General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI believe Trump wasn't just a friend, or even a client of Epstein, but rather a partner in the business,
And at times even a competitor. How did Trump put it last year when explaining why he dropped Epstein as a friend, that Epstein "stole" young women. Strange that he would use language implying some sort of ownership, don't you think. But it goes beyond just language. In 1999, following the model of sex traffickers Jean-Luc Brunel, John Casablancas, and Paollo Zampolli, all of whom he knew well, Trump opened up Trump Model Management. Bringing in Eastern European and South American teenage girls on tourist or extraordinary talent visas, Trump would glam them up a bit, force them into sardine can like living conditions, charge them for every little thing, and turn them out for work. Whether some, or any of that work was actually legal, or even modeling, well, that's to be determined. His current wife came into this country the same way, and apparently worked in porn and escort services.
Let's not forget that Trump also owned, for awhile before he destroyed them, three beauty pagents, Miss USA, Miss Universe, and Miss Teen USA. He used his position to walk into the changing rooms while contestants were either naked or only partially clothed. He also, apparently, rigged the contest so that the ones he found most attractive won. Let's not forget that beauty pagents are rife with sexual assault, which former contestants have accused Trump of doing, and have serious ties to sex trafficking. In fact at least one of the Miss Teen USA contestants wound up being an Epstein victim.
Trump also has deep ties to the mob underworld, both the traditional native mob, and the Russian mob. It started out because the real estate and construction business has always been rife with mob influence. Then came the casinos, another mob influenced business. It also seems later that he laundered money for the Russian mob. Now the mob, both US and Russian are also heavily linked to sex trafficking. Things that make you go Hmmm.
Then there is the matter of with whom he surrounds himself. Name after name of men, currently in his administration, or prominent friends outside of it, keep dripping out of the Epstein files, Bannon, Lutwick, Dershowitz, on and on it goes. Birds of a feather, and all that.
So as these matters keep being revealed, in drips and drabs, the only conclusion I can come to is that Trump wasn't "just" a client, bad as that is. No, I think he was an active participant in international sex trafficking, in one capacity or another. Epstein might have been his partner, or his handler, who know, we certainly don't. Sadly I doubt we will ever know the full extent of this until fifty plus years from now, when Trump and all of these men of power are dead, and can't wield their influence to keep us from the truth.
But maybe, just maybe we can uncover enough in the here and now to remove that bastard from office and put him in jail where he belongs. One can but hope.
Deuxcents
(26,184 posts)Srkdqltr
(9,583 posts)livetohike
(24,141 posts)take advantage of to enrich himself.This network of pedophiles will be uncovered piece by piece. Who are our present day Woodward and Bernstein? Who is our Deep Throat?
MadameButterfly
(3,890 posts)(though Deep Throat did say their lives were at risk) nor was Nixon about to topple democracy(for any election other than his own).
But the evidence here is so much more sordid and abundant.
Imagine Trump tying to plug all the leaks for the rest of his life. Doesn't seem like he'll succeed.
allegorical oracle
(6,358 posts)Believe their connection may have begun as an "investment" connection, but evolved into the model industry and finding young women to be beauty contestants and models. From there, it further evolved to cover both bases -- sexually servicing wealthy financiers. The majority of names in the "files" likely relates to people who were using Epstein's financial ties.
Others, yet defined as perps, got entangled in the illegal, brutal, perversive activities.
pandr32
(14,044 posts)They were friends and fellow perverts.
They had a falling out because Trump is the worst of the worst according to Epstein and he certainly knew them all. Trump wanted access to the clients Epstein had and his influence and leverage over them. He already knew many and they helped him become POTUS. Both Epstein and Trump are connected to Putin.
Epstein became a liability to Trump. Epstein was killed.
Trump's FBI raided Epstein's properties and seized troves of files, photographs and recordings.
Trump failed securing a second term because of the mail-in votes which could not be altered.
Trump staged an insurrection, but his VP refused to co-operate. He was supposed to be a stooge.
Trump used all his compromised connections and was reinstalled to the White House in a myriad of ways including using Trumpstein client Musk.
Trump and his family are gathering billions by leveraging all the material they have accessed from Epstein's troves and rewarding fellow perverts with enormous contracts and access to U.S. data and classified intel.
