President Trump — who has recently asserted that he is not a “big fan” of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein — is seen chatting and laughing with the wealthy financial manager at a 1992 party at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, according to footage uncovered in the NBC archives Wednesday.
The tape appears to show Trump and Epstein discussing women’s appearances at the party held at what Trump now calls his “Winter White House,” NBC News reported.
The footage was shot for a piece on Trump’s newly-divorced lifestyle on Faith Daniels’ talk show, A Closer Look. In the video, Trump is seen dancing closely with women, many of whom were cheerleaders for the Buffalo Bills.
Trump can also be seen on the tape pointing in the direction of women dancing and telling Epstein, “she’s hot,” according to NBC News.
Epstein, 66, who has long been associated with rich and powerful people including Trump and Bill Clinton, was charged earlier this month with running a sex trafficking operation in which he allegedly sexually abused dozens of underage girls, some as young as 14, in his New York and Florida homes between 2002 and 2005.
The federal charges against Epstein come more 10 years after a previous investigation in Florida ended in a lenient plea deal. The prosecutor at the time was Trump’s Secretary of Labor, Alexander Acosta, who resigned last week amid scrutiny of how he handled Epstein’s case.
While Trump and Epstein have socialized in the past, the president downplayed their friendship after the disgraced billionaire was charged in New York.
“I knew him like everybody in Palm Beach knew him,” Trump told reporters earlier this month. “He was a fixture in Palm Beach. I don’t think I have spoken to him in 15 years,” the president said.
The president later said that he and Epstein had a “falling out a long time ago” but did not give a reason for their apparent dispute.
“The reason doesn’t make any difference, frankly,” Trump said. “I wasn’t a big fan of Jeffrey Epstein, that I can tell you. I didn’t want anything to do with him. That was many, many years ago. It shows you one thing, that I have good taste.”
In 2002, however, Trump told New York magazine, “I’ve known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy. He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”
Requests for comment from BuzzFeed to the White House and Epstein’s lawyer were not immediately returned Wednesday.
The 1992 NBC tape shows Trump welcoming Epstein to the party at Mar-a-Lago while loud music plays.
“Come on in… Go inside,” Trump tells Epstein who arrives with two other guests.
Trump is seen talking to Epstein and another man while the women are on the dance floor.
At one point, Trump points at the camera, telling Epstein, “This is NBC.”
Trump then appears to point toward women on the dance floor. While the conversation is inaudible, NBC News reported that Trump is heard telling Epstein, “Look at her, back there…”
“She’s hot,” Trump appears to tell Epstein, NBC News reported. Epstein smiles and nods.
At some point, Trump tells Epstein something that makes him double over in laughter.
The party footage also shows Trump grabbing one of the women by her waist…
… and then patting her behind.
Trump is also seen dancing with several women at the party and getting close with one of them.
- Jeffrey Epstein Was Charged With Sex-Trafficking Underage Girls, Including At Least One 14-Year-OldTasneem Nashrulla · July 8, 2019
- Two Women Abused By Jeffrey Epstein Begged A Judge Not To Release Him From JailAmber Jamieson · July 15, 2019
Tasneem Nashrulla is a reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in New York.
Contact Tasneem Nashrulla at [email protected].
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