New DOJ Documents Reveal Multiple Flights of Trump on Epstein's Jet Amidst Ongoing Controversy

WASHINGTON — Newly released documents from the U.S. Department of Justice reveal that former President Donald Trump flew on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s private jet at least eight times during the 1990s, significantly more than earlier reports indicated. A January 2020 email from a New York prosecutor, included among approximately 30,000 pages of Epstein-related files published on Tuesday, details flight logs showing Trump’s presence on Epstein’s plane, including on multiple occasions when Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell was also aboard.

Maxwell, currently serving a 20-year sentence for her role in aiding Epstein’s abuse of underage girls, was present for at least four of the documented flights. One particular flight listed only Epstein, Trump, and a 20-year-old woman whose identity has been redacted. The documents also mention other flights involving potential witnesses connected to Maxwell’s case.

President Trump categorically denied these claims in a 2024 social media post, stating he "was never on Epstein’s Plane, or at his ‘stupid’ Island." Importantly, the prosecutor’s communication does not allege any criminal conduct by Trump, and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Department of Justice emphasized in a statement on X (previously Twitter) that some claims against Trump included in the documents are "untrue and sensationalist" and were submitted to the FBI shortly before the 2020 election. The DOJ stressed that if the allegations held merit, they would have been exploited politically already. Nonetheless, the department upheld its commitment to transparency and legal requirements to release the documents while protecting Epstein’s victims.

Among the materials made public were dozens of videos, including footage purportedly from inside a federal detention center. One video presented as showing Epstein kneeling in his jail cell was determined to be computer-generated, originating on social media in 2020, after Epstein’s 2019 death by suicide.

Additional files include a 2021 email referencing an image of Trump with Maxwell, discovered on data extracted from former Trump advisor Steve Bannon’s cellphone. The government also released a grainy photograph of Trump seated beside Maxwell, consistent with images taken at a New York fashion event in 2000.

This disclosure follows last week’s substantial release of Epstein-related files by the Trump administration, undertaken to comply with a new transparency law passed by Congress. However, widespread redactions in those earlier releases provoked criticism from Republicans and failed to quell the political controversy ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Addressing the Epstein file revelations, Trump dismissed their significance, telling reporters they were "just used to deflect against tremendous success" achieved by himself and Republicans.

Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican and key proponent of the transparency legislation, responded to Trump’s remarks by accusing the former president of attempting to blame him for the bill Trump signed. Massie also criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi for efforts to extensively redact the files despite legal obligations to fully disclose them under the new law.

The unfolding release of Epstein-related documents continues to ignite political tensions, underscoring the complexities surrounding the cases and their implications for public figures involved in Epstein’s orbit.