President Donald Trump said Monday that he ended his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and threw the now-disgraced financier out of his private club in Florida after Epstein betrayed him more than once by hiring people who had worked for him.
Trump did not say what his employees did or where they worked, and the White House declined further comment. But the White House had previously offered a different explanation for the falling-out. Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, said in a statement last week: “The fact is that the President kicked him out of his club for being a creep.”
Epstein died of mysterious circumstances in a New York jail cell in 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. Trump and his top allies questioned Epstein’s death before Trump returned to power.
Attorney General Pam Bondi and others are now struggling to manage the fallout after the Justice Department claims 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 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 U.S. and U.K. 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.”
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,” Trump added.
Trump recently directed 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.
“The president has been very clear. We’re not shielding anything,” Vice President J.D. Vance said recently. “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 sometimes 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.
Trump on Monday also denied contributing to a compilation of letters and drawings to mark Epstein’s 50th birthday, first reported on by the Wall Street Journal.
Trump also said he declined Epstein’s invitation to visit a private island the financier owned — and questioned why former President Bill Clinton was such a frequent guest.
CNN just conveniently edited out the part where Trump said Bill Clinton went to Epstein Island 28 times.
Why do they continue to cover up Clinton’s close personal relationship with Jeffrey Epstein? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/ol6LCq2Fmm
— Patri0tsareinContr0l (@Patri0tContr0l) July 28, 2025
The Associated Press contributed to this report.