Donald Trump has spoken about Jeffrey Epstein and his links to the president’s Mar-a-Lago club, saying that the late sex offender “stole” Virginia Giuffre and other young female staffers when he hired them while they were working at the Florida country club.
Trump, who has faced an outcry over his administration’s refusal to release more records about Epstein after promises of transparency, made the comments on Air Force One while returning from a trip to Scotland. Trump has attempted to tamp down questions about the case, expressing annoyance that people are still talking about it six years after Epstein died by suicide while awaiting trial, even though some of his own allies have promoted conspiracy theories about it.
On Tuesday, a reporter asked Trump: “The workers that were taken from you – were some of them young women?”
Trump replied: “The answer is yes, they were. People that worked in the spa.”
Another reporter then asked Trump if one of the people he was referring to was Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most prominent accusers.
“I think she worked at the spa,” Trump replied.
Here are the key Trump stories of the day:
Trump: Epstein ‘stole’ Virginia Giuffre
Donald Trump suggested on Tuesday that Jeffrey Epstein, the late sex offender he socialized with for more than a decade, “stole” Virginia Giuffre and other young female staffers whom he hired away from the president’s Mar-a-Lago country club.
Speaking to reporters onboard Air Force One as he returned to Washington from Scotland, Trump was asked to elaborate on his earlier comments about falling out with Epstein because he took employees from his business. The president said on Monday that he had kicked Epstein out of his club “because he did something that was inappropriate” – specifically, that “he stole people that worked for me”.
Trump lawyer Emil Bove confirmed to US appeals court
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Emil Bove, a top justice department official and former defense attorney for Donald Trump, to a lifetime seat on a federal appeals court, despite claims by whistleblowers that he advocated for ignoring court orders.
The vote broke nearly along party lines, with 50 Republican senators voting for his confirmation to a seat on the third circuit court of appeals overseeing New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and the US Virgin Islands.
All Democrats opposed his nomination along with Republican senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski. Tennessee senator Bill Hagerty missed the vote.
US and China poised to extend tariff truce after failing to find resolution at talks
US and Chinese negotiators have agreed in principle to push back the deadline for escalating tariffs, although America’s representatives said any extension would need Donald Trump’s approval.
Officials from both sides said after two days of talks in Stockholm that they had failed to find a resolution across the many areas of dispute, but had agreed to extend a pause due to run out on 12 August.
Beijing’s top trade negotiator, Li Chenggang, said the extension of a truce struck in mid-May would allow for further talks, without specifying when and for how long the latest pause would run.
Ghislaine Maxwell demands immunity before testifying to Congress
Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex trafficker and associate of Jeffrey Epstein, says that she is willing to testify before Congress but only if certain conditions are met, including being granted immunity, according to a new letter sent to the House oversight committee by her lawyer on Tuesday.
DoJ asked California to give details of non-citizens on voter rolls
Exclusive: The Department of Justice has asked several large California counties to provide detailed personal information of non-citizens who got on to the state voter rolls, an unusual request that comes as the Trump administration has asked about a dozen states to provide wide swaths of information about voters and election practices.
New Orleans announces municipal ID card amid nationwide Ice crackdown
The city of New Orleans has announced a municipal identification program to provide ID cards to residents who may not be able to access such cards otherwise in a move seen as a positive step for the city’s migrant communities as the Trump administration continues targeting undocumented people.
The municipal government of New Orleans launched the Crescent City ID program on Monday, which is “designed to promote inclusion” in the city.
What else happened today:
Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday proposed revoking a scientific finding that has long been the central basis for US action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change.
A coalition of 20 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit Monday challenging the Trump administration’s demand that their states turn over personal data of people enrolled in a federally funded food assistance program, fearing the information will be used to aid mass deportations.
Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration is piling pressure on US factories, according to employees and union leaders, as veteran workers from overseas are forced to leave their jobs.
Harvard University said on Tuesday that it will comply with the demands of Donald Trump’s administration to turn over employment forms for thousands of university staff, but for the time being was not sharing records for those employed in roles only available to students.
Catching up? Here’s what happened 28 July 2025.
