For decades, Donald Trump denied any meaningful connection to Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking empire. But the truth may have been hiding in plain sight — in the uniform closet at the Trump Spa at Mar-a-Lago.
Virginia Giuffre — the teenage girl who would later become a central accuser in Epstein’s trafficking ring — was hired at age 17 to work at Trump’s spa wearing a white mini-skirt and tight white polo shirt. She said her duties involved folding toilet paper into triangles and making tea. No résumé. No high school diploma. No problem.
What was required? According to former Mar-a-Lago human resources manager Carol Ash, “Mr. Donald Trump wants young, attractive people working for him.” Ash later alleged she was fired for being too old.
A Predator’s Playground
Epstein knew exactly where to go. In 2007, a source told the New York Post that Epstein “would use the spa to try to procure girls.” Giuffre’s own testimony places Epstein’s co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell spotting her while she was on the clock — sitting outside the spa reading a book.
Trump now claims he was furious when Epstein began “stealing” his spa employees — but if he truly objected, the timeline doesn’t show it.
According to Giuffre’s family and court records, Epstein continued socializing with Trump after he had allegedly poached Giuffre. He even brought her to Trump’s Atlantic City casino — where she couldn’t legally gamble because she was still a minor.
So why did Epstein feel so comfortable returning?
A Spa Designed to Lure
Job ads from the time encouraged “college students” to apply. Some spa listings dropped experience requirements altogether. The staff uniform — which violated Mar-a-Lago’s own ban on mini-skirts — was explicitly designed to accentuate the girls’ youth and attractiveness.
According to Giuffre’s sworn deposition, no formal training was offered. A more experienced young woman “with curly hair” showed her how to make tea, tidy up, and look presentable.
These weren’t rigorous spa duties. They were decorative.
Trump’s Memory Games
Despite Giuffre working there for just a few weeks, Trump now claims to remember her — decades later — as one of the girls Epstein “stole.”
But if Giuffre was so memorable, why did Trump praise Epstein after she left Mar-a-Lago? In 2002, he called Epstein “a terrific guy” and “a lot of fun,” noting that Epstein liked women “on the younger side.”
Not until 2007 — years after Giuffre had been brought into Epstein’s network — did Trump finally revoke Epstein’s membership.
Even then, Trump’s own shifting explanations have muddied the record. Was it about Epstein stealing staff? Creeping out club members? Or, as some reports suggest, was it all about a soured real estate deal?
The Weaponized Narrative
Trump now claims he “put the hammer down” on Epstein once he realized what was happening. But Epstein’s own words suggest otherwise.
In a 2010 deposition, Epstein was asked whether he and Trump ever socialized with underage girls. He took the Fifth, the Sixth, and the Fourteenth Amendments.
Meanwhile, at Maxwell’s 2021 trial, another survivor testified that Epstein introduced her to Trump when she was 14 — at Mar-a-Lago. That line of questioning, however, was never fully explored.
What Mar-a-Lago Really Was
Mar-a-Lago, at least the spa, wasn’t just a luxury resort. It was a filter for young, inexperienced girls — curated for appearance, not skill — in a place frequented by powerful men, including Epstein.
Whether Trump enabled Epstein by design or by indifference, the effect was the same: Giuffre was recruited there, and she wasn’t the only one.
Now, after years of evasions, Trump admits Epstein “stole” girls from his club. But the more we learn, the clearer it becomes: the girls weren’t stolen. They were delivered.
