Fact Check

Photo shows Trump and Epstein together at Mar-a-Lago in 1997

While some photos of the pair circulating online are fake, this one is not.

by Taija PerryCook, Published July 20, 2025


Image courtesy of Getty Images


Claim:
A photo authentically depicts Donald Trump and financier Jeffrey Epstein together in 1997.
Rating:
True

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In July 2025, as U.S. President Donald Trump's administration faced pressure to release court documents about Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender, an image resurfaced online supposedly showing the president and Epstein together in the late '90s.

For example, a July 17 Reddit post (archived) with the image received more than 49,000 upvotes before it was removed.

(Reddit user @KoffieCreamer)

The photo, taken on Jan. 1, 1997, authentically depicts Trump and Epstein at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's Florida residence. It was not created with artificial intelligence (AI) software nor digitally altered. The photo is publicly available on Getty Images, published by Davidoff Studios Photography. It's captioned:

Epstein & Trump At Mar-A-Lago

Portrait of American financier Jeffrey Epstein (left) and real estate developer Donald Trump as they pose together at the Mar-a-Lago estate, Palm Beach, Florida, 1997.(Photo by Davidoff Studios/Getty Images)

The relationship between Trump and Epstein has long been the focus of intense scrutiny, given that they shared a social circle both in New York and Florida. Epstein was arrested on sex trafficking charges in 2019 and died by suicide in his jail cell later that year.

"I've known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy," Trump is famously quoted as saying of Epstein in an interview for New York magazine in 2002. "He's a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it — Jeffrey enjoys his social life."

Another photo, taken on Feb. 12, 2000, authentically depicts (from left to right) Trump, his future wife Melania Trump (Melania Knavs at the time), Epstein and his longtime partner Ghislaine Maxwell, who was later convicted of sex-trafficking underage girls.

The photo also can be found on Getty Images, published by Davidoff Studios. It's captioned:

Trump, Knauss, Epstein, & Maxwell At Mar-A-Lago

From left, American real estate developer Donald Trump and his girlfriend (and future wife), former model Melania Knauss, financier (and future convicted sex offender) Jeffrey Epstein, and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell pose together at the Mar-a-Lago club, Palm Beach, Florida, February 12, 2000. (Photo by Davidoff Studios/Getty Images)

A rumor said that Donald Trump once called Jeffrey Epstein a terrific guy and said the words, it is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side

(Getty Images)

However, following Epstein's 2008 conviction for sex offenses and new charges for sex trafficking, and Trump's foray into politics, the friendship apparently waned.

On July 9, 2019, the day after Epstein appeared in court for the second time on charges of sexual abuse of underage girls, Trump told reporters: "I had a falling out a long time ago with him. I don't think I've spoken to him in 15 years." He continued, "I was not a fan of his." Epstein hanged himself in jail while awaiting trial on the sex-trafficking charges.

We've previously reported on other images depicting the two men, including one that was AI-generated and another that was doctored.


By Taija PerryCook

Taija PerryCook is a Seattle-based journalist who previously worked for the PNW news site Crosscut and the Jordan Times in Amman.


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