Epstein and Trump — Love Interrupted (Part Two)

The long and illustrious friendship between two narcissistic and (alleged) pedophiles

Part Two of Three

“I was terrified of Maxwell and Epstein, and I moved a number of times to try to hide from them.”

Maria Farmer was 26 in 1995 when Eileen Guggenheim - the dean of the New York Academy of Art at the time – introduced her to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Farmer, a visual artist, had been successful selling her art while in graduate school and Epstein, a board member at the Academy from 1987 to 1995, wanted to buy one of Farmer’s pieces for half price…after she had already sold it for $12,000 (for some reason, Guggenheim urged Farmer to cut Epstein a deal). Later in 1995, Epstein recruited Farmer to be his “art advisor,” working at his New York mansion signing in various “tradesmen, decorators, and friends.” While there, she observed quite a few “young girls” coming and going from the mansion, noting that Maxwell would frequently leave to recruit new girls for Epstein to “interview.” Farmer has described how Epstein had shown her that the mansion was equipped with extensive video surveillance equipment focused on the beds and toilets at the property, and how she saw lawyer Alan Dershowitz regularly visiting Epstein.

While working for Epstein in 1995, Maria met Donald Trump.

It was late in the evening when Epstein summoned Maria to meet him at his office. After arriving, while waiting for Epstein, Trump arrived. Maria describes being nervous as Trump stood over her “in an imposing way,” staring at her bare legs (she was wearing running shorts). After arriving, observing how Trump was paying attention to Maria, Epstein told Trump, “No, no…she’s not here for you.” As the two men left the room, Maria recalls that Trump remarked to Epstein that he thought Maria was 16 years old. Much later, after Maria had started talking to the FBI about her encounters with Epstein, she claims she urged the FBI to investigate Trump’s ties to Epstein in 1996 and 2006.

Maria accepted an all-expenses paid trip to Santa Fe from Epstein as one of four artists to “compete” for a commission to create art for Epstein’s Zorro Ranch, New Mexico property. A dinner party was attended by Maria and the other artists, as well as Epstein, Maxwell, and Guggenheim, which was designed to test the artists’ boundaries in a bizarre and competitive environment, with only one to be awarded the commission. However, no commission was awarded to any of the artists. It should be noted that Guggenheim originally denied being present in New Mexico…until she was presented with a photograph showing she had definitely been there.

After returning to New York, Epstein offered Maria an opportunity to be an “artist-in-residence,” staying at a home in New Albany, Ohio. This was in the summer of 1996, and the property Epstein had offered for Maria to stay at was owned by billionaire Les Wexner, co-founder and chair emeritus of Bath & Body Works, Inc., as well as the principal in Abercrombie & Fitch, Victoria’s Secret, and Le Senza. Wexner retained Epstein as his financial manager from 1987 to 2007, with Epstein using the Ohio property to sometimes run his business out of and also reside occasionally. It was here where Epstein and Maxwell first sexually assault her. Maria managed to escape the scene and barricade herself in another part of the house. She was able to contact members of her family, her artist mentor Eric Fischl, as well as law enforcement, but on-premises security would not allow her to leave for 12 hours. Maria was eventually allowed to leave after her father drove from Kentucky to Ohio to pick her up.

Later that same summer, Maria discovered that her younger sister Annie had also been sexually assaulted by Epstein and Maxwell. Maria had earlier introduced Annie – living in Arizona at the time - to Epstein under the assumption that Epstein, claiming to be a philanthropist, could and would help with Annie’s education. It was at this time that Epstein paid for Annie to fly to New York, where she and Maria went to the movies with Epstein. In the darkened theater, Epstein began caressing Annie’s hand, foot, and leg, unbeknownst to Maria. Annie kept this to herself, concerned that if she said anything it might put Maria’s job at risk. As had occurred with Maria, Annie was offered a trip to visit Epstein’s ranch in New Mexico, telling Annie that other students and chaperones would be present. Once again, during an outing to the movies, Epstein began inappropriately touching Annie. Back at the ranch, Maxwell insisted on giving Annie a massage at the ranch, during which she exposed Annie’s breasts, rubbing them, while Epstein was in the room The next morning, Epstein crawled into Annie’s bed, wanting to “cuddle.” Annie escaped by saying she needed to use the restroom.

Annie was 16.

“Complainant stayed [sic] that she is professional artist and took pictures of her sisters 12 and 16 yrs for her own personnel [sic] artwork. Epstein stole the photos and negatives and is believed to have sold the pictures to potential buyers. Epstein at one time requested [redacted] to take pictures of young girls at swimming pools. Epstein is now threatening [redacted] that if she tells anyone about the photos, he will burn her house down.” - Excerpted from Maria Farmer’s complaint about Epstein to the FBI, September 1996

In 2002, Maria, Annie, and their mother shared their stories involving Epstein and Maxwell with journalist Vicky Ward at Vanity Faire. Ward was working on a profile of Epstein and, despite the information provided by the women about Epstein and Maxwell’s misconduct, their accounts were to not be included in the profile after Ward’s editor, Graydon Carter, pressured her to omit mention of them. Carter later alleged that Epstein had applied pressure to keep the information out of the article. In addition to verbal pressure, Carter claims he also received “messages” at his home and office (a bullet and a severed cat’s head). Maxwell threatened Maria’s life multiple times, even calling her clients and contacts in the art world trying to destroy her credibility. I was terrified of Maxwell and Epstein, and I moved a number of times to try to hide from them.”

