Newly uncovered photos and archival footage have revealed fresh details about President Donald Trump’s past ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Photos from December 1993 confirm, for the first time, that Epstein attended Trump’s wedding to Marla Maples at the Plaza Hotel in New York a detail that hadn’t been publicly known until now.
CNN’s KFile also uncovered footage from a 1999 Victoria’s Secret event in New York showing Trump and Epstein chatting and laughing together. The two appear side by side in at least one video clip. The materials are part of a broader archive of their interactions throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.
While these images predate Epstein’s legal troubles, they’re surfacing at a time of renewed scrutiny over Trump’s history with him. The Justice Department’s recent decision not to release long-promised files related to Epstein has sparked backlash including from some of Trump’s own supporters, who expected disclosures about Epstein’s alleged co-conspirators.
When CNN asked the White House for comment, Trump reportedly responded, “You’ve got to be kidding me,” then called CNN “fake news” and hung up.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung dismissed the revelations, calling the photos and footage “out-of-context frame grabs from widely attended events.” He said Trump distanced himself from Epstein years ago, adding, “The President kicked [Epstein] out of his club for being a creep. This is just another fake news attack from Democrats and liberal media.”
Trump and Epstein first crossed paths in the 1980s and were often seen together at social events in Palm Beach and New York. Law enforcement has never accused Trump of wrongdoing in relation to Epstein. According to multiple reports, the two had a falling-out in the mid-2000s, allegedly over a real estate dispute.
Footage aired by NBC in 1992 shows Trump and Epstein mingling at a party. In 1993, society photographer Dafydd Jones captured them again at the opening of the Harley Davidson Café in New York. One photo shows Trump with his children, Eric and Ivanka, while Epstein stands nearby. Jones, who also photographed Trump’s wedding that same year, confirmed to CNN that Epstein was among the guests. “I wish now I took more of him with Trump,” he said.
Another image from the LIFE photo archive shows Epstein in the background with Howard Stern and Robin Leach. Getty Images also includes photos of Trump and Epstein together at a 1997 Victoria’s Secret party two years before the 1999 video footage.
Epstein’s link to Victoria’s Secret dates back to his financial control of the brand’s founder, billionaire Leslie Wexner. Epstein managed Wexner’s finances for two decades, though Wexner has since claimed he was unaware of Epstein’s crimes.
In a 2002 profile for New York Magazine, Trump described Epstein as “a terrific guy,” adding, “It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”
Flight logs show Trump flew on Epstein’s private jets at least seven times between Palm Beach and New York. In his 2004 book Trump: How to Get Rich, he referred to Epstein as “the mysterious Jeffrey,” writing, “As mysterious as Jeffrey is, he’s one of the few people I know who can get by on just a first name.”
In 2000, The Palm Beach Post published photos showing Trump at Mar-a-Lago alongside Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Prince Andrew. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking.
Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported on a birthday card allegedly sent by Trump for Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003. The note included a sketch of a naked woman and read: “Happy Birthday and may every day be another wonderful secret.” Trump has denied sending the card or drawing the image and has filed a libel lawsuit against the newspaper.
Meanwhile, the Department of Justice has contacted Maxwell’s legal team under mounting pressure to release Epstein-related files. Her attorney, David Oscar Markus, told CNN, “Ghislaine will always testify truthfully. We are grateful to President Trump for his commitment to uncovering the truth in this case.”
A federal judge overseeing Maxwell’s case has set a deadline for the DOJ to produce grand jury materials that could determine whether related transcripts should be unsealed.
