Collection
Did Trump Once Say Jeffrey Epstein Was a 'Terrific Guy' Who 'Likes Beautiful Women as Much as I Do'?
The two were friends since the 1980s, according to the U.S. president. Epstein died in prison in 2019.
by Anna Rascouët-Paz , Dec. 21, 2023
Image courtesy of Getty Images
For years, conspiracy theorists have claimed that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein kept a list of his "clients," men who supposedly had sex with minors Epstein procured for them — and that U.S. President Donald Trump was one of them.
In a 2002 interview , Trump said, " I've known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy," and the two were photographed together on multiple occasions . But following the financier's downfall and death, Trump has distanced himself from Epstein (saying he was "not a fan").
In 2024, Trump promised during his presidential campaign to release the so-called Epstein files. However, his and Attorney General Pam Bondi's subsequent resistance to release these documents prompted many people to speculate that they implicated the president. Trump went on to describe the Epstein case as a "hoax" and a "scam" by the Democrats.
Over the years, Snopes has investigated a number of rumors related to the relationship between Trump and Epstein. Here are 23 of them:
By Anna Rascouët-Paz
Anna Rascouët-Paz is based in Brooklyn, fluent in numerous languages and specializes in science and economic topics.
Trump's purported birthday letter to Epstein, depicting nude woman, is publicly released
Sept. 9, 2025
Trump denied writing the letter or drawing the picture.
Read More
Inspecting claim Ghislaine Maxwell confirmed Epstein had 'secret tapes' of Trump, Clinton
Sept. 8, 2025
Maxwell's reported comments trace back to a book recounting an alleged 2016 conversation.
Read More
House Speaker Mike Johnson claimed Trump was FBI informant in Epstein case. Here's what we know
Sept. 8, 2025
Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, made the comment in September 2025.
Read More
DOJ staffer told undercover date the department would 'redact every Republican' from Epstein files
Sept. 5, 2025
The U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement the comments in O'Keefe Media Group's video h ...
Read More
Unpacking reports White House said Republicans signing Epstein files petition is a 'hostile act'
Sept. 3, 2025
GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky filed a petition that would force a vote on compelling the Ju ...
Read More
Unraveling claim Melania was an escort before meeting Trump at Ghislaine Maxwell party
Sept. 1, 2025
The U.K. tabloid Daily Mail settled a defamation case after spreading the rumor in 2016.
Read More
'Retired pilot' claimed Trump's plane flew to Epstein's island 37 times. Here are the facts
Aug. 8, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump said in January he had never visited the late financier and convicte ...
Read More
Investigating claim Trump laughingly agreed with being called a 'sexual predator' on 'Howard Stern Show'
July 18, 2025
The moment, which aired in February 2006, shows the future president reacting to the remark duri ...
Read More
Real photo shows Trump and wife Melania with Ghislaine Maxwell?
July 17, 2025
The photo spread online as demands grew for the White House to release the so-called Epstein fil ...
Read More
Trump didn't post 'MAGA agrees that 14 year-old girls are almost women anyway'
July 16, 2025
Pressure has mounted for the release of more files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, whom ...
Read More
Posts claim photo shows Trump, Epstein and Bondi. They're almost right
July 16, 2025
The original image, taken in 1997, shows the two men with Belgian model Ingrid Seynhaeve.
Read More
Breaking down claim Ghislaine Maxwell offered to testify about Epstein client list
July 15, 2025
A Daily Mail report sparked rumors that Maxwell offered to testify before Congress about Jeffrey ...
Read More
Posts claim photo shows Trump and Epstein with minor girl. Here's the truth
July 14, 2025
The fake image frequently circulates online.
Read More
AI-generated image shows Trump on Epstein's jet with underage girls
June 13, 2025
Actor Mark Ruffallo apologized for sharing the fake photo in January 2024.
Read More
Trump mention in Epstein's 'black book' resurfaced during Musk spat. Here's the context
June 5, 2025
Epstein, a sex offender who died in 2019, was fodder for an online feud between the U.S. preside ...
Read More
What We Know About Origins of Trump Child Rape Allegations
Sept. 3, 2024
A viral photo is new, but the claim is old. It's connected to a former producer for "The Jerry S ...
Read More
Image of Trump and Epstein on Private Plane Isn't Real
Aug. 17, 2024
Dozens of social media users fell for the AI-generated image.
Read More
Trump Flew to Campaign Events on Private Jet Formerly Owned by Jeffrey Epstein?
Aug. 14, 2024
Trump used a Gulfstream jet to fly to a few campaign events in the Rockies in August 2024.
Read More
Real 1997 Photo of Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Together?
July 22, 2024
"I was not a fan of his," Trump said of Epstein in 2019.
Read More
Unsealed: Both Trump's and Clinton's Names Appear in New Epstein Court Docs
Jan. 6, 2024
Some have claimed former U.S. President Donald Trump was not included in recently unsealed court ...
Read More
Were Trump and 2 of His Kids, Ivanka and Eric, Seen with Jeffrey Epstein in '93?
Jan. 3, 2024
A resurfaced image from the '90s made its way to the internet.
Read More
Is This Photo of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Real?
Dec. 21, 2023
“I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy,” Trump said in 2002.
Read More
Did Trump Once Say Jeffrey Epstein Was a 'Terrific Guy' Who 'Likes Beautiful Women as Much as I Do'?
Dec. 21, 2023
This old, genuine quote was reshared in December 2023 amid news about a list of Epstein's associ ...
Read More
Source code