Maria Farmer’s story is much more involved and complex than room allows at this time, but her experiences color the type of individua Epstein was. Maria was in hiding in 2016, fearful for her life after continuing to receive threats, when she recounted her experiences with Epstein and Maxwell to the lawyers of Virginia Giuffre (née Roberts), another victim of Epstein and Maxwell’s who became a prominent advocate for survivors of sexual trafficking and a central figure in the exposure of Epstein's criminal network.

Maria Farmer was diagnosed with a brain tumor and non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2020.

Virgina Giuffre took her own life in April 2025 at the age of 41.

“Hi, I’m Donald Trump…”

In 1998, while on a date with another woman at a New York Fashion Week party hosted by modeling agent Paolo Zampolli at the Kit Kat Klub, Trump noticed a woman named Melania Knauss. Trump – still legally married to Marla Maples (whom he had met, courted, and had an affair with while married to Ivanka Trump…) at this time but separated – ditched his date (the unfortunately named Celina Midelfart, who had been, interestingly enough, in a business and romantic relationship with Epstein in 1993 and has been confirmed as having flown on Epstein’s private plane multiple time…) for the evening and asked Melania for her number. She declined, making him give her his number instead. Melania was 28 and Trump was 52…24 years Melania’s elder. That is the “official” story of how the future president and future First Lady met. There is, however, a twist to that tale, one that Melania, now Trump, is not a fan of. Investigative journalist Andrew Lownie has alleged that the meeting between Trump and Melania had been arranged to one degree or another by a certain individual know to both of them: Jeffery Epstein.

Michael Wolff has echoed this story. According to Epstein, the first time Trump and Melania had sex it was aboard his private plane, nicknamed by locals in the Virgin Islands (where Epstein’s island home on the small private island Little Saint James) as “The Lolita Express,” Due to its frequent arrivals with apparently underage girls. The Boeing 727-100 is alleged to have hosted sex parties with underage girls arranged by Epstein’s partner, Ghislaine Maxwell. Trump has consistently denied ever having been a passenger on The Lolita Express, but recent (December 2025) records have confirmed that Trump flew on Epstein’s plane many more times than was previously revealed. Based on documents released December 2025, flight records show that Trump flew on Epstein’s private plane eight times between 1993 and 1996. Some key details of these flights include:

• On at least four of these flights, Ghislaine Maxwell was also a passenger

• One flight listed only Trump and Epstein as the only two passengers

• One flight listed only Trump, Epstein, and a 20-year-old passenger whose name had been redacted from the files

• Two flights listed Trump, Epstein, and two different women whose names had been redacted from the files. These two women were identified as witnesses in a future case against Maxwell

"If I…no, no, I have no age…I mean I have an age. I don’t want to be like Congressman Foley, with, you know, 12-year-olds.” - Trump referencing disgraced Florida Republican Congressman Mark Foley, when asked if he by Howard Stern if he had an age limit for dating, 2006

Trump would often bring Knauss to business meetings in order to show her off, even bringing her along to an interview with Howard Stern, where the shock jock asked them lewd sexual questions. Melania continued her modeling career after meeting and starting to date Trump but took fewer jobs. Despite this, Melania was one of the first models recruited to Trump’s modeling agency, Trump Model Management, in February 1999. Several of the jobs Melania took were highly sexualized, involved nudity, with one taking place on Trump’s own private plane. Another sexualized photoshoot had her posing in a mock-up of The Oval Office.

It wasn’t long before Melania and Trump were seen together attending the same events as Epstein and his own partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, in and around Palm Beach. During Trump’s courtship of Melania, the two are known to have attended parties at both Mar-a-Lago and Epstein’s Manhattan apartment, often also joined by Maxwell.

“These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don’t draw pictures.” - Donald Trump, July 2025, commenting on the letter provided by Epstein's estate to the Wall Street Journal

According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump allegedly sent Epstein a bawdy letter for his 50^th birthday in 2003. This is the “doodle” of a woman’s curvy body that included an imagined conversation between Trump and Epstein, written within the lines of the doodle:

Voice Over: There must be more to life than having everything.

Donald Yes, there is, but I won’t tell you what it is.

Jeffrey Nor will I, since I also know what it is.

Donald We have certain things in common, Jeffrey.

Jeffrey Yes, we do, come to think of it.

Donald Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?

Jeffrey As a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you.

Donald A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret.

The doodle was signed “Donald J. Trump” printed over Trump’s distinctive signature signed in thick black ink…positioned where the woman’s pubic area would have been in the drawing. While the signature has not been definitively verified as being authentic, various professional handwriting experts have noticed similarities. It must be noted that - despite his claims to never doodling - Trump is known to previously drawn and signed sketches, often for charity auctions, which later sold for thousands of dollars...

"Epstein and Trump — Love Interrupted" is a love story presented in three parts. Read Part One here, and Part Three here.

Author

Sean Thompson

Club Member, Democratic Club of Greater Tracy