Editor's note: On August 10, 2019, Jeffrey Epstein died in an apparent jailhouse suicide. For more information, see The Daily Beast's reporting here.
Donald Trump claims he never liked Jeffrey Epstein—but footage unearthed by NBC News certainly shows the two of them having a good time together.
The 1992 video shows a wild-haired Trump with Epstein at Mar-a-Lago, apparently pointing at and discussing young women who are dancing close to them. The women were reportedly cheerleaders for the Buffalo Bills, who were in town for a game against the Miami Dolphins.
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While their discussion is pretty much inaudible, at one point Trump is seen pointing toward the women and appears to say in Epstein’s ear: “Look at her, back there.… She’s hot.” Epstein appears to agree, then Trump says something else that makes Epstein double up with laughter.
The footage was apparently shot for a talk-show profile of Trump’s lifestyle following his then-recent divorce. The party was thrown a decade before Epstein pleaded guilty to felony prostitution charges in Florida. The rest of the video shows Trump dancing exuberantly surrounded by women.
The video is from the same year in which it’s claimed Trump hosted a party with a guest list made up of just himself, Epstein, and “28 girls,” which was reported by The New York Times.
Trump said of his relationship with Epstein last week: “I knew him like everybody in Palm Beach knew him .. I was not a fan.”
However, Trump told New York magazine in 2002 that Epstein was “a terrific guy” and “a lot of fun to be with,” adding: “It is even said that [Epstein] likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.” Trump has refused to reveal what led to a “falling out” that he claims to have had with the financier about 15 years ago.
Federal prosecutors indicted Epstein this month, charging him with sex trafficking and accusing him of using his fortune to “create a vast network of underage victims for him to sexually exploit.”
