Did Trump spend 2017 Thanksgiving with Epstein?

EXPLAINER

Emails that person emerged precocious person led to speculation implicit a meeting. But there’s nary grounds to backmost the speculation.

United States President Donald Trump has distanced himself from disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, saying the erstwhile friends had severed ties much than a decennary earlier his 2019 apprehension connected national enactment trafficking charges.

But 1 Democrat is utilizing newly released documents from Epstein’s property to asseverate that the 2 remained friends aft Trump archetypal became president successful 2016.

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Representative Sean Casten, a Democrat from Illinois, highlighted 1 email speech and said successful a November 12 station connected X: “Trump spent his archetypal Thanksgiving aft getting elected President with Jeffrey Epstein. 2017.”

Trump spent his archetypal Thanksgiving aft getting elected President with Jeffrey Epstein. 2017. pic.twitter.com/1CU51k8yl4

— Sean Casten (@SeanCasten) November 13, 2025

He attached an representation of emails dated November 23, 2017 – Thanksgiving Day – betwixt Epstein and NEXT Management Cofounder Faith Kates, which read:

Epstein: anticipation contiguous is amusive for you.

Kates: Fun!!! When are you backmost successful NYC?

Epstein: each adjacent week

Kates: Ok dylan volition privation to spot you I ever privation to spot you. Where are you having thanksgiving?

Epstein: eva

Faith Kates: That means glenn cheque retired his reddish hair!!!

Epstein: berries colour for holiday

Kates: He’s specified a snooze who other is down there?

Epstein: david fizel. hanson. trump

Kates: Have fun!!!

Casten has not responded to a petition for comment. “Those emails beryllium virtually nothing,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said successful an email.

News reports, photos, videos and White House releases amusement Trump spent that 2017 Thanksgiving successful Mar-a-Lago. PolitiFact, however, did not find immoderate proof that helium met Epstein that day.

There are antithetic accounts of erstwhile Trump and Epstein had their falling out, with periods ranging from 2004 to 2007. The Miami Herald reported that Trump barred Epstein from Mar-a-Lago successful October 2007, a decennary earlier the Thanksgiving Day successful question.

In 2008, Epstein pleaded blameworthy to authorities charges of soliciting prostitution and soliciting prostitution from a minor.

Two of the 3 radical Epstein mentioned successful his 2017 email arsenic being “down there” are radical who had spot successful South Florida astatine the time. It is unclear who helium was referring to erstwhile helium mentioned “Hanson”. It is imaginable Epstein was not foretelling a circumstantial Thanksgiving Day program but answering different New Yorker’s question astir who among the radical successful their societal ellipse would besides beryllium successful the Florida country during that period.

Trump arrived successful West Palm Beach, Florida, connected November 21, 2017, and stayed determination for respective days, according to the president’s nationalist schedules documented successful Roll Call’s FactBase.

On Thanksgiving morning, helium spoke to members of the subject via video league and visited coastguard members astatine the Lake Worth Inlet Station successful Riviera Beach, Florida. The White House published transcripts of Trump’s remarks to some groups. Trump besides issued a Thanksgiving connection to the state and went to the Trump International Golf Club successful West Palm Beach.

Photographers for The Associated Press quality agency, The Palm Beach Post and Getty Images, among others, captured photos of Trump’s activities.

A CNN study said Trump held an “opulent” meal astatine the Mar-a-Lago members-only club. PolitiFact did not find reports listing who was successful attendance, but the White House told CNN the archetypal household would beryllium having “a bully Thanksgiving meal with each the family”.

Trump was besides progressive connected societal media. In a November 22, 2017, station connected X, past known arsenic Twitter, helium said helium “will beryllium having meetings and moving the phones from the Winter White House successful Florida [Mar-a-Lago]”. He did not specify whom helium would beryllium meeting. On Thanksgiving morning, helium said successful part: “HAPPY THANKSGIVING, your Country is starting to bash truly well.”

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, your Country is starting to bash truly well. Jobs coming back, highest Stock Market EVER, Military getting truly strong, we volition physique the WALL, V.A. taking attraction of our Vets, large Supreme Court Justice, RECORD CUT IN REGS, lowest unemployment successful 17 years….!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 23, 2017

Trump near Mar-a-Lago and returned to the White House connected November 26, 2017, the Sunday aft Thanksgiving.