multibillion‑euro deals for the procurement of missiles, drones and cybersecurity systems. This environment has made Europe's defence contractors prime targets for fresh capital as investors look for assets that can outpace geopolitical shockwaves. Fresnillo, Babcock and Rolls-Royce, all either defence contractors or working on defence-adjacent projects, are the best-performing FTSE stocks so far in 2025. 'The UK stock market has a wealth of defence contractors which have attracted investor interest against a backdrop of increased government spending on areas like cybersecurity and military forces," Coatsworth added. A bargain for investors? 'Valuation is another reason the UK has functioned as a magnet for people switching out of US markets," said Coatsworth, as FTSE stocks are cheaper than US alternatives. 'American shares are expensive when you look at popular valuation metrics. For example, the S&P 500 index trades on 22.2 times next 12 months' earnings ... In contrast, the FTSE 100 trades on a mere 12.6 times forward earnings."
Euronews
20 minutes ago
- Euronews
EU and US spin conflicting versions of trade deal
The trade deal between the European Union and the United States is off to a rocky start. The preliminary agreement, announced at the end of a face-to-face meeting of Ursula von der Leyen and Donald Trump in Scotland, has prompted a massive wave of criticism over its heavily lopsided nature in favour of American interests. On Monday, the European Commission spent the day briefing journalists to defend the deal as an anchor of stability and predictability in troubled times, a pill that is hard to swallow but necessary to avoid a havoc-wreaking tariff war across the Atlantic. Then the story took a new twist when the White House published a fact sheet about the agreement with multiple claims that mismatched or downright contradicted the version of events presented by the Commission just hours earlier. On Tuesday, Brussels replied with its own statement, sowing further confusion. Euronews takes a closer look at the clash of narratives. Pharmaceuticals What the White House says: Pharmaceuticals will be subject to the across-the-board 15% tariff that will apply to the majority of EU-made products as of 1 August. What the Commission says: Pharmaceuticals will, for the time being, be spared from the 15% tariff and instead remain under the current 0% rate until the Trump administration completes its Section 232 investigation into the sector. "There will be no tariffs on pharmaceuticals this Friday," a senior official said. While the US' Section 232 investigation could lead to a tailor-made, painfully high tariff, as was the case for steel and aluminium, the Commission expects the 15% will act as the maximum ceiling, blocking the imposition of any additional duties on top. "I believe that this commitment will be honoured and respected in this case," said Maroš Šefčovič, the European Commissioner for Trade. Energy purchases What the White House says: The EU will "double down" on its purchases of American energy, buying $750 billions' worth by the end of Trump's second term. In practice, this will amount to $250 billion each year. What the Commission says: The Commission, which negotiated the deal on behalf of all 27 member states, lacks the competence to determine the amount, the type and the origin of the energy supplies acquired by governments and companies. Therefore it cannot legally bind the bloc to the goal of spending $750 billion on American energy. The announced number is an indication based on the needs the EU will face in the coming years to phase out the consumption of Russian fossil fuels, an arduous effort that has boosted the role played by American liquefied natural gas (LNG). "It's important to remember that the European Commission is not buying any of these commodities and neither is the US government selling any of this," a Commission spokesperson said. "These are all commercial decisions made by the companies: those companies that buy and those companies that sell." The spokesperson noted the annual figure of $250 billion would be all-encompassing, covering ordinary purchases of American fuel, which currently range from $92 to $100 billion, as well as technology and investments. Investment pledge What the White House says: The EU will invest $600 billion in the US by the end of Trump's second term. "This new investment is in addition to the over $100 billion (that) EU companies already invest in the United States every year," the fact sheet says. What the Commission says: As with the energy purchases, the Commission is unable to design and implement investments on behalf of the private sector. The $600 billion is another indication based on the executive's contacts with industry. "It's not something the EU, as a public authority, can guarantee – it's something based on the intention of private companies," a senior official said. The aggregated $600 billion figure might shrink once the impact of the EU-US trade deal, which is disadvantageous for the bloc, begins to take effect. Despite the uncertainty, the White House is portraying the energy and investment pledges as a fait accompli. Weaponry What the White House says: The EU "agreed to purchase significant amounts of US military equipment", the fact sheet says, without citing any financial figure. What the Commission says: Absolutely not. The Commission has resolutely denied making any pledge to ramp up purchases of American-made weaponry. This is a highly sensitive matter for Brussels, given that defence is a strictly national competence that member states zealously guard. While Ursula von der Leyen has promoted ambitious initiatives to boost defence spending, the final decision of how this money is spent – or if it is spent at all – rests exclusively in the hands of capitals. "Arms procurement is not a matter for the Commission," the senior official said. "I think this was more an expression of expectation on the part of President Trump that the increased defence expenditure (in Europe) would benefit US defence companies because of the quality of the US defence equipment, but it was not calculated in any way in the figures we talked about." Steel and aluminium What the White House says: The sectoral tariffs on steel and aluminium will remain "unchanged", meaning the EU will continue to pay the 50% rate imposed by the Trump administration as a result of the Section 232 investigation. "This new tariff regime will generate tens of billions of dollars in revenue annually and help to close the longstanding trade imbalance between the United States and Europe by encouraging local sourcing, reshoring production and ensuring that foreign producers contribute their fair share to the American economy," the fact sheet says. What the Commission says: The EU insists the deal will establish a specific quota system to settle the long-standing dispute over steel and aluminium. Under the system, the volume of EU exports that fall within the quota will benefit from a lower tariff rate. Once the quota is exceeded, the 50% will apply, senior officials explained. Due to the embryonic state of the agreement, the Commission is still unable to provide technical details on how the quota will work in practice. Its press release simply says the system will be based on "historic levels" of steel and aluminium exports. The White House's fact sheet mentions a commitment to provide "meaningful quotas" for several products, but only in the context of US products bound for the EU market, not vice versa, as the Commission has stated. Digital and agricultural barriers What the White House says: As part of the new deal, the US and the EU will address "non-tariff barriers" in food and agricultural trade, "including streamlining requirements for sanitary certificates for US pork and dairy products". The two sides will also address "unjustified digital barriers", the White House adds, with commitments to maintain network usage fees and zero duties on electronic transmissions. What the Commission says: Yes, the EU is willing to streamline sanitary certificates, which are forms, and discuss network fees, but that's as far as it goes. The bloc will retain its "right to regulate autonomously" at all stages, said Olof Gill, the Commission's spokesperson for trade, in reply to the White House's claims. "We're not moving on our regulations. We're not moving on our rules. We're not moving on the system that we built up over many decades that our citizens trust," Gill said. "That will not form part of this agreement with the US." Throughout the negotiations that preceded the deal, US officials consistently denounced the bloc's regulatory framework, calling for the abolition of its digital rules, food safety standards and value-added tax (VAT) as top irritants.
