A political firestorm erupted this week after CNN released never-before-seen photos and raw video footage revealing fresh evidence of former President Donald Trump’s longstanding relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — a connection Trump has repeatedly downplayed or dismissed in recent years.
Among the most damning revelations: Epstein was photographed entering Trump’s 1993 wedding to Marla Maples at the Plaza Hotel in New York City — an appearance that had never been publicly confirmed until now. Additional images from the event show Epstein mingling among celebrity guests, including shock jock Howard Stern and Robin Leach of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.
Just hours after CNN’s report went live, social media exploded with reactions. One widely circulated image shows Trump with his arms around his young children, standing next to Epstein, who leans casually on a nearby railing. Another photo places Epstein just feet away from Trump during the reception, partially obscured behind other guests but now unmistakably identified.
“It’s real. It’s him. And it’s from the wedding,” said photographer Dafydd Jones, who was hired to shoot the high-profile nuptials. “I wish now I had taken more shots of him with Trump.”
CNN’s KFile team also unearthed raw archival footage from a 1999 Victoria’s Secret fashion show, showing Trump and Epstein laughing and chatting just ahead of the runway event. The clip, which had never been aired in full, captures the two men interacting like longtime friends.
The new findings land at a politically perilous time for Trump. The Justice Department, under pressure from both the media and Congress, recently announced it had reached out to Epstein’s longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell for a meeting. The move follows growing demands — even from within Trump’s MAGA base — for transparency over years of alleged stonewalling on Epstein-related documents.
In response to the revelations, Trump lashed out at CNN during a brief phone call, saying, “You’ve got to be kidding me,” before labeling the network “fake news” and abruptly hanging up. His administration’s official response was more measured but no less combative.
“These are nothing more than out-of-context frame grabs of innocuous videos and pictures of widely attended events to disgustingly infer something nefarious,” said White House Communications Director Steven Cheung in a statement. “The fact is that the President kicked Epstein out of his club for being a creep.”
But critics aren’t convinced — especially not after a 2002 quote from Trump resurfaced, in which he called Epstein “a terrific guy” and added: “It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”
Flight logs confirm Trump flew on Epstein’s private jet at least seven times. Images from a 2000 charity event at Mar-a-Lago show Trump with Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Prince Andrew.
“This is not a ‘nothingburger,’” said Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), who on Tuesday forced a vote in the House Oversight Committee to subpoena Maxwell. “This is about the truth.”
Some Republican lawmakers are growing increasingly anxious. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) warned that continued inaction could cost the GOP its base. “Why should they vote in the midterms,” he asked, “if the transparency and justice they were promised doesn’t happen?”
Meanwhile, far-right Trump allies like Laura Loomer have accused the administration of botching its handling of the Epstein fallout. “Why wasn’t this done on Day 1?” she said in a text to CNN. “Seems like this should have already taken place.”
Adding to the controversy, last week The Wall Street Journal reported on a 2003 birthday note allegedly sent by Trump to Epstein. The letter, which included a drawing of a naked woman and the phrase, “May every day be another wonderful secret,” has since been denied by Trump, who filed a libel suit against the newspaper.
As the DOJ prepares for a possible release of grand jury testimony and continues talks with Maxwell’s legal team, one thing is clear: the Epstein scandal — long dismissed as a conspiracy theory — is once again front and center.
And this time, there are photos.
