In a bombshell revelation that exposes the dark underbelly of elite friendships, former President Donald Trump declared that his permanent ban of Jeffrey Epstein from Mar-a-Lago was triggered by one unforgivable act: Epstein brazenly “stealing” Virginia Giuffre straight from the club’s staff roster.T

In remarks aboard Air Force One on July 29, 2025, President Donald Trump declared that his permanent ban of Jeffrey Epstein from Mar-a-Lago was directly triggered by the late financier’s brazen poaching of young spa employees, explicitly citing the “theft” of Virginia Giuffre—a prominent Epstein accuser—as a key example.

Trump recounted warning Epstein after initial incidents: “I said, ‘Listen, we don’t want you taking our people.'” When Epstein persisted, Trump made him persona non grata, effectively banning him from the Palm Beach resort. Pressed by reporters, Trump confirmed Giuffre, then a teenage locker room attendant in summer 2000, was among those poached. “He stole her,” Trump stated plainly.

Giuffre, who died by suicide in April 2025 at age 41, alleged in lawsuits that Ghislaine Maxwell—Epstein’s convicted accomplice—recruited her at Mar-a-Lago under the pretense of massage training, leading to years of alleged sexual abuse and trafficking. Her family has rejected Trump’s characterization of the recruitment as mere employee “theft,” insisting she was deliberately targeted and groomed as a minor.

Trump’s account emphasizes the poaching as the decisive betrayal, framing the fallout as a business ethics issue rather than prior reports of a 2004 property bidding war or Epstein’s inappropriate advances toward a club member’s teenage daughter in 2007. Recent investigations, including a Wall Street Journal report, detail earlier concerns: Mar-a-Lago spa staff made house calls to Epstein’s mansion, with one 18-year-old employee alleging sexual pressure in 2003, prompting Trump to bar Epstein from spa services.

Once describing Epstein as a “terrific guy” in 2002, Trump has long claimed no contact for over a decade before Epstein’s 2019 death. His latest remarks come amid persistent calls for full release of Epstein-related files, intensifying scrutiny of elite connections to the scandal.

Critics question the timeline, noting Giuffre’s recruitment predated the full ban, while supporters highlight Trump’s early distancing compared to others.