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By Sonam Sheth
Evening Politics Editor
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President Donald Trump was asked on Tuesday whether he was aware of or personally approved the prison transfer of Ghislaine Maxwell, a sex offender serving a 20-year-sentence related to her association with disgraced financier and fellow sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
"Were you aware of—did you personally approve the prison transfer for Ghislaine Maxwell that your Justice Department—? a reporter asked Trump, before she was cut off.
"I didn't know about it at all, nope, I read about it just like you did," Trump said.
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Why It Matters
Maxwell was recently transferred to a minimum-security prison in Bryan, Texas, days after meeting with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump's former personal attorney. Maxwell's lawyer did not give a reason for his client's move and the Department of Justice declined a request for comment from The Washington Post, which first reported on the transfer.
Maxwell, who was convicted of sex-trafficking charges in 2021, was previously serving her sentence at a low-security prison in Tallahassee, Florida.
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What To Know
Trump was asked about Maxwell's transfer at an event related to the 2028 Olympic Games, which will be held in Los Angeles.
After asking the president if he was aware of Maxwell's prison transfer, the reporter followed up by asking Trump if he believes Maxwell is "credible."
Trump responded by saying that Blanche, who served as the president's personal defense attorney before becoming the second-highest ranking official at the Justice Department, is a "very highly thought of person" and "respected by everybody."
Maxwell recently met with Blanche one-on-one and answered hours of questions related to the investigation of Epstein, who in 2019 died by suicide in his prison cell while awaiting trial.
She is lobbying to have her sentence overturned on appeal and Trump recently said that while he hadn't thought about pardoning her, he has "the power to do so."
"I didn't talk to [Blanche] about it, but I will tell you that whatever he asked would be totally appropriate," Trump said on Tuesday.
"And it's not an uncommon thing to do that and I think he probably wants to make sure that people who should not be involved, or aren't involved, are not hurt by something that would be very, very unfortunate, very unfair to a lot of people," the president added.
Trump went on to reiterate that he believes Blanche is "highly respected" and that "anything he talked about with her or the fact that he did that—not unusual, number one, and most importantly, is something that would be totally aboveboard."
Reached for comment by Newsweek about whether Trump believes Maxwell is credible, the White House referred back to the president's remarks.
Multiple legal experts have sounded the alarm over Blanche personally meeting with a sex offender, particularly as the Trump administration is grappling with the fallout of the Justice Department's handling of the investigation into Epstein's death and his previous sex crimes.
What People Are Saying
Claire Finkelstein, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania law school, told NPR: "It is very concerning when you have someone who was formerly the president's personal lawyer then getting involved to possibly assist the president in protecting his own image in this—when he should be acting in a disinterested way for the Justice Department to ensure that justice is done here and that the interests of the American people are served."
Sarah Krissoff, former federal prosecutor who worked under Blanche in New York, echoed that view, telling NPR that it was "enormously unusual" for the deputy attorney general to hold the interview of Maxwell without other law enforcement present. She added: "You generally would never conduct an interview of a cooperating witness without law enforcement personnel in the room."
Update 8/5/25, 7:41 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and context.
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