Newly released Department of Justice documents have revealed that former President Donald Trump was documented as a passenger on Jeffrey Epstein’s private aircraft on eight separate occasions between 1993 and 1996. The disclosure comes from a January 2020 email written by an assistant U.S. attorney from the Southern District of New York, which was made public as part of the ongoing Epstein files release.
The email correspondence, partially redacted to protect identities, indicates Trump traveled with Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell on at least four of these flights. Flight manifests also document Trump traveling with former wife Marla Maples, daughter Tiffany Trump, and son Eric Trump during various journeys. Notably, one 1993 flight reportedly listed only Epstein and Trump as passengers, while another flight included a then-20-year-old individual whose identity remains redacted.
The Justice Department emphasized that these documents ‘contain untrue and sensationalist claims’ against Trump, specifically noting that allegations submitted to the FBI shortly before the 2020 election were ‘unfounded and false.’ Federal prosecutors stated that had these claims possessed any credibility, they would have been utilized against Trump previously.
This document release, comprising over 30,000 pages, represents the largest batch of Epstein-related materials made public to date. The DOJ missed its congressional deadline to publish all Epstein files by last Friday, drawing criticism from both survivors and lawmakers across the political spectrum. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche acknowledged that not all materials would be released immediately, citing the need to protect victims as additional documents undergo review for future publication.
Epstein died in a New York prison cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced in 2022 to 20 years imprisonment for her role in Epstein’s sex trafficking operation. Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing regarding his association with Epstein, claiming they had a falling out around 2004—years before Epstein’s initial arrest.