Of course he knew about the girls, because he asked Ghislaine to stop.
Décadas após os dois homens frequentarem os mesmos círculos sociais em Nova York e na Flórida, e-mails atribuídos a Jeffrey Epstein — divulgados por democratas no Congresso — afirmam que Donald Trump tinha conhecimento das vítimas menores de idade em sua rede de tráfico sexual. As mensagens, escritas anos após a confissão de Epstein em 2008, sugerem que a relação entre os dois homens persistiu mesmo enquanto crimes graves eram cometidos, e que ambos pensavam estrategicamente sobre como administrar essa associação caso ela se tornasse pública. A história levanta uma das perguntas mais antigas da ética política: o que separa o conhecimento da cumplicidade, e o silêncio da conivência?
- E-mails selecionados de milhares de páginas afirmam que Epstein disse a aliados que Trump 'sabia das meninas' e havia passado horas com ao menos uma vítima em sua residência.
- A divulgação pelos democratas da Câmara reacende o escrutínio sobre uma relação de décadas entre Trump e Epstein — dois homens que frequentavam os mesmos clubes, festas e círculos de poder antes do escândalo de 2008.
- Uma troca de e-mails com o jornalista Michael Wolff revela uma estratégia calculada: deixar Trump negar publicamente a associação para protegê-lo politicamente, enquanto se mantinha a possibilidade de usá-lo como moeda de troca.
- A Casa Branca negou as alegações, afirmando que Trump expulsou Epstein de seu clube Mar-a-Lago décadas atrás por assédio, mas não respondeu diretamente às afirmações de que Trump tinha conhecimento das vítimas.
- Os documentos não oferecem respostas definitivas, mas alimentam perguntas que mais de 250 vítimas menores de idade — e o público — ainda aguardam ver respondidas.
Na quarta-feira, democratas da Câmara divulgaram uma série de e-mails atribuídos a Jeffrey Epstein contendo afirmações sobre o conhecimento de Donald Trump acerca das vítimas menores de sua rede de tráfico sexual. As mensagens foram escritas anos após Epstein ter confessado, em 2008, explorar mais de 250 meninas — um acordo com promotores que o manteve praticamente fora da prisão, até ser invalidado em 2019, quando ele foi preso novamente e morreu sob custódia em circunstâncias ainda contestadas.
Em um e-mail de abril de 2011 endereçado a Ghislaine Maxwell, sua parceira e cúmplice, Epstein escreveu sobre Trump de forma enigmática, comparando-o ao 'cachorro que não latiu' — e observou que uma vítima não identificada havia passado horas em sua casa com Trump, sem que o nome dele fosse mencionado. Maxwell respondeu com brevidade: 'Tenho pensado nisso.'
Em outra mensagem, desta vez ao jornalista Michael Wolff, Epstein foi mais direto. Afirmou que Trump havia pedido a Ghislaine que parasse com algo, e acrescentou: 'Claro que ele sabia das meninas, porque pediu a Ghislaine que parasse.' Uma terceira troca mostra os dois homens discutindo como administrar a associação pública entre Trump e Epstein à medida que Trump ganhava proeminência política — incluindo a estratégia de deixá-lo negar tudo, preservando sua cobertura política, ou, caso parecesse que perderia, 'salvá-lo' e criar uma dívida.
A Casa Branca respondeu rapidamente, com a porta-voz Karoline Leavitt acusando os democratas de conduzir uma campanha de difamação e reiterando que Trump havia expulsado Epstein de seu clube décadas atrás. A declaração, no entanto, não abordou diretamente as afirmações centrais dos e-mails — de que Trump tinha conhecimento das vítimas e passou tempo com elas.
O que os documentos revelam, acima de tudo, é que mesmo após a condenação de Epstein, os dois homens permaneciam em contato e pensavam estrategicamente sobre sua associação. As perguntas que emergem — o que Trump sabia, quando soube e o que fez com esse conhecimento — permanecem sem resposta definitiva. Mas a voz que as levanta, ainda que póstuma e interessada, pertence ao próprio Epstein.
