Virginia Giuffre's family expresses shock over Trump saying Epstein ‘stole' her
Giuffre, who had accused Britain's Prince Andrew and other influential men of sexually exploiting her as a teenager trafficked by Epstein, has been a central figure in conspiracy theories tied to the case. She died by suicide this year.
Her family's statement is the latest development involving Epstein, who took his own life in a New York jail in 2019 while facing federal sex trafficking charges, and the Republican president, who was his one-time friend. Trump denied prior knowledge of Epstein's crimes and said he cut off their relationship years ago, but he still faces questions about the case.
Trump, responding to a reporter's question on Tuesday, said that he got upset with Epstein over his poaching of workers and that Epstein had stolen Giuffre from his Palm Beach, Florida, club.
'It was shocking to hear President Trump invoke our sister and say that he was aware that Virginia had been 'stolen' from Mar-a-Lago,' the family's statement said.
'We and the public are asking for answers; survivors deserve this,' it continued.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt noted the president was responding to a reporter's question and didn't bring up Giuffre himself.
'The fact remains that President Trump kicked Jeffrey Epstein out of his club for being a creep to his female employees,' she said.
The family's statement comes shortly after the Justice Department interviewed Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 on sex trafficking and other charges and is serving a 20-year sentence in Tallahassee, Florida. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche interviewed Maxwell in a Florida courthouse, though details about what she said haven't become public.
Maxwell's lawyers have said she testified truthfully and answered questions 'about 100 different people.' They have said she's willing to answer more questions from Congress if she is granted immunity from future prosecution for her testimony and if lawmakers agree to satisfy other conditions.
A message seeking comment about the Giuffre family's statement was sent to Maxwell's attorney Thursday.
A Trump administration official said the president is not considering clemency action for Maxwell.
Giuffre said she was approached by Maxwell in 2000 and eventually was hired by her as a masseuse for Epstein. But the couple effectively made her a sexual servant, she said, pressuring her into gratifying not only Epstein but his friends and associates.
Giuffre said she was flown around the world for appointments with men including Prince Andrew while she was 17 and 18 years old.
The men, including Andrew, denied it and assailed Giuffre's credibility. She acknowledged changing some key details of her account.
The prince settled with Giuffre in 2022 for an undisclosed sum, agreeing to make a 'substantial donation' to her survivors' organization.
The American-born Giuffre lived in Australia for years and became an advocate for sex trafficking survivors after emerging as a central figure in Epstein's prolonged downfall.
Her family's statement said she endured death threats and financial ruin over her cooperation with authorities against Epstein and Maxwell.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Sun
16 minutes ago
- Toronto Sun
HUNTER EXCLUSIVE! Trump, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell
Get the latest from Brad Hunter straight to your inbox BUDDY BUDDY: Billionaire pedophile Jeffery Epstein and U.S. President Donald Trump back in the day. Photo by GETTY IMAGES Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein has long been planted, while his ex-girlfriend and muse, Ghislaine Maxwell, is buried deep in the bowels of the American prison system. Donald Trump? Well, he's President of the United States. The Epstein saga of sex trafficking underage girls to his coterie of wealthy and powerful pals has never really gone away —too many unanswered questions. But the narrative got a shot of adrenaline, thanks to Trump. MAXWELL: The Queen Bee. (USDOJ) It is a convoluted tale. My old friend Barry Levine, author of The Spider: Inside the Criminal Web of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell , tried to answer some of our questions. Remember when Trump was going to unseal the Epstein files? We do. He has now backtracked. Why didn't disgraced socialite Maxwell point the finger at any of the wealthy men who enjoyed Epstein's party favours of underage girls, if for no other reason than to save herself? Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Why she allowed herself to stew behind bars, it doesn't make a lot of sense,' Levine told the Toronto Sun . 