A newly revealed 2006 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) interview revealed that US President Donald Trump called convicted pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein’s co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell “evil.”
The interview documents have emerged as part of a recently released batch of millions of documents related to the Epstein scandal, which continues to cause political headaches for Trump, weeks after the Justice Department released millions of Epstein-related files to comply with a bipartisan bill.
They have raised questions about Trump’s claim that he knew nothing about Epstein and Maxwell’s role in child abuse and trafficking.
When reporters in the Oval Office asked him in July 2019 if he had any suspicion that Epstein was “molesting underage women,” Trump replied, “No, I had no idea.” I had no idea. I haven’t spoken to him in many years.’
In 2025, Trump told reporters hosted a visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman: “I have nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein.”
Maxwell was found guilty of a scheme to exploit and abuse multiple underage girls with Epstein over the course of a decade, leading to a 20-year prison sentence, which she is currently serving.
What does the recently released FBI interview claim?
In July 2006, as Epstein’s first allegations of sex crimes became public, the police chief in Palm Beach, Florida, received a call from Trump, according to the summary of a 2019 FBI interview with the police chief found in the files.
Police Chief Michael Reiter quoted Trump as telling him, “Thank God you’re stopping him, everyone knows he’s doing this.”
Trump told Reiter that people in New York knew about Epstein and told him that Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s associate, was “evil,” according to the document. Trump also said he had once been near Epstein when teenagers were present and that he “got out of there.”
Reiter, who retired in 2009, confirmed the details of the FBI interview to the Miami Herald, which first reported its existence.
Asked about the reported conversation, the Justice Department said: “We are not aware of any supporting evidence that the president contacted law enforcement 20 years ago.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday (local time): “It was a phone call that may or may not have happened in 2006.”
With a US congressional hearing currently underway investigating Epstein’s crimes, Maxwell has declined to provide any information, but her lawyers have said she would speak up if Trump were to grant clemency.
Relationship between Trump and Maxwell
Maxwell told the Justice Department that she “may have met” Trump in 1990 because her father, a wealthy media baron, liked him.
Trump was photographed with Maxwell several times in the early 2000s, usually with Epstein nearby.
In 2002, Trump described Epstein in New York magazine as a “great guy” and “a lot of fun to be around… it’s even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”
But according to Trump, they had a falling out in 2019, telling reporters: “I haven’t spoken to him in 15 years. I wasn’t a fan of his, I can tell you that.”
When Maxwell was arrested in 2020, Trump told reporters, “I haven’t really been following it [the case] too many. Honestly, I just wish her the best.”
“I’ve met her several times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm Beach, and I think they lived in Palm Beach.”
The transcript of an interview between US Department of Justice Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and Maxwell was released in 2025, in which she said she had never seen Trump “in an inappropriate environment in any way.”
Maxwell stated that Epstein and Trump were only together in “social settings” and not in “private settings.”
Between 2009 and 2018, many women came forward claiming they were victims of Epstein, and in 2019 he was arrested on sex trafficking charges. In August 2019, he was found dead in his cell in New York, with authorities determining his death by suicide.
Prosecutors in New York have accused Maxwell, Epstein’s former girlfriend and close associate, of scouting girls for Epstein’s abuse. In December 2021, she was convicted of sex trafficking, conspiracy and transporting a minor for illegal sexual activity. In 2022, she was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
In July 2025, the House Oversight subcommittee issued a subpoena for Maxwell to testify before committee officials in August, in addition to voting to subpoena the Justice Department for the Epstein files.
Maxwell would be open to working with Congress, but only if her immunity was first guaranteed by politicians, her lawyers said.
Towards the end of 2025, the Epstein Files Transparency Act was passed by the United States Congress to urge the Justice Department to release all unclassified documents related to Epstein.
The first files were released in December, providing further insight into Maxwell’s operations with Epstein, leading to her deposition.
Why didn’t Maxwell answer Congress’ questions?
Maxwell was subpoenaed by the U.S. House Oversight Committee to provide more information.
However, on Monday she refused to answer any of their questions and argued her Fifth Amendment right.
Her lawyer David Markus said she would be willing to speak publicly if Trump granted clemency.
Lawmakers were disappointed, with committee chairman and Republican Rep. James Comer telling reporters, “We had many questions to ask about the crimes she and Epstein committed, as well as questions about potential co-conspirators.”
A recording of the statement released by the committee showed Maxwell speaking via video link. She was asked questions about whether her co-conspirators surrounded themselves with the rich and famous to “ingratiate themselves” and avoid criticism, and whether Trump had ever “engaged in sexual activity with any person introduced to him by you or Jeffrey Epstein.”
“I invoke my Fifth Amendment right to remain silent,” she said.
The committee stopped their questioning early.
The White House has not yet responded to Markus’ comments on clemency, but in July 2025 Trump told reporters: “I may pardon her, but no one has approached me about it.”
Democrats on the committee denounced her request, noting that Trump, who has not yet ruled out that possibility, has obstructed their investigation.
“That is why she continues to not cooperate with our investigation,” said Democratic Rep. Suhas Subramanyam.
If he is granted clemency, can Maxwell walk free?
Trump is no stranger to granting clemency to people convicted of crimes in the US.
Of those convicted or charged with the January 6 Capitol riotmore than 1,500 were pardoned.
Trump also pardoned his former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who was accused of trying to overturn the 2020 election results in which Joe Biden won the presidency.
In this case, however, the pardon was symbolic, as it can only apply to federal crimes, while Giuliani was charged at the state level.
Maxwell was arraigned in Manhattan federal court by U.S. Circuit Judge Alison Nathan, meaning Trump could pardon Maxwell because of her federal convictions.
It does not imply innocence, but it may result in a reduced sentence. Pardoning also restores a person’s civil rights, such as voting.
— With reporting by Agence France-Presse and Reuters news agency.
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