Newly released Epstein emails suggest Trump ‘knew about the girls’

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WASHINGTON: Jeffrey Epstein’s insinuation that Donald Trump was aware of his abuse and had “spent hours” with one of the victims at his home, according to emails released by Democrats on Wednesday, are uncomfortable new questions for the US president.

Trump has repeatedly denied any knowledge of his former friend’s sex-trafficking activities.

But the scandal has proved tough for Trump to shake, and Democrats on the House Oversight Committee said the three new emails “raise serious questions about Donald Trump and his knowledge of Epstein’s horrific crimes.”

Pressure on Trump increased late Wednesday, when Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said he would vote next week to force the Justice Department to release the remaining Epstein files.

In an April 2011 message to longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein asserted that Trump had spent significant time with a woman the White House later identified as Epstein’s main accuser, Virgina Geoffrey.

“I want you to realize that the dog that won’t bark is Trump,” Epstein wrote. He added that the victim “spent hours with him at my house, it was never mentioned.”

Maxwell, who was convicted of sex-trafficking after Epstein’s death, replied: “I’m thinking about it…”

‘Of course he knew.’

In another email to author Michael Wolff, dated January 31, 2019, Epstein reportedly wrote: “Of course he knew about the girls when he told the carpetbaggers to stop.”

After Democrats subpoenaed Epstein’s estate earlier this year, they later released a number of thousands of emails in which Epstein called Trump “dirty.”

More than four months after the Justice Department tried to shut down the case, Epstein is poised to navigate the Trump administration.

Seeking to capitalize on the brewing controversy, Democrats in the House are trying to force a vote that would force the release of the full Epstein case files.

Trump urged Republicans not to fall into the “trap,” and top officials hosted hard-right Republican Lauren Bobert in the White House situation room to press her to keep her name from the request.

“Democrats are trying to bring up the Jeffrey Epstein hacks again because they’ll do anything to undo how badly they’ve done it,” Trump said of the social truth.

But Bobert refused to back down, and the petition came after Democratic Congresswoman Adelita Grijalova was sworn in and immediately signed the petition after weeks of delay.

Johnson said a House vote on the files will come earlier than expected next week, as Republicans try to put the issue behind them.

Mega base anger

The White House went into fightback mode, accusing Democrats of selectively leaking the messages to “create a false narrative to destroy President Trump.”

Virginia Jeffery, who died by suicide in April, announced that Trump “‘couldn’t be friends with her,'” in their limited conversation, press secretary Caroline Leavitt said.

After the Justice Department memo in July, the Epstein scandal has dogged Trump for months, and that a “client list” Attorney General Pam Bondi claims to be reviewing does not actually exist.

That sparked a backlash from Trump’s “mega” support base, which felt betrayed after being told for years that a “deep state” cover-up was protecting figures in the Democratic Party they accused of being Epstein’s clients.

Trump’s mega lieutenants — including two allies who now run the FBI — have made careers of spouting conspiracy theories, including that Epstein’s suicide was actually an assassination ordered by his powerful clients.

Trump’s ties to Epstein are extensive. The pair were pictured partying together during their 15-year friendship before they allegedly fell out over a property deal in 2004, and when Trump subsequently denounced his former ally.