What did Donald Trump do today?
He tiptoed around the idea of clemency for his friend, the child sex trafficker and rapist Ghislaine Maxwell.
Ghislaine Maxwell, the socialite who helped Jeffrey Epstein groom young girls into his child sex trafficking network, and who actively participated in the rape of children herself, has suddenly been receiving a great deal of attention from Trump's Justice Department.
Maxwell has spoken with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche for over nine hours this week, and received immunity to do so. This means that she cannot be prosecuted for any crimes she confesses to or implicates herself in by virtue of what she says. It is virtually unheard of for a criminal to be given immunity after they have already been convicted.
There's one other important bit of context here: Maxwell has already been charged with perjury over lies she told to protect Epstein during a 2015 civil trial.
Maxwell's attorneys have stressed in public statements that she would "welcome any relief" in exchange for her "assistance." Asked about the possibility of rewarding Maxwell with clemency—something that would only happen if her statements helped Trump bury the scandal—Trump refused to rule it out. Instead, he would only say that he was allowed to do it, but claimed he hadn't thought about it.
This isn't the first time Trump has shown an extraordinary deference to Maxwell. In 2020, when she was facing trial and eventual conviction on child sex trafficking charges, Trump repeatedly wished her "good luck" and, in an interview, expressed sympathy for her over Epstein's apparent suicide.
JONATHAN SWAN: Mr. President, the other day a reporter asked you about Ghislaine Maxwell. You said, quote, "I just wish her well, frankly. I've met her numerous times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm Beach. But I wish her well, whatever it is."
Mr. President, Ghislaine Maxwell has been arrested on charges of child sex trafficking. Why would you wish such a person—
TRUMP: Well first of all, I don't know that. But I do know—
SWAN: She has. She's been arrested for that!
TRUMP: Her friend, or boyfriend—
SWAN: Epstein.
TRUMP: Was either killed or committed suicide in jail. She's now in jail. Yeah, I wish you well. I wish a lot of people well. Good luck! …I'm not looking for anything bad for her. I'm not looking bad for anybody.
SWAN: She's an alleged child sex trafficker.
TRUMP: Big deal.
Trump routinely threatens his enemies with violence or prosecution: just today, he said that Kamala Harris and three other Black celebrities should go to prison because they endorsed her for president. His first real foray into public debate was when he called for the death penalty for five men wrongly accused of raping a woman in Central Park in 1989—and then repeated it on the campaign trail long after DNA evidence had completely exonerated them.
He did not offer any further explanation as to why he would consider leniency toward a woman who, beyond any doubt, has groomed, trafficked, and raped children.
Why does this matter?
- Of all the people in the world, this is the one who Donald Trump won't slam the jail door on.