'She tried the regular playbook of the appeal process, but she's not getting anywhere. They are not going to approve any sentencing discount and are standing by prosecutors.' TABLOID TOUGH: Legendary reporter Barry Levine has added to the Jeffrey Epstein canon with his tome, The Spider. Photo by HANDOUT / PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE Maxwell, 62, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after being convicted of sex trafficking in 2022. Levine believes Maxwell hopes her old friend POTUS will grant her a pardon. Currently, Maxwell is setting conditions for being interviewed by DOJ lawyers. She no doubt wants out. 'She is an evil, evil predator,' Levine said. 'She told her friends that 'these girls are nothing but trash'. She was the one who recruited the girls, groomed them, and promised their parents they would get music lessons, voice lessons, and acting lessons. The girls were being thrown to wolves.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. People walk past the News Corporation building in midtown Manhattan, which houses both the Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones & Co., on July 22, 2025, in New York City. Photo by Spencer Platt / Getty Images For the survivors, the trauma persists as it likely will for eternity. Ever the manipulator, Maxwell is calling in all her cards, Levine said. She still has friends in high places, and they have buckets of dough. Maxwell singing the tune of 'what businessman, politician or celebrity had sex with an underage girl' would have a nice ring to it for the hoi polloi who have been screaming for answers. 'Could Donald Trump pardon her? Absolutely,' Levine said, adding that the president's record with the opposite sex is less than sparkling. 'He could let Maxwell off the hook. She knew Donald Trump before she knew Epstein.' One of Epstein's accused groomers, Nadia Marcinko, left, hugs a girl on Pedophile Island. (USDOJ) When Maxwell's father, disgraced and dead publishing baron Robert 'The Bouncing Czech' Maxwell, was looking to make inroads into America, his favourite child was his ambassador. There was talk of a Trump-themed magazine with the then-New York real estate developer. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'That's how she met Epstein, through Trump. And there is no question that he and Epstein were chasing women together. Epstein threw a party that was all women, except for him and Trump,' Epstein said. 'He went from 'Jeff's a terrific guy' to 'Jeff's a creep'.' Once, Trump was a strong advocate for unsealing the Epstein files. But that changed. Levine believes that while there may be nothing sinister in the files about the commander-in-chief, there could be embarrassment. Cops say Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell victim Carolyn Adriano died of an accidental overdose. (FACEBOOK) Former Trump paramour and Sports Illustrated model Stacey Marshall claimed Trump groped her at a party with Epstein. She called it a 'twisted game' between the two men. 'Were there more twisted games? Did Epstein bring other women to Donald Trump? What other twisted games were they playing, and are they in those files?' Levine asked. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'None of this makes any sense.' As for the renewed conspiracy theories that Epstein was murdered in his Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking, Levine torpedoes that idea. But because of the lack of transparency, the murder angle has gained currency. EVIL: Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. AFP via Getty Images Most worrisome for Trump, it's catching fire among his most devout MAGA followers. 'What are they holding back, and why are they holding back if suicide is so clear-cut?' Levine said. 'His MAGA base believes there's something there. This is a mess of his own making, and no one is satisfied. He's fueling this every day by making outrageous statements.' On Wednesday, Trump proclaimed that the tragic $9 an hour Mar-A-Lago teen towel girl turned Epstein sex slave Virginia Giuffre had been 'stolen' from him. 'If there is a cover-up, what exactly are they trying to cover up?' Me? I think Epstein topped himself. But looking at the lengths to which the powers that be seem to be muddying the waters, it makes you wonder. Levine is now working on an updated version of his Epstein tome. bhunter@ @HunterTOSun Sunshine Girls World Toronto & GTA Tennis Toronto & GTA
Winnipeg Free Press
16 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Trump calls on Federal Reserve board to wrest full control of central bank from Fed Chair Powell
