Unearthed footage shows President Donald Trump and wealthy investor Jeffrey Epstein socializing at a party at the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, in 1992.
The years-old video, shot for the NBC program A Closer Look, was part of a report on the president’s lifestyle following his high-profile divorce from model-turned-businesswoman Ivana Trump. The video shows the then-real estate tycoon hanging out with Buffalo Bills cheerleaders, who were down in Florida for a game against the Miami Dolphins. Some of the cheerleaders are seen offering compliments of the future president. During the 1992 video, President Trump holds a woman from behind and pats her behind.
The clip’s re-emergence comes after Epstein was arrested on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges. Federal prosecutors in New York City alleged Epstein engaged in sexual acts with dozens of underage girls — some as young as 14 years old — at his homes in New York City, Florida, New Mexico, and his private Carribean island between 2002 and 2005. Outgoing Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta, then a Miami-based prosecutor, cut a secret plea agreement Epstein for sex abuse charges over a decade ago, which allowed the financier to serve only 13-months in prison.
At one point in the video, President Trump is seen strolling through a hallway to welcome Epstein as well as two other guests, telling them, “Come on in… Go inside.”
President Trump, Epstein, and another man are seen conversing as they observe some of the women dancing.
At another point in 1992 footage, Trump appears to point out a woman to Epstein, saying, “Look at her, back there… She’s hot.” In response, the wealthy investor appears to smile and nod. Later, the president tells Epstein something, prompting the hedge fund manager to burst into laughter. The tape was first reported by NBC News.
The unearthing of the 1992 video appears to be the corporate media’s latest attempt to link President Trump to Epstein’s criminal case, despite the pair having a falling out years ago. Following Epstein’s arrest, a 2002 quote from the president calling Epstein a “terrific guy” and “fun to be with” made the rounds, uncritically. Last Tuesday, President Trump reacted to Epstein’s arrest, saying he is “not a fan” of the hedge fund manager after a “falling out” 15 years ago.
“I know him, just like everybody in Palm Beach knew him,” President Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “People in Palm Beach knew him. He was a fixture in Palm Beach.”
“I had a falling out with him a long time ago,” he added. “I don’t think I’ve spoken to him in 15 years. I was not a fan. I was not a fan of his. That I can tell you. I was not a fan.”
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