Though it’s common knowledge that President Donald Trump was friends with Jeffrey Epstein at some point in time, he has tried to distance himself from the convicted sex offender. They reportedly had a falling out in 2004, but the friendship has come under scrutiny amid the Trump administration’s lack of transparency surrounding the Epstein files.
Previously, the Trump administration promised to release more information about the Epstein case, but in July 2025, the Department of Justice suddenly pivoted and said there’s no Epstein client list. As recently as Wednesday, September 3, Trump described the Epstein controversy as “irrelevant” and called it a “Democrat hoax.” Dismissive comments like these have led some to believe that Trump has something to hide.
On Wednesday, September 3, a group of Epstein accusers spoke out at a news conference on Capitol Hill. One of the accusers, Chauntae Davies, mentioned Epstein’s friendship with Trump, emphasizing that the two men were allegedly “very close.”
They were so close, she claimed, that Epstein bragged about his friendship with Trump and even kept a photo of him on his desk. “Epstein surrounded himself with the most powerful leaders of our country and the world,” Davies said. “He bragged about his powerful friends, including our current president, Donald Trump. It was his biggest brag, actually.”
Asked for more information about what she meant by this, Davies went on to say, “[Epstein’s] biggest brag, forever, was that he was very good friends with Donald Trump. He had an 8×10 framed picture of him on his desk, with the two of them. They were very close.”
Another Epstein accuser, Annie Farmer, commented on the people who chose to associate with Epstein. Many of them, Farmer alleged, knew about the abuse and chose not to say anything “because it benefited them.”
“Not only did many others participate in the abuse, it is clear that many were aware of his interest in girls and very young women and chose to look the other way because it benefited them to do so,” Farmer stated. “They wanted access to his circle and his money. Their choice to align with his power left those of us who had been harmed by this man and his associates feeling very isolated.”
Survivors who spoke at the conference also said they plan to compile their own list of Epstein associates. One of the women, Lisa Phillips, said, “We will confidentially compile the names we all know were regularly in the Epstein world. It will be done by survivors, for survivors.”
A previous report that delved into Trump’s friendship with Epstein claimed that Trump wrote a birthday message to Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003. Per the Wall Street Journal, Trump allegedly wrote, “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