On Wednesday, House Democrats released a cache of emails from Jeffrey Epstein that contain claims about Donald Trump's knowledge of underage victims in his trafficking operation. The messages, written years after Epstein's 2008 plea deal in Florida—when he admitted to running a sex trafficking network—suggest Trump was aware of the girls involved and had spent considerable time with at least one of them at Epstein's home.
The backstory matters here. In 2008, Epstein confessed to exploiting more than 250 minors through his operation. He struck a deal with prosecutors that kept him largely out of prison. Eleven years later, in 2019, the agreement was invalidated, Epstein was arrested again on trafficking charges, and he died in custody shortly after—officially ruled a suicide, though the circumstances remain contested.
The emails now released by Democrats were selected from thousands of pages and paint a picture of two wealthy men maintaining a relationship while one of them was actively committing crimes. In an April 2011 message to Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's partner and accomplice, he wrote about Trump in cryptic terms: "I want you to realize that the dog that didn't bark is Trump." He then noted that an unnamed victim "spent hours at my house with him, he was never mentioned once." Maxwell's response was brief: "I've been thinking about it."
In another email to Michael Wolff, Epstein was more direct. He claimed Trump had asked him to resign from something, though Epstein said he was never a member. Then came the assertion: "Of course he knew about the girls, because he asked Ghislaine to stop." The implication was stark—that Trump had knowledge of the trafficking and took some action regarding it.
A third email shows Epstein and Wolff strategizing about how to handle their relationship as Trump was rising in political prominence. Wolff told Epstein that CNN was planning to ask Trump about his connection to him. Epstein asked what response they should prepare. Wolff's advice was calculated: let Trump deny it, which would give him political cover. But there was a darker option too—if it looked like Trump might lose, they could "save" him, creating a debt. Wolff even speculated that Trump might simply praise Epstein as a good man wronged by political correctness.
The White House responded swiftly to the release. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a statement accusing Democrats of running a smear campaign. She claimed Trump had expelled Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago club decades earlier for harassing female employees, including one of his accusers. The statement offered no direct response to the specific claims in the emails—that Trump knew about the victims or spent time with them.
These documents add texture to a relationship that has long invited scrutiny. Trump and Epstein moved in overlapping circles in New York and Florida for years before the 2008 scandal broke. They attended the same parties, belonged to the same clubs, and were photographed together. What the emails suggest is that even after Epstein's conviction, even as he was exploiting girls, the two men remained in contact and were thinking strategically about how to manage their association if it became public.
The release raises questions that go beyond the emails themselves: What did Trump know, and when did he know it? Did he take action to distance himself, or did he simply distance himself publicly while maintaining private ties? The emails don't answer these questions definitively, but they do suggest that at least one person—Epstein himself—believed Trump was aware of what was happening. Whether that belief was accurate, and what Trump actually did with that knowledge, remains contested.
Citas Notables
Of course he knew about the girls, because he asked Ghislaine to stop.— Jeffrey Epstein, in an email to Michael Wolff
The president Trump expelled Jeffrey Epstein from his club decades ago by assaulting his employees, including Giuffre.— White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why release these emails now, more than a decade after Epstein's 2008 plea deal?
Because the deal itself was invalidated in 2019, and with it came access to documents that had been sealed. Democrats are arguing the public has a right to see what was actually communicated between these two men, especially given Trump's current position.
But Epstein was already in prison by 2011, when these emails were written. Why would he still be in contact with Trump?
That's the unsettling part. The 2008 deal was extraordinarily lenient—Epstein served only 13 months. So in 2011, he was out, living his life, and apparently still thinking about his relationship with Trump and how to manage it if it became a problem.
The White House says Trump expelled Epstein from Mar-a-Lago. Doesn't that suggest distance?
It does, on the surface. But the emails suggest something more complicated—that even after expulsion, they were still thinking about each other, still strategizing. Expulsion from a club is one thing; the nature of their actual relationship is another.
What's the most damaging claim in these emails?
Probably Epstein's statement that Trump "knew about the girls" and that he asked Ghislaine Maxwell to stop. If true, it suggests Trump had direct knowledge of the trafficking and took some action. But it's Epstein's claim, not proof.
So we're left with Epstein's word against Trump's denial?
Essentially, yes. Which is why the emails matter—they're a contemporaneous record of what Epstein believed and was saying, even if they don't prove what Trump actually knew or did.