Fact Check: Did Ghislaine Maxwell confirm Epstein kept secret tapes of Trump and Bill Clinton?
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: A claim that Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime associate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, confirmed the existence of secret videotapes of Donald Trump and Bill Clinton circulated across social media.
Posts on Facebook, X, and Reddit alleged that Maxwell had acknowledged Epstein secretly recorded the two men, often citing a Radar Online headline as “proof.”
Claim: Ghislaine Maxwell confirmed Epstein kept secret tapes of Donald Trump and Bill Clinton
In late August 2025, social media posts and articles claimed Ghislaine Maxwell “confirmed” that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein possessed secret videotapes of US President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton.
A viral headline from Radar Online read: “EXCLUSIVE: Ghislaine Maxwell Told Investigator Epstein Had Secret ‘Tapes’ of BOTH Trump and Bill Clinton — Years Before Her Donald-Saving DOJ Interview.”
Fact Check: Ghislaine Maxwell has never confirmed such tapes exist
There is no evidence that Ghislaine Maxwell ever confirmed the existence of hidden recordings involving Trump or Clinton. The claim traces back to a secondhand account in a 2021 memoir by Ira Rosen, a former '60 Minutes' producer, who recalled an alleged exchange with Maxwell nearly a decade earlier.
In his book, 'Ticking Clock: Behind the Scenes at 60 Minutes', Rosen wrote that he asked Maxwell about tapes of Trump with underage girls. According to Rosen, she replied, “I don’t know where they are,” and suggested that if tapes of Trump existed, there would also be tapes of Clinton.
The book itself noted she never revealed having seen such tapes or knowing where they might be.
What did Ghislaine Maxwell say in 2025?
Crucially, in July 2025, the US Department of Justice released transcripts of a two-day interview with Ghislaine Maxwell. In that sworn setting, Maxwell denied ever installing or seeing surveillance equipment in Epstein’s properties, denied that Trump or Clinton were involved in Epstein’s crimes, and rejected the idea of a so-called “client list.”
When asked about Trump, Maxwell said she “never saw the president in any type of massage setting” and “never witnessed the president in any inappropriate setting in any way,” adding that during her time with him, “he was a gentleman in all respects.” She also denied ever hearing claims that Trump behaved improperly around Epstein’s “masseuses.”
As for Clinton, Maxwell rejected the notion that he was ever a “client” of Epstein. Asked whether Clinton had “ever received a massage,” she replied, “I don’t believe he did.”
At no point in the interview did she acknowledge or confirm that any tapes existed.
A keyword search of credible outlets and official records yields no confirmation of such material. Aside from the recycled anecdote in Rosen’s book and gossip-site headlines, there is no substantiated reporting that Maxwell ever made such an admission.
