A new batch of documents linked to the investigation into disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein has thrust US President Donald Trump back into the spotlight, revealing fresh details about his past association with the sex offender and prompting renewed political and public scrutiny. The files, released by the United States Department of Justice, run into tens of thousands of pages and include internal emails, flight records, handwritten notes and disputed material that officials warn may contain “untrue and sensationalist” claims.
While Trump has not been accused of any crime in connection with Epstein, the disclosures have raised uncomfortable questions. Here are five of the most striking revelations.
Trump flew on Epstein’s private jet far more often than previously known
An internal January 2020 email from a Manhattan federal prosecutor states that Trump travelled on Epstein’s private jet at least eight times between 1993 and 1996, “many more times than previously has been reported (or that we were aware).”
The correspondence was circulated for “situational awareness,” suggesting even investigators were surprised by the frequency of the trips.
Flights included Ghislaine Maxwell and a young woman
The same email notes that on at least four flights, Epstein’s close associate Ghislaine Maxwell, later convicted of sex trafficking, was also on board.
On one 1993 flight, the only passengers listed were Epstein, Trump and a 20-year-old woman, whose name was redacted. On two other flights, women later described as possible witnesses in the Maxwell case were present.
Records contradict Trump’s past denials
Trump has publicly claimed he was never on Epstein’s plane. The newly released flight logs directly contradict those statements, listing Trump as a repeat passenger and noting that some trips also included his then-wife Marla Maples and his children.
Although the documents make no allegation of criminal conduct, they undercut Trump’s long-standing narrative about the extent of his ties with Epstein.
FBI file cites an allegation of rape involving Trump (unverified)
Among the newly released materials is an FBI case file (dated October 2020) that references a rape allegation involving Trump – in which names and identifying details are redacted.
The file recounts a limousine driver’s account of a “very concerning” phone call during a 1995 ride to an airport, in which Trump allegedly repeatedly said the name “Jeffrey” and made references to “abusing some girl.”
Crucially, the document records an unnamed individual alleging, “he raped me,” and further states that “Donald J. Trump had raped her along with Jeffrey Epstein.” Another line alleges the encounter occurred after being taken into a “fancy hotel or building.”
A crude handwritten letter claims the ‘president’ shared Epstein’s views
One of the most controversial disclosures is a handwritten letter attributed to Epstein and addressed to fellow sex offender and former Team USA gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.
The note, reportedly written just days before Epstein’s death in August 2019, contains the line: “Our president shares our love of young, nubile girls.” It goes on to make sexually explicit claims about a president who liked to “grab snatch.”
The letter does not name Trump directly, but he was serving as president at the time. The DOJ has stressed that the document is unverified, noting anomalies in the envelope, postmark and return address. The FBI sent the letter for handwriting analysis, but no public conclusion on its authenticity has been released.
The letter surfaced publicly for the first time in the latest tranche of files, known as Data Set 8, though it had been referenced in earlier reporting.
Reports noted that when Data Set 8 briefly disappeared and was reposted on the DOJ website, several pages, including the letter and its envelope, appeared to be missing, before reappearing later under resequenced file numbers.
The DOJ has not explained the changes, adding to accusations from lawmakers and critics that the Epstein disclosures have been mishandled or inconsistently released.
Trump has repeatedly denied any knowledge of or involvement in Epstein’s crimes and says their friendship ended in the mid-2000s.
Responding to the broader file release, the Justice Department has reiterated that Trump faces no criminal allegations in the Epstein case and that some material includes false claims submitted to the FBI before the 2020 election.