Trump ‘hung up after 30 seconds’ on the phone with CNN reporter who called to ask about new Epstein photos
A reporter asked President Donald Trump about newly unveiled photos tying him to Jeffrey Epstein — but the call only lasted 30 seconds before the president reportedly hung up.
Unearthed archived photos capturing Jeffrey Epstein attending Trump’s 1993 wedding to Marla Maples at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, published by CNN, reveal fresh insights into their relationship as the president tries to distance himself from the late financier’s case.
When CNN reporter Andrew Kaczynski called Trump to ask about the photos, the president gave an abrupt response: “You’ve got to be kidding me.” He then repeatedly called the network “fake news” and, after 30 seconds, hung up, the outlet reported.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung told CNN in a statement: “These are nothing more than out-of-context frame grabs of innocuous videos and pictures of widely attended events to disgustingly infer something nefarious.”
“The fact is that the president kicked him out of his club for being a creep. This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media,” Cheung added.
CNN also uncovered footage from a 1999 Victoria’s Secret fashion event of Trump and Epstein chitchatting. Other photos widely available also show the two men together at the runway show, the outlet noted.
Trump’s 30-second phone call comes days after the president sued the Wall Street Journal for a report claiming that he allegedly gave Epstein a “bawdy” birthday card for his 50th birthday. The card contained sexually suggestive drawing and a reference to “secrets” both men shared, the publication alleged. Trump has vehemently denied the claims and sued the WSJ and its owners for $10 billion for defamation.
The recent reports linking Trump to Epstein come as the White House attempts to quell the uproar over the so-called Epstein files. His MAGA supporters erupted after the Justice Department released a July 6 memo stating no further disclosures were necessary after the “exhaustive” review the department conducted.
The memo led to demands for increased transparency from both MAGA world and Congressional Republicans after Attorney General Pam Bondi revealed there was a trove of documents to be reviewed in the case.
Just months earlier, she said was examining a “truckload” of evidence the FBI had provided on the case, noting the “client list” of high-profile associates linked to the sex offender’s trafficking scheme was sitting on her desk.
Her office in February released “Phase 1” of the Epstein files — roughly 100 pages of documents, most of which were already publicly available. A mix of outrage and disappointment bubbled up among right-wing influencers. Still, many anticipated more information about the convicted sex offender was coming. Then, the July 6 memo deflated any lingering hope. It stated there was no evidence that a “client list” existed and that Epstein had died by suicide in his New York City jail cell in 2019.
Amid internal Trump administration clashes and an uproar online, the president requested Bondi to release the grand jury transcripts in the cases of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, the financier’s former girlfriend who was sentenced to 20 years behind bars following her 2021 conviction for her role in a scheme to abuse girls with Epstein.
Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche filed motions to unseal the grand jury transcripts — a move that experts say amounts to only a fraction of the Epstein files. The judges overseeing the cases have now asked for more information, including statements from Maxwell and the victims about the disclosures, before proceeding.
The Trump administration will meet with Maxwell in the “coming days,” Blanche announced Tuesday. “If Ghislane Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say,” the deputy AG said.
Not long after Blanche’s announcement Tuesday, the House Oversight Committee approved a subpoena for Maxwell. Trump said the subpoena” sounds appropriate” during questions from reporters at the White House.
