If there is one thing that is sure to end the presidency of Donald Trump, it is a video of him at a party in 1992 surrounded by NFL cheerleaders and having a conversation with Jeffrey Epstein long before anyone knew he was guilty of sex trafficking. On Wednesday, NBC News went through its archives to find a segment from Faith Daniels’ NBC talk show that captured Trump at one of his Mar-a-Lago parties (something common in the ‘80s and ‘90s).
MSNBC’s Morning Joe and NBC’s Today each dedicated at least 10 minute segments to an extraordinary achievement in investigative journalism: Trump was active in the wealthy New York/Florida party scene during his career as a real-estate mogul. This is neither new information, nor relevant to Epstein’s case because many millionaires were friends with him at the time.
On Morning Joe, the panelists lamented that Trump was friends with Jeffrey Epstein before anyone knew he was a sexual predator, including Mike Barnicle describing the video as “utterly depressing”:
ELISE JORDAN: They should be, and Epstein should be behind, you know, in prison right now, and I'm glad that these victims are finally getting to see a predator where he should be. Again, kudos to Julie Brown and the Miami Herald for their persistence, sticking with this story. I am still just a little bit "ugh" by that video we just saw of, you know, the two guys having the time of their life at Mar-a-Lago in '92, and you know, just yesterday there was an item in New York Magazine referencing a 2000 profile by Maximum Golf Magazine and it talks about Epstein and Trump, how Epstein hitched a ride with Ghislaine Maxwell, the fixer, the pimp, the co-predator on his private plane.So we know there's at least an eight-year stretch where they were tight enough where Donald Trump was welcoming Epstein on to his plane, and that seems pretty significant that it wasn't just a casual friendship, I mean, if I had a plane, I wouldn't just let anyone on it. Steve probably doesn't.
STEVE RATTNER: Certainly not Jeffrey Epstein. Look, I think it's clear that they were obviously friends and close and all that, and they had this falling out in 2002 and there were various rumors about why they had it. So there's a kind of before and after part to this relationship between the two of them, which we will eventually get clarified.
MIKE BARNICLE: This is all just so utterly depressing, he's President of the United States.
Today attempted to juxtapose the video with footage of one of Epstein’s victims, Courtney Wild, all in an attempt to implicate Trump in Epstein’s crimes.
If NBC was serious about actually doing hard-hitting journalism about the Epstein case, they would focus less on videos of parties from 1992 and more on President Bill Clinton’s sketchy relationship with Epstein. Not only did Clinton lie about the number of times he flew on Epstein’s private jet according to flight logs, but investigative journalists also found that Clinton was on his plane at the same time as underage girls.
In another attempt to go after President Trump, NBC once again falls flat on its face.
The full transcripts are below. Click "expand" to read more.
Morning Joe
07/17/2019
6:36 AM ET
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: So we want to show you now some footage from 1992 that our producers found in the NBC archives that shows Donald Trump with Jeffrey Epstein, who is now a sex offender and accused sex trafficker, looking at and talking about women at a party.
DONALD TRUMP: Welcome to the Southern White House.
BRZEZINSKI: Since becoming President, Donald Trump has branded Mar-a-Lago, the Southern White House, a place that entertains foreign leaders, where military strikes are ordered, and there's an open air situation room over dessert.
TRUMP: We had the most beautiful piece of chocolate cake that you have ever seen.
BRZEZINSKI: But in the 90s, Mar-a-Lago was Donald Trump's south Florida party palace, one frequented by Jeffrey Epstein, who is facing charges for sex trafficking. He has pleaded not guilty. The President says his relationship with Epstein was no different than anyone else in their elite circle.
TRUMP: I knew him like everybody in Palm Beach knew him. He was a fixture in Palm Beach. I don't think I have spoken to him in 15 years. I wasn't a fan.
BRZEZINSKI: Yet a tape in the NBC archives of a Mar-a-Lago party shows Trump giving Epstein his personal attention. The footage, shot in November of 1992 before Trump opened the resort as a club, shows the future President surrounded by cheerleaders for the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins, capturing Trump's fun-loving bachelor lifestyle for an appearance on Faith Daniels NBC talk show.
TRUMP: We're going to get great ratings on your show.
BRZEZINSKI: Trump is surrounded by women as music blares in the background. After a while, Trump goes to greet three new guests, among them, the financier, Jeffrey Epstein, more than a decade before his guilty plea on state prostitution charges. Later in the footage, Trump is seen talking to Epstein and another man as women are dancing in front of them. Trump alternates between dancing and pointing out women to Epstein and the other man, and telling Epstein about the cameras. Though exactly what they say is difficult to understand, as they discuss the women and their appearances, Trump gestures to one and appears to say to Epstein, "look at her back there, she's hot." And then Trump says something else into Epstein's ear that makes him double over with laughter, but as the President says now, he never liked Epstein.TRUMP: I was not a fan of his. That I can tell you. I was not a fan of his.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: Looks like a big fan of Epstein's.
BRZEZINSKI: I feel like I saw Ghislaine Maxwell, I believe that's the reported recruiter for Jeffrey Epstein and I thought she was in the background there. Again, here's what Donald Trump said to New York Magazine about Epstein in 2002, "I've known Jeff for 15 years, terrific guy. He's a lot of fun to be with. It's even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it, Jeffrey enjoys his social life."
