Despite having pardoned many criminals in the past, Donald Trump does not want Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s accomplice, to be released from prison. Maxwell is currently serving a twenty-year sentence for helping Epstein sexually exploit and abuse underage girls. She had hoped that Trump might pardon her, but his administration has made it clear that this will not happen.
This decision comes even as the administration recently dismissed the idea that a “client list” from Epstein’s files exists, which had given Maxwell false hope for a pardon. The situation makes the administration’s approach to justice seem inconsistent, especially since Trump has pardoned criminals before and has had past ties to Epstein himself.
TMZ had asked their white house sources if there was a possibility of Maxwell being pardoned and received a very hard no. Maxwell apparently still hopes to be pardoned, but unless she has some dirt she can use, it doesn’t seem like it will happen.
Trump won’t pardon Maxwell for Epstein crimes
Maxwell was found guilty in June 2022 and sentenced to twenty years in prison for her deep involvement in Epstein’s long-running abuse scheme. She is now locked up in a Florida prison. After the Trump administration recently stated that no Epstein “client list” would be released, despite public expectations that it would reveal powerful people, Maxwell’s associates said she believed this could help her case. She reportedly thought Trump might use this as a reason to set her free.
However, White House officials have strongly denied this possibility. A senior Trump official stated plainly that there have been no talks about pardoning Maxwell and that there never will be. This outright rejection crushes Maxwell’s hopes, which had grown after the administration’s comments about the Epstein case.
Trump would give Maxwell a pardon if it didn't make him look guilty.. no one knows better than her who is on that list.. She should give it up.. she's got nothing to lose.
— armymom (@AngelicoDeb) July 8, 2025
Many people see the irony in this situation. Trump was once friendly with Jeffrey Epstein, and their past connection is well known. Now, his administration is downplaying the importance of Epstein’s files by saying there is no “client list.” This raises questions: If no such list exists, and if Epstein’s network is not being fully exposed, why is Maxwell, his partner in crime, still stuck in prison? This has caused anger online, with many people pointing out what they see as a double standard and demanding explanations.
It is also important to note that Maxwell reportedly tried to work with the Justice Department after Epstein was arrested for sex trafficking. But the government apparently refused her offer and did not agree to a plea deal. Since then, Maxwell’s lawyers have tried other ways to get her out of prison. In April, she asked the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out her sex-trafficking conviction, showing that she is still fighting to overturn her sentence.
David Oscar Markus, Maxwell’s lawyer handling the Supreme Court appeal, believes this is her best chance at freedom. He argues that if the government claims there is no Epstein client list, then keeping Maxwell locked up makes no sense. He says she is being punished for crimes tied to “ghosts,” meaning people who may not even exist, which he calls unfair. Markus is hopeful that the Supreme Court will rule in her favor soon.
The Trump administration’s refusal to pardon Maxwell, despite its history of granting pardons to others and its past links to Epstein, leaves many wondering why this decision was made. While the public still wants justice in the Epstein case, the official stance is firm: Ghislaine Maxwell will stay in prison, and Trump will not step in to help her.
