Trump campaign says it didn’t know replacement plane used by ex-POTUS was earlier owned by Jeffrey Epstein

WASHINGTON, DC: Former president Donald Trump flew on a private jet formerly owned by convicted financier Jeffrey Epstein during his campaign travels over the weekend, the Miami Herald reported on Monday, August 12.

The GOP nominee was on his way to a rally in Bozeman, Montana, on August 9, when his own private plane, Trump Force One, faced mechanical issues and was forced to land in Billings. With some of his staff members, Trump flew to his destination the same night.

The Trump campaign confirmed that the team switched to another larger Gulfstream the following day, whose serial number matched a plane that was once owned by Epstein.

Donald Trump did not fly on the infamous Lolita Express

The Gulfstream jet that was used by the Trump campaign was registered in 2018 to one of Jeffrey Epstein's companies based in the US Virgin Islands. According to flight data, it is presently owned by Threshold Aviation Group in Ontario, California, which offers private charter service.

Epstein, the high-profile financier who was convicted of serious crimes, was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City in 2019. One of his private Gulfstream aircraft, named Lolita Express, was infamously associated with his crimes.

However, it was not the one that the Trump campaign availed over the weekend, as the Miami Herald reported the Lolita Express has since been destroyed.

A spokeswoman for the Trump campaign shared, "The campaign had no awareness that the charter plane had been owned by Mr. Epstein... We heard about the former owner through the media.”

While Trump's use of the plane associated with Epstein may increase public scrutiny on the former president, the Miami Herald confirmed that "no evidence has surfaced" that links Trump to Epstein's crimes.

Internet reacts to Jeffrey Epstein link to plane used by Trump campaign

Social media users on X (formerly Twitter) insisted that the previous ownership of the plane chartered by the Trump campaign did not in any way link Donald Trump to Jeffrey Epstein's crimes and is therefore, an insignificant detail. The following tweets demonstrate their take on the issue.

"How is this a news story? They rented the most available private jet because theirs broke down; doesn't matter who owned it," wrote a user.

"Damn y’all are REALLY reaching now," jibed another.

"You’re more upset about this than the client list not being released," chided a third.

"What’s the big deal. Epstein is dead. He no longer owns a plane," pointed out a fourth.

"Uh... that's how renting planes work. Dumba**es," slammed a fifth.

"The media is more interested in the entire history of ownership of a plane that Trump chartered while his is in maintenance, than covering Epstein's client list and victims," commented yet another.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.