Trump Says It Would be 'Inappropriate' to Comment on Whether He's Considering Ghislaine Maxwell Pardon By Brenton Blanchet

President Donald Trump has reiterated that he is “allowed” to pardon Jeffrey Epstein confidante Ghislaine Maxwell, but did not elaborate when asked if he plans to do so following her meetings with Department of Justice officials last week.

On Monday, July 28, during a bilateral meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump was asked by a reporter if he’d “rule out” pardoning Maxwell, 63.

Maxwell — who was convicted on child sex trafficking charges in 2021 for her role in facilitating Epstein’s abuse of young girls before being sentenced to two decades in prison — met with DOJ officials last week as public interest in the Trump administration’s handling of the “Epstein Files” persists.

“Well, I’m allowed to give her a pardon,” Trump, 79, reminded, before claiming, “Nobody’s approached me with it, nobody’s asked me about it.”

He continued of the pardon rumors: “It’s in the news, that aspect of it. But right now, it would be inappropriate to talk about it.”

On Friday, Maxwell — who is currently incarcerated in Florida — met with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche for a second day and reportedly answered questions about roughly 100 people the Trump administration suspects may have had ties to the late Epstein.

David Markus, Maxwell’s lawyer, told reporters afterward that she “answered questions about everybody and she didn’t hold anything back,” now four years after she was convicted for her crimes against children.

Markus also said Maxwell’s legal team has not spoken directly with Trump — who is one of the high-profile figures previously associated with the late Epstein — about receiving a pardon, but Maxwell “would welcome any relief.”

“She wants to tell the truth, because the truth can be corroborated or disproven,” the lawyer said. “If she lies, they can charge her with lying.”

On Monday, Markus appealed for the Supreme Court to reconsider Maxwell’s conviction, providing another possible avenue for her release while still holding out hope for Trump’s intervention.

“We are appealing not only to the Supreme Court but to the President himself to recognize how profoundly unjust it is to scapegoat Ghislaine Maxwell for Epstein’s crimes, especially when the government promised she would not be prosecuted,” Markus said in a statement.

Related Stories

Ghislaine Maxwell Reportedly Tells DOJ About 100 Potential Epstein Associates as She Angles for Trump Pardon

Donald Trump Says He ‘Never Had the Privilege’ to Go to Epstein’s Island

Maxwell was also subpoenaed by the Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee for a deposition that her attorney said is expected to occur the week of Aug. 11. Trump previously told reporters last week, regarding a potential pardon for Maxwell, that he is “allowed to do it, but it’s something I have not thought about.”

Heightened public interest surrounding the transparency of the Epstein documents comes after the DOJ released a report stating that the financier’s widely rumored “client list” did not exist.

Trump has since sued The Wall Street Journal after the publication reported on a birthday letter it says Trump wrote to Epstein, in which he allegedly said they had “certain things in common.” PEOPLE has not seen the letter.

The Journal later reported that the president was informed in May that his name appeared in the government’s Epstein documents multiple times, which the White House also brushed off as fake news.

Trump previously vowed on the 2024 campaign trail that he’d seek to publicize more information about Epstein’s crimes.

Elsewhere during the bilateral meeting on Monday, Trump claimed he never visited the convicted sex offender on his Little Saint James island, where many of Epstein’s alleged crimes are said to have been committed. While speaking with reporters, the president said he was invited to Epstein’s island, but rejected the offer.

“I never had the privilege of going to his island, and I did turn it down, but a lot of people in Palm Beach were invited to his island,” Trump said. “In one of my very good moments, I turned it down, I didn’t want to go to his island.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer.

Trump, who previously claimed their friendship ended before Epstein’s fall from grace, was also asked what caused the breach in their relationship. “That’s such old history — very easy to explain, but I don’t want to waste your time by explaining it,” he said.

“But for years I wouldn’t talk to Jeffrey Epstein. I wouldn’t talk because he did something that was inappropriate,” Trump continued. “He hired help, and I said, ‘Don’t ever do that again.’ He stole people that worked for me. I said, ‘Don’t ever do that again.’ He did it again, and I threw him out of the place. Persona non grata.”