Trump Listed on Epstein’s Jet More Often Than Previously Known, DOJ Email Shows
A newly released email from federal prosecutors indicates that Donald Trump was listed as a passenger on Jeffrey Epstein’s private jet at least eight times between 1993 and 1996, more trips than had been publicly known or acknowledged prior to the document’s release. The email, dated January 7, 2020, was disclosed this week by the U.S. Department of Justice as part of a massive, court-ordered release of Epstein-related records. It was written by an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York, though the sender’s name and the recipient were redacted.
“Donald Trump traveled on Epstein’s private jet many more times than previously has been reported (or that we were aware),” the prosecutor wrote.
The email states that Trump appeared on flight manifests for at least eight trips during the mid-1990s, including four flights on which Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate, was also listed as a passenger.
What the Records Show and What They Do Not
The presence of Trump’s name on Epstein’s flight records does not, by itself, allege or establish criminal wrongdoing. The DOJ explicitly emphasized this point in a public statement accompanying the document release. Trump has repeatedly denied any involvement in Epstein’s crimes. In a 2024 statement, Trump wrote: “I was never on Epstein’s Plane.” The newly released email directly contradicts that categorical claim, at least as reflected in flight records reviewed by prosecutors.
According to the email, Trump was listed as traveling on Epstein’s jet alongside family members, including Marla Maples, his daughter Tiffany Trump, and his son Eric Trump. On one 1993 flight, the only listed passengers were Epstein and Trump. On another, the manifest listed Epstein, Trump, and a then-20-year-old individual whose name was redacted in the released version. The email also notes that two other flights included women who prosecutors described as “possible witnesses” in a future Maxwell case.
“He is listed as a passenger on at least eight flights between 1993 and 1996, including during the period we would expect to charge in a Maxwell case,” the prosecutor wrote.
DOJ Pushes Back on Allegations
In a statement released Tuesday, the Justice Department acknowledged the sensitivity of the documents while strongly disputing claims of misconduct by Trump.
“Some of these documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims made against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election,” the DOJ said. “To be clear: the claims are unfounded and false, and if they had a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already.”
The department said the files were released not because the claims were substantiated, but because the DOJ was legally required to publish the materials in full, with victim protections in place.
Context: Epstein, Maxwell, and the Timeline
Epstein died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 and sentenced in 2022 to 20 years in prison for conspiracy and sex trafficking offenses involving minors. Prosecutors said her crimes occurred between approximately 1994 and 2004. The newly released email notes that some of Trump’s listed flights occurred during the same general timeframe later examined in the Maxwell prosecution. Trump has acknowledged being friendly with Epstein in the 1990s but has said the relationship ended around 2004, years before Epstein’s first arrest. Trump has consistently denied knowledge of or involvement in Epstein’s criminal activity.
The Broader Document Release
The email was included in a release of more than 30,000 pages of Epstein-related records the largest batch made public to date. The disclosure followed a congressional deadline the DOJ failed to meet, prompting criticism from lawmakers and survivors across party lines. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said last week that additional files remain under review and will be released in stages.
“We want to make sure that when we do produce the materials, we’re protecting every single victim,” Blanche said.
While many documents remain heavily redacted and some flight logs are handwritten and difficult to read, the January 2020 email provides one of the clearest acknowledgments to date that prosecutors internally understood Trump’s documented travel on Epstein’s jet to be more extensive than previously reported. What the records ultimately prove, and what they do not, will likely remain a point of political, legal, and public scrutiny as further documents are released.
