- Trump said Friday he hasn’t considered pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell.
- Maxwell is serving a 20-year federal sentence for aiding Jeffrey Epstein in child sex trafficking.
- DOJ recently claimed no Epstein “client list” exists, sparking bipartisan criticism.
- Maxwell’s attorney confirmed they have not reached out to Trump about a pardon.
- Trump says “this is not the time” to be discussing presidential clemency.
The Big Picture
President Donald Trump addressed growing speculation Friday over whether he might consider granting a pardon or commutation to Ghislaine Maxwell, the British socialite convicted in 2022 for aiding Jeffrey Epstein in the trafficking of minors.
Speaking to reporters before departing the White House for a trip to Scotland, Trump said the idea of a pardon for Maxwell had not crossed his mind.
“It’s something I haven’t thought about,” Trump said. “I’m allowed to do it, but it’s something I have not thought about.”
Upon landing in Scotland later that day, Trump reiterated his stance, emphasizing that the timing was inappropriate for such discussions. “A lot of people are asking me about pardons,” he said. “Obviously, this is no time to be talking about pardons. But a lot of people have asked about pardons. This is just not the time to be talking about pardons,” according to Reuters. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year federal prison sentence following her conviction on multiple counts related to the sexual exploitation and trafficking of minors. Her sentencing in June 2022 marked a pivotal moment in the long-running Epstein saga, which has continued to fuel public scrutiny and conspiracy theories. David Markus, an attorney representing Maxwell, confirmed that her legal team has not initiated any discussions with Trump or his associates regarding a potential pardon. The renewed attention on Maxwell coincides with the release of a Justice Department memo earlier, which concluded that there is no evidence of a so-called “Epstein client list.” The memo, made public following a Freedom of Information Act request, stated that investigators found no credible documentation linking high-profile individuals to Epstein’s criminal enterprise. “There is no client list, nor any evidence of one,” the memo reads. “No materials suggest a coordinated blackmail operation or transactional records implicating third parties,” according to the Department of Justice. The findings have sparked bipartisan backlash, particularly from lawmakers and advocacy groups who argue the conclusion contradicts earlier statements made by senior officials. In 2023, then-Attorney General Pam Bondi claimed in a televised interview that the list was “on her desk,” fueling public expectations of further revelations.
“We know they were friends, and we know they hung out. And we know there are all these pictures together. We know that Michael Wolff, Trump’s biographer, said he saw a photographs of Donald Trump and Epstein with minor age girls. Well, where does that leave us? That doesn’t look good if they then cover up all the information. Come clean and release the information as the Republicans have repeatedly promised to do.
So I look forward to hearing if there’s any allegations of criminality or illegality, they should be turned over immediately to the Department of Justice today. Otherwise this hearing—I’m afraid, Mr. Chairman—is for losers. It’s about finger-pointing at people who don’t have any governmental power at all. It’s old, recycled allegations and we’re not advancing the ball on anything.
At the very least, the Judiciary Committee should be demanding that the Epstein files be made public. That is a bipartisan agenda, at least I thought it was, and if something has changed, please let me know, but I thought that we were all for that together and we should move on that today.”
— Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD),
House Judiciary Committee Statement
While President Trump has distanced himself from the pardon conversation, his remarks have reignited debate over presidential clemency powers and their potential use in politically sensitive cases. Maxwell’s name has long been associated with elite circles, and any move to intervene in her sentence would likely provoke intense scrutiny. For now, Trump appears content to leave the matter untouched. “This is just not the time,”Legal Team Responds
DOJ Memo Sparks Bipartisan Backlash
Political Implications
Trump, Clinton Named in Epstein Birthday Album – WSJ Report
How the Epstein Files Tore MAGA Apart: A Full Timeline
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