FBI Report Reveals Trump's 2006 Call Implicating Epstein

The document contradicts Trump's previous explanations for ending ties with the convicted sex offender.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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A newly released FBI report details a 2006 phone call in which then-businessman Donald Trump told the Palm Beach police chief that "everyone" knew what Jeffrey Epstein had been doing, contradicting Trump's later claims that he had no knowledge of Epstein's wrongdoing. The report adds another conflicting data point to Trump's various explanations over the years for why he ended his long history of socializing with Epstein.

Why it matters

The FBI report raises further questions about Trump's relationship with Epstein and his knowledge of the convicted sex offender's crimes. It undercuts Trump's previous assertions that he had no idea about Epstein's misconduct and contradicts the White House's recent claim that the document vindicates the former president.

The details

According to the FBI report, Trump called then-Palm Beach Police Chief Michael Reiter in 2006 and said, "Thank goodness you're stopping him, everyone has known he's been doing this." Reiter, who has since retired, told investigators that Trump was among the first to call him after news of the investigation into Epstein spread, and that Trump told him to focus on Epstein's associate Ghislaine Maxwell, calling her Epstein's "operative" and "evil."

  • In 2006, the Palm Beach Police received a complaint that Epstein had molested a young girl he had hired to give him a massage.
  • Epstein was originally arrested in 2008, three years after the Palm Beach Police complaint.
  • In 2018, the Miami Herald ran articles about the sweetheart deal that let Epstein plead guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution in return for immunity on more serious sex trafficking charges.
  • In the summer of 2019, federal prosecutors in New York indicted and arrested Epstein.
  • In 2022, Epstein's associate Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.

The players

Donald Trump

The former president of the United States who had a long history of socializing with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

Jeffrey Epstein

The convicted sex offender who died by apparent suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on child sex trafficking charges.

Ghislaine Maxwell

Epstein's associate who was convicted at trial in late 2021 and sentenced to 20 years in federal prison in 2022 for her role in Epstein's sex trafficking scheme.

Michael Reiter

The former Palm Beach Police chief who was interviewed by the FBI about his 2006 phone call with Donald Trump regarding Epstein.

Karoline Leavitt

The current White House press secretary who falsely claimed the FBI report vindicates Trump's previous statements about Epstein.

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What they’re saying

“Thank goodness you're stopping him, everyone has known he's been doing this.”

— Donald Trump (FBI report)

“Look, it was a phone call that may or may not have happened in 2006.... What I'm telling you is that what President Trump has always said is that he kicked Jeffrey Epstein out of his Mar-a-Lago club because Jeffrey Epstein was a creep and that remains true. And this call, if it did happen, corroborates exactly what President Trump has said from the beginning.”

— Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary (Press briefing)

What’s next

The Justice Department has not indicated whether it will pursue any further action against Trump or others based on the newly released FBI report.

The takeaway

The FBI report contradicts Trump's previous claims of ignorance about Epstein's crimes and raises new questions about the extent of their relationship and Trump's knowledge of Epstein's misconduct. It adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing investigations and public scrutiny surrounding Trump's ties to the convicted sex offender.