What Ghislaine Maxwell said about Trump and Jeffrey Epstein in her interview

What Ghislaine Maxwell said about Trump and Jeffrey Epstein in her interview

On Friday, the Trump administration in the US released the transcript of a courthouse interview with Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime associate who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. The release has sparked backlash from Epstein’s victims, who accused the administration of giving Maxwell a favourable platform while she seeks an early end to her sentence, the New York Times reported.

Denial of a “client list”

Maxwell told US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche that many of the most sensational claims about Epstein’s network were false. She dismissed the existence of a so-called “client list” of wealthy and powerful men tied to Epstein’s trafficking scheme, echoing recent conclusions by the Justice Department and the FBI that no such document exists. Officials also reiterated they found no credible evidence that Epstein engaged in blackmail operations.

Praise for Trump and distancing from scandal

Maxwell specifically sought to clear Donald Trump of wrongdoing. While she acknowledged Trump and Epstein knew each other socially, she insisted the former president was not involved in the trafficking ring. She also denied allegations that a victim had been recruited while working at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida estate, in 2000.

A move to improve her prison conditions

The timing of the interview has fuelled criticism. Shortly afterward, Maxwell was transferred to a more comfortable prison facility. Victims’ families have accused Trump of orchestrating what they describe as a “sweetheart deal,” given Maxwell’s long record of self-serving statements.

Victims push back against narrative

Epstein’s victims, who continue to demand broader accountability, see the interview as another attempt to minimize the scope of the trafficking ring and shield powerful figures. They argue that giving Maxwell a platform risks undermining their efforts to keep attention on the crimes she enabled alongside Epstein.

A fight over history and accountability

By insisting there was no client list and by publicly praising Trump, Maxwell positioned herself in a way that could serve both her personal interests and the political narrative of the current administration. But for many observers, the interview underscores the unresolved tensions in the Epstein saga: who knew what, who participated, and whether the truth about Epstein’s connections to the elite will ever fully come to light.