During a private meeting in Scotland on July 28, 2025, President Donald Trump surprised U.K. leaders by openly addressing the long-running Jeffrey Epstein scandal. The meeting, which included U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other senior officials, took an unexpected turn as Trump shifted the focus onto his political rivals while distancing himself from any association with Epstein.

Trump declared publicly, “I never went [to Epstein’s island],” directly contrasting himself with Bill Clinton, who he claimed visited the island 28 times. He also named other high-profile figures, including Larry Summers, suggesting they had connections to Epstein that are rarely scrutinized by the media. “Nobody ever talks about them,” he added.

The President went on to explain how he had cut ties with Epstein back in the early 2000s, allegedly after Epstein attempted to recruit staff members from Trump’s organization. Trump claimed he labeled Epstein “persona non grata” and removed him from his social circles.

Addressing past rumors, Trump denied claims that he had ever sent a drawing to Epstein, saying bluntly, “I don’t do drawings of women—that I can tell you.” This was an apparent reference to unverified reports linking him to Epstein through a personal sketch.

Trump also commented on Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate who remains in the news due to her legal situation. While he acknowledged the topic was sensitive, he called the broader Epstein scandal a “hoax blown out of proportion”, and added that any talk of pardons would be “inappropriate at this time.”

The remark

s were described as a political thunderclap, with Trump flipping the narrative by highlighting Democrats’ ties to Epstein while defending his own. The unexpected moment stirred strong reactions and renewed media attention on the case—and its political implications.