Trump Teases a Controversial Move on Ghislaine Maxwell — His Words May Surprise You

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During a disorganized and occasionally heated news conference on the White House’s South Lawn on Friday morning, President Donald Trump was directly asked if he would think about pardoning or showing clemency to Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime friend, Ghislaine Maxwell.

According to reports, Maxwell, who has been in the news for years due to her alleged involvement in Epstein’s sex trafficking network, is currently in talks with the Department of Justice, where Todd Blanche, Trump’s former defense lawyer, is now the Deputy Attorney General.

Regarding the pardon of Ghislaine Maxwell, Trump said, “I’m free to do itpic.”https://tweebjwFqfYr

July 25, 2025 Aaron Rupar (@atrupar)

Trump failed to provide a clear-cut rejection. Rather, he started off by complimenting Blanche on being an excellent lawyer before suddenly switching to well-known talking points. Trump swiftly turned his attention to other individuals connected to Epstein, a trend that has come to characterize his interactions with the media.

He specifically named former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and former President Bill Clinton, both of whom have had varied degrees of involvement in Epstein’s social and business circles.

Trump told reporters, “You should be talking about Larry Summers.” You should talk about some of his acquaintances who work for hedge funds. They can be found anywhere. Bill Clinton, who visited the island 28 times, should be the subject of your conversation. I didn’t visit the island.

The answer evaded the initial query and redirected the discussion to Trump’s favored line of reasoning, which holds that others, not himself, should be the subject of criticism. Even though Trump has made numerous attempts to disassociate himself with Epstein, their social encounters and photos have long been recorded. Maxwell’s presence in those similar groups has stoked conjecture on the depth of her Trump affiliation.

The former president gave a resounding rejection when reporters probed more about a story that Trump had previously sent Epstein a birthday letter. Trump remarked, “I have no idea what they’re talking about.” Now, someone could have misappropriated my name in a letter, but it has happened frequently.

As the conversation went on, Trump changed the subject once more, launching into complaints about the Steele dossier and the Russia probe, subjects that have come to dominate his public appearances. He claimed that everything was phony and that Democrats were a group of ill individuals. Although the monologue seemed unrelated to the initial line of inquiry, it emphasized his continued tactic of disparaging his political rivals whenever delicate subjects come up.

But what Trump omitted from the conversation was very noteworthy. He did not specifically deny that Maxwell might be granted clemency or a pardon if he were to return to the Oval Office. Instead, he said that he hadn’t considered it before adding, I’m permitted to do that, when the topic came up later, according to The Mirror.

The remark caused a stir on social media and in the news community since it implied that the idea is still open, at least in Trump’s thinking. Given her connections to a massive criminal investigation that has already uncovered influential networks, legal experts point out that a presidential pardon for someone like Maxwell would be extremely contentious and unusual in scale.

Trump’s hesitation to rule out such a move comes as his treatment of clemency during his first term has come under increased scrutiny. His past high-profile pardons of unpopular individuals and political cronies have fueled accusations that he abuses his presidential authority to reward loyalty rather than enforce the law.

Ghislaine Maxwell is still being held by the federal government and is still dealing with a number of legal issues. However, Trump’s spontaneous statement that he is permitted to forgive her guarantees that doubts about his true allegiances will persist. Like so many of his public remarks, the President’s reaction left more questions than it answered.

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