“Terrific Guy”: A Look Back at Trump’s 2002 Comments About Jeffrey Epstein

A photograph can capture a moment, but sometimes a quote from the same era provides an even more striking glimpse into the past.

In 2002, New York magazine published a profile of Jeffrey Epstein and included comments from Donald Trump, who described Epstein in notably friendly terms.

“I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy. He’s a lot of fun to be with.”

The quotation is authentic and appeared in a 2002 New York magazine interview. Trump went on to make additional comments about Epstein’s social life and his attraction to younger women. (Yahoo)

The photograph above is also genuine. It was taken at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach in 1997 and shows Trump and Epstein together. (Yahoo)

Why the old quote matters today

At the time, Epstein was a wealthy financier who moved within elite social circles. Years later, his reputation changed dramatically as his sexual abuse and sex-trafficking crimes came to light. Epstein was arrested on federal sex-trafficking charges in 2019 and died in jail that year. (Yahoo)

That later history inevitably changes how people read comments that once might have seemed like nothing more than praise for a wealthy acquaintance.

It is important, however, to distinguish documented association and statements from allegations of criminal conduct. Trump’s past social relationship with Epstein and his 2002 comments are documented; those facts alone do not establish that Trump participated in Epstein’s crimes.

What they do establish is that the two men were acquainted and socially connected for years—and that Trump publicly spoke positively about Epstein in 2002.

Sometimes, looking back at what public figures said before the full story became known can be uncomfortable. But history is often most revealing when we examine the words and photographs that were already there.