In transcripts released on Friday, Maxwell praised Trump and was adamant that she never saw him engage in any inappropriate behavior. Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking convictions, stated, “I actually never saw the president in any type of massage setting.” She added, “I never witnessed the president in any inappropriate setting in any way. The president was never inappropriate with anybody. In the times that I was with him, he was a gentleman in all respects.”
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, the second-in-command at the Justice Department, had previously stated that he met with Maxwell to see if she “has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims.” However, the release of the transcripts is likely to reignite questions about how the Justice Department has handled information related to the Epstein case, which has become a major source of speculation and conspiracy theories among Trump’s supporters.
Blanche confirmed that, with the exception of the victims’ names, “every word is included” in the released transcripts. He explained, “Nothing removed. Nothing hidden.” During the interview, Maxwell denied having any knowledge of a so-called “client list,” a subject of conspiracy theories on the US right. She also complimented Trump on his behavior and his “extraordinary achievement in becoming the president now.” Maxwell said, “Trump was always very cordial and very kind to me,” adding, “I like him, and I’ve always liked him.”
Following her two-day meeting with Blanche in a courthouse, Maxwell was moved from a low-security federal prison in Florida to a minimum-security camp in Texas. The government has not provided a reason for the change. In the aftermath of the meeting, however, the family of one of Epstein’s most prominent accusers, Virginia Giuffre, called on the Trump administration not to show any leniency towards Maxwell. Giuffre’s relatives wrote in a statement, “She must remain in prison — anything less would go down in history as being one of the highest travesties of justice.” Giuffre died by suicide in April.
Epstein himself was found dead in his jail cell in 2019, with his death officially ruled a suicide by hanging. Still, conspiracy theories have widely circulated in the US that his death could have been a cover-up, based on the belief that Epstein’s powerful associates may have participated in his abuse. Experts suggest that the saga has become a symbol for the suspicion that the rich and powerful face little accountability. Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) base has long supported efforts to “drain the swamp”—a catchphrase used to advocate for the removal of corrupt forces in the government and leading industries.
Some of these suspicions have evolved into conspiracy theories about rings of pedophiles operating in the shadows of power. In 2016, for instance, a suspect fired a gun into the Comet Ping Pong Pizzeria in Washington, DC, based on the belief that it was a hub for such a ring. In the Epstein case, there was widespread speculation that the disgraced financier kept a “client list” to blackmail powerful figures.
Several members of the Trump administration, including Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel, had previously been strong promoters of this conspiracy theory. However, he has since backtracked after joining the White House for Trump’s second term, with the FBI and the Department of Justice issuing a joint memo stating that no such list exists. The memo also reaffirmed that Epstein died by suicide and that no further suspects in his abuses have come to light. Despite this, the memo failed to dampen interest in the scandal, with many pointing out that Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News in February that a client list was “on her desk” for review. Bondi has since stated that she misspoke and was referring to the Epstein files in general. A Quinnipiac poll in July found that 63% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the issue.
