President Trump lashed out at CNN following the release of previously unseen images and footage showing Jeffrey Epstein in his presence at social events during the 1990s. The media outlet published photos depicting Epstein at Trump’s 1993 wedding to Marla Maples, a Victoria’s Secret event in 1999 featuring Melania Trump, and other high-profile gatherings—moments Trump had not publicly acknowledged.
Reacting sharply, Trump hung up on CNN’s inquiry, branding the report “fake news” and accusing the network of manufacturing controversy. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung defended the president, stating the images are merely “innocuous snapshots taken out of context,” and reminded the public that Trump later expelled Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago club.
The revelations coincide with Justice Department deliberations over releasing additional Epstein-related records and a separate claim that Trump’s name appeared in Epstein documents—a disclosure reportedly made by former AG Pamela Bondi. Trump has denied wrongdoing and initiated legal action against publications portraying intimate links to Epstein.
The resurfaced media has reignited discussions about Trump’s past associations, even as he maintains he severed ties with Epstein long before the financier’s criminal downfall.