Once again, the media spotlight has swung back onto a decades-old association—this time reignited by newly uncovered images and video footage tying President Donald Trump to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. The material, released by CNN’s KFile, has set off a fresh wave of speculation and criticism, despite the president’s earlier efforts to bring transparency to the Epstein case.
At the center of the controversy are photographs and footage dating back to the early 1990s, showing Trump and Epstein in familiar settings, laughing and mingling at events that were typical of the New York elite social scene at the time. One such event was Trump’s own second wedding in 1993 to Marla Maples. According to photographer Dafydd Jones, who covered the wedding, Epstein was present and captured in images with Trump.
“I wish now I took more of him with Trump,” Jones said in a recent interview. “I had the job of photographing the Trump wedding, so I stood with the press and photographed him. The image you have is from the contact sheet—the negatives were lost.”
This wasn’t the only event in question. Footage also surfaced from a 1999 Victoria’s Secret fashion show in New York, appearing to show Trump and Epstein conversing and laughing together. These resurfaced visuals are not entirely new to those who have long followed the media’s coverage of Trump and Epstein’s social proximity in the 1980s and ’90s, but the timing and context of the latest revelations have stirred renewed interest.
Adding to the public curiosity is the recent timeline of Trump’s administration’s dealings with the Epstein files. During his campaign, Trump had stated he would have “no problem” releasing all Epstein-related files if elected. In February 2025, Attorney General Pamela Bondi made good on that promise—partially—by releasing what was labeled as the “first phase” of declassified Epstein files.
However, by July, the Department of Justice declared there was “no basis” to release further materials, citing a lack of incriminating content or any so-called “client list.” This decision, although framed as procedural, left many critics and online voices speculating whether Trump was intentionally withholding information.
Fueling the fire, Trump had earlier instructed the DOJ to prepare the release of all grand jury materials tied to Epstein’s case. Bondi responded affirmatively, saying they were prepared to move forward with the court. Yet, the limited transparency and the government’s refusal to release further files have kept public suspicions alive.
When questioned about the newly resurfaced photos—particularly those showing Epstein at Trump’s wedding—media outlets sought a response from the president. What they received was characteristically blunt.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Those six words, delivered in response to inquiries about the 1993 wedding photos, encapsulate Trump’s frustration with the press revisiting this well-worn subject. The president also accused CNN of spreading “fake news,” a term he’s frequently used to dismiss media narratives he deems misleading or politically motivated.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung expanded on the president’s sentiment in a separate statement, saying:
“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.”
While Trump and Epstein’s social overlap in the past is well documented, it’s also reported that the two had a falling-out in the mid-2000s, allegedly over a high-stakes real estate dispute in Palm Beach. Since then, Trump has maintained distance, both publicly and privately.
Whether these latest photos change any minds is unclear, but one thing is certain: as long as the Epstein case remains a symbol of elite secrecy, every thread—no matter how old—will continue to spark political firestorms.
