What Bill Clinton Said Under Oath About Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein’s Relationship
The House Oversight Committee released a video of former President Bill Clinton’s deposition in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. In sworn testimony, Clinton described a conversation with Donald Trump that took place on Trump’s golf course during the Joe Torre charity tournament more than 20 years ago.
Transcript
PRESIDENT CLINTON: I don’t want to leave the impression—as it didn’t follow—that the president, 20 years ago, ever said anything to me that made me think he was involved in anything wrong with Epstein. He didn’t. He just said, “We were friends and then we argued about the land issue, the housing agreement.” That’s all.
ADVICE FOR YOUNGSTERS: What were the circumstances of that conversation?
PRESIDENT CLINTON: We were on his golf course. For several years, Joe Torre, who managed the Yankees and is a friend, held a charity tournament called the Safe at Home Foundation to fight domestic violence. I wanted to support you. Donald Trump gave him a golf course in New York, and I played on it a few times.
The day I was there, he came out and played a few holes with us. He somehow knew that I had flown on Jeffrey Epstein’s plane. He said, “You know, we’ve had some good times together over the years, but we had a falling out over the real estate deal.” And he said, “I’m sorry it happened.” That’s all.
ADVICE FOR YOUNGSTERS: Remember that President Trump was the first to bring up Jeffrey Epstein?
PRESIDENT CLINTON: No, but I would be shocked if I did. I just don’t do that.
ADVICE FOR YOUNGSTERS: Did President Trump elaborate on the “big moments” he mentioned?
PRESIDENT CLINTON: No. At the time, I didn’t put any gender on it.
ADVICE FOR YOUNGSTERS: Did you explain the end of their friendship just because of the real estate deal?
PRESIDENT CLINTON: He said that. I didn’t think much of it at the time. It lasted about two minutes, and then we left.
ADVICE FOR YOUNGSTERS: Your best memory of when this happened?
PRESIDENT CLINTON: 2002 or 2003.
Annotations/Notes
- The interview took place on Donald Trump’s golf course during the Joe Torre Safe at Home Foundation tournament, an annual event that raises money to fight domestic violence.
- Trump donated the use of the Trump National Golf Club in New York for the tournament; Clinton said he’s played in it a few times over the years.
- Trump approached Clinton at a lecture after realizing she had flown on Jeffrey Epstein’s plane and said they had “a good time together” before the real estate deal ended their friendship.
- That deal was the November 2004 bankruptcy auction of Maison de l’Amitié, a 6-acre beachfront estate in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump and Epstein enter bidding war; Trump won with a final bid of $41.35 million. The sale was widely reported when their friendship ended.
- Clinton testified under oath that the conversation took place in 2002 or 2003. However, the real estate deal didn’t happen until November 2004, and Joe Torre’s run on Trump’s course began right away (the first annual event in 2004, with later written appearances in 2008 and 2009).
- Clinton noted that he played the event many times, so the brief exchange he described could have happened at one of the tournaments after the 2004 deal.
- The entire conversation lasted about two minutes and was initiated by Trump, according to Clinton’s sworn testimony.
