Trump and Jeffrey Epstein were reportedly each other's 'wingmen' until a bidding war over a Palm Beach mansion
President Trump has said he never liked Jeffrey Epstein, who has been charged with sex trafficking minors. Reports contradict that account — the two apparently socialized with each other quite frequently before 2004.
"They were tight," one person who observed them together told The Washington Post on the condition of anonymity. "They were each other's wingmen."
Regardless of the nature of their relationship, the Post reports that the two got into a kerfuffle when they were both trying to buy an oceanfront Palm Beach mansion being sold out of bankruptcy in November 2004. The trustee in the case, Joseph Luzinski, recalled the two men lobbying him, insulting one another in the process.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"It was something like Donald saying, 'You don't want to do a deal with him, he doesn't have the money,' while Epstein was saying: 'Donald is all talk. He doesn't have the money,'" Luzinski said. Epstein reportedly had the upper hand at first before Trump made up his mind he wanted the house — which he resold four years latter — "no matter the price." Luzinski described the confrontation as "two very large Palm Beach egos going at it."
It's not clear whether Trump and Epstein were in contact after the sale, but the last known interaction between the two was that month, per records obtained by Vice News. It's also unclear when Trump learned of the allegations levied against Epstein. Less than two weeks after the mansion auction former Palm Beach Police Chief Michael Reiter said police fielded a tip that young women had been seen coming and going from Epstein's home. Read more at The Washington Post.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
High Court action over Cape Verde tourist deathsThe Explainer Holidaymakers sue TUI after gastric illness outbreaks linked to six British deaths
-
The battle over the Irish language in Northern IrelandUnder the Radar Popularity is soaring across Northern Ireland, but dual-language sign policies agitate division as unionists accuse nationalists of cultural erosion
-
Villa Treville Positano: a glamorous sanctuary on the Amalfi CoastThe Week Recommends Franco Zeffirelli’s former private estate is now one of Italy’s most exclusive hotels
-
New Epstein files dump strains denials of elitesSpeed Read Fallout from the files has mostly occurred outside the US
-
Trump sues IRS for $10B over tax record leaksSpeed Read The president is claiming ‘reputational and financial harm’ from leaks of his tax information between 2018 and 2020
-
Trump, Senate Democrats reach DHS funding dealSpeed Read The deal will fund most of the government through September and the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks
-
Fed holds rates steady, bucking Trump pressureSpeed Read The Federal Reserve voted to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged
-
Judge slams ICE violations amid growing backlashSpeed Read ‘ICE is not a law unto itself,’ said a federal judge after the agency violated at least 96 court orders
-
Rep. Ilhan Omar attacked with unknown liquidSpeed Read This ‘small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work’
-
Democrats pledge Noem impeachment if not firedSpeed Read Trump is publicly defending the Homeland Security secretary
-
The billionaires’ wealth tax: a catastrophe for California?Talking Point Peter Thiel and Larry Page preparing to change state residency