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday called for the Federal Reserve's board of governors to usurp the power of Fed Chair Jerome Powell, criticizing the head of the U.S. central bank for not cutting short-term interest rates. Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump called Powell 'stubborn.' The Fed chair has been subjected to vicious verbal attacks by the Republican president over several months. The Fed has the responsibility of stabilizing prices and maximizing employment. Powell has held its benchmark rate for overnight loans constant this year, saying that Fed officials needed to see what impact Trump's massive tariffs had on inflation. If Powell doesn't 'substantially' lower rates, Trump said, 'THE BOARD SHOULD ASSUME CONTROL, AND DO WHAT EVERYONE KNOWS HAS TO BE DONE!' Trump sees the rate cuts as leading to stronger growth and lower debt servicing costs for the federal government and homebuyers. The president argues there is virtually no inflation, even though the Fed's preferred measure is running at an annual rate of 2.6%, slightly higher than the Fed's 2% target. Trump has called for slashing the Fed's benchmark rate by 3 percentage points, bringing it down dramatically from its current average of 4.33%. The risk is that a rate cut that large could cause more money to come into the economy than can be absorbed, possibly causing inflation to accelerate. The Supreme Court suggested in a May ruling that Trump could not remove Powell for policy disagreements. This led the White House to investigate whether the Fed chair could be fired for cause because of the cost overruns in its $2.5 billion renovation projects. Powell's term as chair ends in May 2026, at which point Trump can put his Senate-confirmed pick in the seat. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. ___ Follow the AP's coverage of the Federal Reserve System at
Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
Trump's Aug. 7 tariff start date for some countries brings new uncertainty
For weeks, President Donald Trump was promising the world economy would change on Friday with his new tariffs in place. It was an ironclad deadline, administration officials assured the public. But when Trump signed the order Thursday night imposing new tariffs on 66 countries, the European Union, Taiwan and the Falkland Islands, the start date of the punishing import taxes was pushed back seven days so that the tariff schedule could be updated. The change — while potentially welcome news to countries that had not yet reached a deal with the U.S. — injected a new dose of uncertainty for consumers and businesses still wondering what's going to happen and when. Trump told NBC News in a Thursday night interview the tariffs process was going 'very well, very smooth.' But even as the Republican president insisted these new rates would stay in place, he added: 'It doesn't mean that somebody doesn't come along in four weeks and say we can make some kind of a deal.' Story continues below advertisement Trump has promised that his tax hikes on the nearly US$3 trillion in goods imported to the United States will usher in newfound wealth, launch a cavalcade of new factory jobs, reduce the budget deficits and, simply, get other countries to treat America with more respect. The vast tariffs risk jeopardizing America's global standing as allies feel forced into unfriendly deals. As taxes on the raw materials used by U.S. factories and basic goods, the tariffs also threaten to create new inflationary pressures and hamper economic growth — concerns the Trump White House has dismissed. Questions swirl around the tariffs despite Trump's eagerness As the clock ticked toward Trump's self-imposed deadline, few things seemed to be settled other than the president's determination to levy the taxes he has talked about for decades. The very legality of the tariffs remains an open question as a U.S. appeals court on Thursday heard arguments on whether Trump had exceeded his authority by declaring an 'emergency' under a 1977 law to charge the tariffs, allowing him to avoid congressional approval. Story continues below advertisement Trump was ebullient as much of the world awaited what he would do. 'Tariffs are making America GREAT & RICH Again,' he said Thursday morning on Truth Social. 2:37 Trump frustrated with India trade talks, thinks 25% tariffs will help: Haslett Others saw a policy carelessly constructed by the U.S. president, one that could impose harms gradually over time that would erode America's power and prosperity. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'The only things we'll know for sure on Friday morning are that growth-sapping U.S. import taxes will be historically high and complex, and that, because these deals are so vague and unfinished, policy uncertainty will remain very elevated,' said Scott Lincicome, a vice president of economics at the Cato Institute. 