Trump was worried Ghislaine Maxwell would drag him into the Epstein sex scandal and asked aides if she 'has said anything about me,' Michael Wolff's new book claims
Former President Donald Trump was worried Ghislaine Maxwell would drag him into the Jeffrey Epstein sex scandal and even mulled pardoning her, a new book reveals.
Author Michael Wolff wrote in his forthcoming book, Landslide: The Final Days of the Trump Presidency, that the outgoing president took a 'sudden interest' in Maxwell's case, describing it as an 'oh s**t' moment as Trump considered pardons in his final days.
'Has she said anything about me?' Trump said in January 2021, according to an excerpt of Wolff's book in The Times. 'Is she going to talk? Will she roll on anybody?'
Former President Donald Trump, seen at his Sarasota rally on Saturday, was worried Ghislaine Maxwell would drag him into the Jeffrey Epstein sex scandal and even mulled pardoning her, a new book reveals
Donald Trump is pictured in 2000 with then-girlfriend Melania Knauss (center left), Jeffrey Epstein (center right) and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell
Author Michael Wolff writes that Trump mulled a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell
Wolff then said that 'pardon talk almost immediately segued to the question of if he should pardon himself.'
'They say I can. Unlimited pardon power,' Wolff reported Trump telling aides.
Trump was a known associate of Epstein and Maxwell before Epstein pleaded guilty of soliciting a minor for prostitution in 2008.
Epstein died in prison in August 2019 after pleading not guilty of sex trafficking and conspiracy charges.
He was being held without bail.
Last July, Maxwell was arrested by the FBI in connection with Epstein's alleged serial abuse of teenage girls.
At a White House press briefing, Trump was asked if he believed she would 'turn in powerful men' following the arrest.
'I don't know. I haven't really been following it too much,' Trump told The New York Post's Steven Nelson. 'I just wish her well, frankly. I've met her numerous times over the years - especially since I lived in Palm Beach, and I guess they lived in Palm Beach - but I wish her well, whatever it is.'
Donald Trump speaks with Paris Hilton and Ghislaine Maxwell (circled in red) at an event in New York City in September 2000
Trump was later asked by Axios' Jonathan Swan why he would wish anyone well who was connected to a high-profile sex abuse case.
'She's not in jail, so yeah, I wish her well,' Trump replied. 'I would wish you well. I would wish a lot of people well,' the then-president continued.
'Let them prove somebody was guilty,' Trump added.
Trump's spokesperson Liz Harrington knocked Wolff's credibility to DailyMail.com earlier Tuesday.
'Michael Wolff sat for over two hours in interviews with President Trump and never asked him about , or other false claims Wolff has been making,' Harrington said.
'If he had, President Trump would have knocked them down, but instead Wolff decided to try to sell books with more Fake News,' she added.