George Houraney, a Florida businessman who arranged the event, told the Times in 2019 he was surprised when he saw the guest list.
“I said, ‘Donald, this is supposed to be a party with V.I.P.s,’” Houraney said. “‘You’re telling me it’s you and Epstein?’”
Jill Harth, Houraney’s then-girlfriend, later accused Trump of forcibly kissing her and fondling her, and keeping her from leaving the same night of the party.
The report comes as the president is facing mounting pressure to release all files related to the Epstein case, something he has called the “Jeffrey Epstein hoax.”
In June, Elon Musk wrote on social media that Trump is listed in the Epstein files and that’s why they haven’t been made public.
In a July 10 memo, the FBI wrote there was no evidence Epstein had a “client list.”
The New York Times’ report published Saturday details the friendship between the two men, dating back to 1990 when they first met. The two had a falling out in 2004 after they both wanted a piece of real estate. But in the 20-plus years in between, the two men socialized together in both New York and Florida at parties, including a Victoria’s Secret “Angels” party and a party with NFL cheerleaders.
“I’ve known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy,” Trump said. “He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it — Jeffrey enjoys his social life.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told the Times that Trump had banned Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago club “for being a creep.”
20 Years OfFreeJournalism
Your Support Fuels Our Mission
Your Support Fuels Our Mission
For two decades, HuffPost has been fearless, unflinching, and relentless in pursuit of the truth. Support our mission to keep us around for the next 20 — we can’t do this without you.
We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.
Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again.
We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.
Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again.
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.
“These stories are tired and pathetic attempts to distract from all the success of President Trump’s administration,” Leavitt said.
The Times also reports that in 2009, Trump had said he banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago after Epstein was inappropriate with one of the club’s member’s daughters.