SCARBOROUGH: And we certainly saw that there, Willie. Saw it very clearly. He and Epstein there very much enjoying that party, and Donald Trump saying he never liked Jeffrey Epstein. Once again, proven to be a lie.
WILLIE GEIST: Yeah, he says, "I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you." The President says that last week. Obviously he was a fan. We can see there, we can see it from the quote from 2002 in New York Magazine. It's all there. He says the relationship broke off about 15 years ago. The good news, Elise Jordan, is that the Southern District of New York is going to put all of this out into the open. There's going to be a trial, and we'll get to the bottom of this. We don't know if President Trump or then-businessman, TV host Donald Trump is implicated in any way, but there are a lot of powerful people in New York and elsewhere that have reason to be nervous for what's happening downtown in the southern district.
ELISE JORDAN: They should be, and Epstein should be behind, you know, in prison right now, and I'm glad that these victims are finally getting to see a predator where he should be. Again, kudos to Julie Brown and the Miami Herald for their persistence, sticking with this story. I am still just a little bit "ugh" by that video we just saw of, you know, the two guys having the time of their life at Mar-a-Lago in '92, and you know, just yesterday there was an item in New York Magazine referencing a 2000 profile by Maximum Golf Magazine and it talks about Epstein and Trump, how Epstein hitched a ride with Ghislaine Maxwell, the fixer, the pimp, the co-predator on his private plane. So we know there's at least an eight-year stretch where they were tight enough where Donald Trump was welcoming Epstein on to his plane, and that seems pretty significant that it wasn't just a casual friendship, I mean, if I had a plane, I wouldn't just let anyone on it. Steve probably doesn't.
STEVE RATTNER: Certainly not Jeffrey Epstein. Look, I think it's clear that they were obviously friends and close and all that, and they had this falling out in 2002 and there were various rumors about why they had it. So there's a kind of before and after part to this relationship between the two of them, which we will eventually get clarified.
MIKE BARNICLE: This is all just so utterly depressing, he's President of the United States.
SCARBOROUGH: Utterly depressing and also, Mike, when Elise brought up Julie Brown and the fact that she and the Miami Herald have really made this come to light again, and demanded justice once again, you cannot help but go back to Alan Dershowitz and the letter that he wrote, Alan Dershowitz who's been accused of wrong doing, Alan Dershowitz's letter to the Pulitzer Committee arguing that the Miami Herald and Julie Brown should not receive a Pulitzer. This for a man already accused and for a newspaper and a reporter who has done what, my god, nobody in the federal government or any state government has been able to do and that is to bring this man to justice.
BARNICLE: Yeah, we should point out that Professor Dershowitz has counter sued on that accusation, denied it vehemently. But the bottom line, Joe, to your point about the Miami Herald. The Miami Herald is a newspaper, enemies of the state, enemies of the people as Donald Trump has referred to much of the media, and without the Miami Herald, without Julie K. Brown writing doggedly over many, many months about this story, none of this would have been exposed.
Today
07/17/2019
7:32 A.M. Eastern
STEPHANIE GOSK: Good morning. President Trump says he knew Jeffrey Epstein, that he was part of the West Palm Beach set, in one interview calling him a "terrific guy." But more recently, Trump said the two had a falling out. This is video from 1992, both of them together at a party.
GOSK: An invitation into Donald Trump's world. Footage from 1992 found in the NBC archives shows the future president welcoming Jeffrey Epstein to his Mar-a-Lago estate. The get together more than a decade before Epstein pleaded guilty to prostitution charges in Florida. Both men are seen enjoying themselves. Trump pointing out women dancing in front of them. An apparently friendly encounter with the man the President is looking to distance himself from.
DONALD TRUMP: Well, I knew him like everybody in Palm Beach knew him. I had a falling out with him a long time ago. I don't think I've spoken to him in 15 years, I wasn't a fan.
GOSK: Epstein, who has pleaded not guilty to federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges in New York, is fighting to be released from jail while he waits for his trial. His lawyers now offering an explanation for the most mysterious item uncovered in a search of Epstein's Manhattan mansion, an expired foreign passport revealed by prosecutors as they tried to convince a judge that Epstein was a serious flight risk. The passport appearing to show Epstein's photo but under a different name. His residence listed as Saudi Arabia. Epstein's attorneys describing him as "an affluent member of the Jewish faith," now say he acquired the document from Austria in the 1980s for personal protection while traveling in the Middle East. Adding, it was "only to be presented to potential kidnappers, hijackers, or terrorists, should violent episodes occur." The explanation coming as one of Epstein's accusers is calling on other alleged victims to tell their stories.
COURTNEY WILD: If you have already made the courageous decision to come forward, thank you. If you have not, the time is now.
GOSK: Courtney wild first told authorities Epstein sexually abused her more than a decade ago, and says she was kept in the dark with the secret deal he cut with federal prosecutors in Florida in 2007.
WILD: My voice was muted by the same government that was supposed to protect me.
GOSK: Law enforcement officials across the country now working together, as more women speak up, saying they, too, were victimized by Epstein.
STEPHANIE GOSK: The White House and Epstein have not commented on the video. The next big court date for Epstein is tomorrow morning. It'll be that bail hearing, guys.
