Trump Told Palm Beach Police Chief About Epstein's Crimes

New interview reveals Trump's early knowledge of Epstein's sex crimes against teenagers

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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A previously unreported 2019 FBI interview with former Palm Beach police chief Michael Reiter has revealed that in 2006, then-President Donald Trump called Reiter to say that "everyone has known" about Jeffrey Epstein's crimes against teenage girls, and that he was "thankful" Reiter was "stopping him". This new information contradicts Trump's past claims of having no knowledge of Epstein's activities.

Why it matters

This revelation raises serious questions about how much Trump actually knew about Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell's sex trafficking crimes, and when he became aware of them. It also underscores the extent to which Epstein's predatory behavior was an open secret among the wealthy and powerful in New York and Palm Beach circles.

The details

According to the 2019 FBI interview, in July 2006 - just as Epstein's criminal case was becoming public - Trump called then-Palm Beach police chief Michael Reiter to say that "everyone has known he's been doing this" in reference to Epstein's activities with underage girls. Trump also told Reiter he was "thankful" the police were "stopping him". This contradicts Trump's past claims of having no knowledge of Epstein's crimes.

  • In July 2006, Trump called then-Palm Beach police chief Michael Reiter.
  • The FBI interview with Reiter was conducted in October 2019.

The players

Donald Trump

The former President of the United States who called the Palm Beach police chief about Jeffrey Epstein's crimes.

Michael Reiter

The former Palm Beach police chief who was interviewed by the FBI in 2019 about his conversation with Trump regarding Epstein.

Jeffrey Epstein

The convicted sex offender whose crimes against teenage girls were known to Trump according to the police chief's account.

Ghislaine Maxwell

Epstein's longtime associate who was also involved in sex trafficking underage girls.

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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 interview)

What’s next

The revelations from the 2019 FBI interview with the former Palm Beach police chief are likely to spur renewed scrutiny of Trump's connections to Epstein and Maxwell, and how much he truly knew about their criminal activities.

The takeaway

This new information contradicts Trump's past claims of ignorance about Epstein's crimes, and suggests the former president was aware of the wealthy financier's predatory behavior towards teenage girls much earlier than he has previously acknowledged.