'The rest is very much TBD.' The new tariffs build off ones announced in the spring Trump initially imposed the Friday deadline after his previous 'Liberation Day' tariffs in April resulted in a stock market panic. His unusually high tariff rates unveiled then led to recession fears, prompting Trump to impose a 90-day negotiating period. When he was unable to create enough trade deals with other countries, he extended the timeline and sent out letters to world leaders that simply listed rates, prompting a slew of hasty agreements. Story continues below advertisement Swiss imports will now be taxed at a higher rate, 39 per cent, than the 31 per cent Trump threatened in April, while Liechtenstein saw its rate slashed from 37 per cent to 15 per cent. Countries not listed in the Thursday night order would be charged a baseline 10 per cent tariff. Trump negotiated trade frameworks over the past few weeks with the EU, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines — allowing the president to claim victories as other nations sought to limit his threat of charging even higher tariff rates. He said on Thursday there were agreements with other countries, but he declined to name them. Thursday began with a palpable sense of tension The EU was awaiting a written agreement on its 15 per cent tariff deal. Switzerland and Norway were among the dozens of countries that did not know what their tariff rate would be, while Trump agreed after a Thursday morning phone call to keep Mexico's tariffs at 25 per cent for a 90-day negotiating period. The president separately on Thursday amended an order to raise Canada's fentanyl-related tariffs to 35 per cent. Story continues below advertisement European leaders face blowback for seeming to cave to Trump, even as they insist that this is merely the start of talks and stress the importance of maintaining America's support of Ukraine's fight against Russia. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has already indicated that his country can no longer rely on the U.S. as an ally, and Trump declined to talk to him on Thursday. 1:57 'Trump ate von der Leyen for breakfast': EU leaders react to 'unbalanced' trade deal with US India, with its 25 per cent tariff announced Wednesday by Trump, may no longer benefit as much from efforts to pivot manufacturing out of China. While the Trump administration has sought to challenge China's manufacturing dominance, it is separately in extended trade talks with that country, which faces a 30 per cent tariff and is charging a 10 per cent retaliatory rate on the U.S. Major companies came into the week warning that tariffs would begin to squeeze them financially. Ford Motor Co. said it anticipated a net $2 billion hit to earnings this year from tariffs. French skincare company Yon-Ka is warning of job freezes, scaled-back investment and rising prices. Story continues below advertisement It's unclear whether Trump's new tariffs will survive a legal challenge Federal judges sounded skeptical Thursday about Trump's use of a 1977 law to declare the long-standing U.S. trade deficit a national emergency that justifies tariffs on almost every country on Earth. 'You're asking for an unbounded authority,' Judge Todd Hughes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit told a Justice Department lawyer representing the administration. The judges didn't immediately rule, and the case is expected to eventually reach the Supreme Court. The Trump White House has pointed to the increase in federal revenues as a sign that the tariffs will reduce the budget deficit, with $127 billion in customs and duties collected so far this year — about $70 billion more than last year. New tariffs threaten to raise inflation rates There are not yet signs that tariffs will lead to more domestic manufacturing jobs, and the U.S. economy now has 14,000 fewer manufacturing jobs than it did in April. Story continues below advertisement On Thursday, one crucial measure of inflation, known as the Personal Consumption Expenditures index, showed that prices have climbed 2.6 per cent over the 12 months that ended in June, a sign that inflation may be accelerating as the tariffs flow through the economy. The prospect of higher inflation from the tariffs has caused the Federal Reserve to hold off on additional cuts to its benchmark rates, a point of frustration for Trump, who on Truth Social, called Fed Chair Jerome Powell a 'TOTAL LOSER.' But ahead of Trump's tariffs, Powell seemed to suggest that the tariffs had put the U.S. economy and much of the world into a state of unknowns. 'There are many uncertainties left to resolve,' Powell told reporters Wednesday. 'So, yes, we are learning more and more. It doesn't feel like we're very close to the end of that process. And that's not for us to judge, but it does — it feels like there's much more to come.' —AP writer Paul Wiseman contributed to this report.
