New York author and journalist Michael Wolff has released audio recordings from a 2017 conversation with Jeffrey Epstein, in which the late financier discusses his close ties with former President Donald Trump. Wolff claims the recordings were made at the SoHo branch of Ladurée, a Manhattan patisserie, where he met with Epstein to explore the possibility of writing his biography. In response to the revelations, Trump’s campaign dismissed Wolff’s assertions, labeling him a “disgraced writer.”
Epstein’s Insights into Trump’s Administration
In the recordings, Epstein describes how Trump managed his administration by encouraging rivalries among his staff. He tells Wolff, “His people fight each other and then he poisons the well outside,” detailing how Trump would criticize various aides to manipulate perceptions. Epstein recounts Trump saying negative things about his advisors, including Stephen Bannon, Reince Priebus, and Kellyanne Conway, to create divisions among them.
Wolff asserts that this recording represents just a fraction of “100 hours of Epstein discussing the inner workings of the Trump White House and his long-standing, deep relationship with Donald Trump.”
Allegations of Inappropriate Photos
Additionally, Wolff alleges that Epstein showed him photos of Trump with “topless young women” on his lap at Epstein’s Palm Beach home. He recalled, “They were with Trump at Epstein’s Palm Beach house sitting around the pool with these young girls, and the young girls are topless.” Wolff described one particularly vivid image, noting a “telltale stain” on the front of Trump’s pants while the girls laughed and pointed at him.
Trump Campaign’s Response
In response to Wolff’s claims, Karoline Leavitt, press secretary for Trump’s 2024 campaign, criticized the journalist’s credibility. She told The Daily Beast, “Michael Wolff is a disgraced writer who routinely fabricates lies in order to sell fiction books because he clearly has no morals or ethics. He waited until days before the election to make outlandish false smears all in an effort to engage in blatant election interference on behalf of Kamala Harris. He’s a failed journalist who is resorting to lying for attention.”