Although Donald Trump eventually severed ties with Jeffrey Epstein, banning the convicted sex trafficker from Mar-a-Lagofollowing a 2003 incident, he had received prior warnings from his then-wife Marla Maples that he chose to disregard. According to a Wall Street Journal report released Tuesday evening, Trump’s break with Epstein came after an 18-year-old Mar-a-Lago beautician complained that Epstein pressured her for sex after being sent to his residence. This incident prompted Trump to ban Epstein from the resort. However, the Journal reports that Maples, who was married to Trump from 1993 to 1999, harbored early and prescient skepticism about Epstein—a concern shared with Mar-a-Lago staff members. According to Journal reporters Joe Palazzolo, Rebecca Ballhaus, and Khadeeja Safdar, Maples, typically reserved in her public commentary about individuals, “shared concerns with Mar-a-Lago staff about Epstein soon after the club opened in 1995, according to former employees.”
RELATED: Epstein had friends listen in on phone calls while Trump talked about sex The Journal reports that Maples remained vague about her specific objections but told employees that something about Epstein seemed “wrong” and “off,” and that she worried about his influence on Trump. Maples also communicated these concerns directly to her husband. Former club employees reported that Maples shared her reservations with Timothy McDaniel, a Trump family bodyguard who oversaw security at their Florida properties. “Maples told Trump that she was uneasy about Epstein’s presence and that she didn’t want to spend time with him—and didn’t want Trump to either, according to former employees and people close to Maples.” Despite these warnings, Epstein was not banned at that time and became a frequent visitor to the resort. Trump instructed staff to treat Epstein as a valued guest when he arrived with Ghislaine Maxwell, who “booked appointments on his behalf.” This was not an isolated instance of Maples expressing concern about Epstein. Two weeks ago, the New York Times reported that Maples privately warned a guest who attended the club with her 14-year-old daughter and a group of other teenagers in 1994: “Whatever you do, do not let her around any of these men, and especially my husband. Protect her.”
You can read more from the Journal here.
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