Trump Says He Plans to Speak With the DOJ Regarding a Ghislaine Maxwell Pardon
"I can say this, I'd have to take a look at it."
Updated Oct. 7 2025, 11:15 a.m. ET
Years after the late Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell were separately convicted on charges related to sex trafficking, the much-talked-about Epstein files continue making headlines.
In September 2025, a group of Epstein's victims held a press conference demanding the release of said files. A few even suggested they would compile their own list of clients and individuals they dealt with during their time with the abusive financier.
Trump's claims that he has no suspicious ties to Epstein were not helped when Maxwell was moved from a high-security prison to a minimum-security facility in Texas. The relocation occurred in August 2025, following a two-day, nine-hour meeting between U.S. Deputy Attorney Todd Blanche and Maxwell, per NBC News.
The president has since been asked about pardoning Maxwell. Here is the latest information.
Here is what Trump has said about granting Ghislaine Maxwell a pardon.
In October 2025, the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from Maxwell that was her second-to-last chance at freedom. When asked about this by CNN's Kaitlan Collins, who wanted to know if he was considering a pardon, Trump said he hadn't heard that name in a while.
"I can say this, I'd have to take a look at it," said Trump, who added he would speak to the DOJ.
Back in July 2025, Trump biographer Michael Wolff revealed on the Daily Beast podcast that following her 2020 arrest, Trump considered pardoning Ghislaine if she was convicted due to fear of what could possibly be revealed about him.
Trump reportedly grew “very wary” at the time and began asking, “What could she say — what would she say?” Michael said. However, the long-time biographer added that those close to Trump at the time strongly advised against it.
“Everybody around him was kind of like, ‘God, we hope she won’t say anything, but we really hope he doesn’t pardon her,’” Michael told the outlet.
Towards the end of his first term, which is when Maxwell was arrested, Trump opted not to go through with the pardon, but as her high-profile trial began, he reportedly became sympathetic to what she was facing, Michael shared.
“I just wish her well, frankly,” Trump said at the time, per The Hill. “I’ve met her numerous times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm Beach, and I guess they lived in Palm Beach. I wish her well, whatever it is.”
The Trump administration has responded to Michael Wolff's claims.
Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, did not mince words when asked to respond to Wolff's comments about Trump. “Michael Wolff is a lying sack of s--t and has been proven to be a fraud,” Steven told the Daily Beast.
“He routinely fabricates stories originating from his sick and warped imagination, only possible because he has a severe and debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome that has rotted his peanut-sized brain,” he said.
Additionally, a senior White House official also spoke to the outlet about the reported pardon consideration, saying that “there have been no conversations regarding a pardon for Maxwell and that none will take place.”