Authored by Debra Heine via American Greatness,
President Trump told reporters on Monday about the falling out he had with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein years ago that led him to ban the convicted sex trafficker from Mar-a-Lago. Trump also proudly proclaimed that he had turned down “the privilege” of ever traveling to Epstein’s infamous “Pedo Island.”
“I didn’t want to go to his island” Trump said.
The president was asked about Epstein as he sat for a bilateral meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Turnberry, Scotland, Monday morning.
Trump irritably called the Democrats’ sudden interest in the Epstein Files “a hoax that has been built up way beyond proportion,” and argued that if there was any damning information in the files about himself, it would already be in the public domain.
“Those files were run by the worst scum on earth,” Trump said, referring to the Biden Department of Justice. “If they had anything, I assume they would have released it. The whole thing is a hoax,” the president insisted.
Trump also told reporters that it was possible that Democrats could have “easily put something in the files that’s a phony.”
Trump went on to argue that the American people are not buying the Epstein “hoax.”
“My poll numbers are up 4.5 points since this ridiculous Epstein stuff. Up 4.5 points! Because people don’t buy it,” he said.
The president also shot down the Wall Street Journal’s “bombshell” story detailing his alleged “bawdy” birthday letter to Epstein.
“I don’t do drawings,” Trump insisted, while acknowledging that he has made simple doodles of buildings when people have asked. “I’ll draw four lines and a little roof, you know, for charity,” Trump explained. “But I’m not a drawing person. I don’t do drawings of women.”
When asked why Epstein was kicked out of his exclusive Palm Beach club, Trump appeared reticent initially.
“That’s such old history,” he said. “Very easy to explain, but I don’t want to waste your time by explaining it.”
“For years, I wouldn’t talk to Jeffrey Epstein,” the president continued, explaining that he cut Epstein off “because he did something that was inappropriate.” Trump told the reporters that Epstein had hired away his “help.”
“He stole people who worked for me,” the president continued. “I said don’t ever do that again. He did it again and I threw him out of the place, persona non grata. I threw him out, and that was it,” Trump said. “I’m glad I did if you want to know the truth.”
And by the way, I never went to the island, and Bill Clinton went there supposedly 28 times. I never went to the island but Larry Summers I hear went there—he was the head of Harvard.”
Trump complained that “many other people that are big people” had visited Pedo Island “but nobody ever talks about them.”
“I never had the privilege of going to his island, and I did turn it down but a lot of people in Palm Beach were invited to his island,” the president said.
Trump added proudly that “in one of my very good moments, I turned it down. I didn’t want to go to his island.”