Trump (and family) thinks he has become too powerful to fail. The powerful and compromised men in the world have been propping Trump up to protect themselves and their criminal enterprises--even while Trump is physically and mentally deteriorating.
This is becoming the biggest scandal we have ever seen. Even our media is owned by members of the Trumpstein network.
bdamomma
(69,392 posts)pandr32
(14,044 posts)BattleRow
(2,177 posts)occured to me that if there ever was a fallout between the two miscreants,it conceivably could be Epstein cutting ties because HIS stable was being raided.
OGBuzz
(120 posts)CincyDem
(7,351 posts)Blue Full Moon
(3,315 posts)canetoad
(20,481 posts)If one of them (trump/epstein) was the boss, so to speak. I can't imagine either one of them submitting to the authority of the other.
AZJonnie
(3,313 posts)"How did Trump put it last year when explaining why he dropped Epstein as a friend, that Epstein "stole" young women. Strange that he would use language implying some sort of ownership, don't you think."
The "ownership" implication comes from the fact that Virginia Guiffre was recruited from Mar-A-Lago by Maxwell, wherein she quit working at MAL to go work for Epstein. By "stolen from him" it's logical to conclude he was referring to "employee pilfering" in the context it was said
But more importantly, that Trump statement was bullshit revisionist history. The falling out was over a S.FL 2004 real estate deal, where Trump snaked a property from Epstein at auction. It was an estate that Epstein had found, was interested in buying, then took Trump to give his professional opinion on. Trump's recent quote was him trying to make it sound like he cut things off with Epstein over his abuse of minors, but that's bullshit. He did not. And Epstein stayed a member at MAL until like 2009-2010, whereas the pilfering of Guiffre was like 2001.
Also, that real estate deal? In 2018 Epstein told Wolff that he thought Trump got the money for that deal from Russians, because he was broke AF at the time it happened. It's the property that Trump sold to the Russian oligarch in 2009 at the bottom of the housing market, for *at least double* the market value (which has been widely reported). Epstein thought the initial $40M (in 2004) Trump used to outbid him also came from that same oligarch. Illegally. The whole thing was "money laundering".
This part I also agree with "I think he was an active participant in international sex trafficking, in one capacity or another" but I also think too much of the focus has been on the idea that Epstein was trafficking minors at scale and/or for profit purposes. Sad reality is that trafficking gorgeous international models from 18-25yo is something that can be done with FAR greater impunity, to a FAR larger client base, than would ever be the case with minors. Non-minors can also be trafficked to mainstream pornographers, and we all know how much $$$ there is in that
I think the idea that Epstein was grooming the 30-or-so known-minor victims for eventual, for-profit work e.g. the moment they turned 18 is one that has been way underexplored, in favor of the more titillating (but actually much less practical) "trafficking minors to his rich buddies" interpretation. NOT that Epstein was not also a total perverted sicko who got off on controlling and abusing minor girls, I'm not saying that's not ALSO true. But to the extent there was a BUSINESS? It was very likely *not* minors, and the evidence that it was is far thinner than the public's perception of "what's actually there".
Although it's perhaps a less satisfying accusation, Epstein's trafficking of non-minors is the part of the story Trump should be really, really be considered likely to have been a part of, IMHO.
Nasruddin
(1,215 posts)It's the only reason he would be concerned about this case.
Unless it's even worse (like it was a kind of intelligence operation by somebody bad).
ToxMarz
(2,828 posts)It was an intiation into a private world of wealth and corruption. They knew who they could safely and reliably illicitly conspire with on business, politics or governments through the threat of mutual self destruction. And they recruited new members based on what benefit they could gain having that kind of leverage over them. And of course being the sick perverts they were, it was something they could enjoy together.
dlk
(13,213 posts)The most damning evidence was likely shredded long ago.
bdamomma
(69,392 posts)you have to listen to. Very dark in content. DJT is the Head of the snake of all this. He needs to be removed ASAP. He gets off on torturing human beings and a lot more. Some people that were mentioned at these "parties" are Jim Jordan, Clarence Thomas, Lindsay Graham. and PUTIN (correction Putin mentioned, but did not attend parties) and of course, DJT.
It is rather long in content but must be listened and shared.
bdamomma
(69,392 posts)K&R
patphil
(8,870 posts)I don't see how he could resist being part of that big beautiful criminal enterprise Epstein was building.
Money, power, control, and lots of young girls...just the kind of things Trump would go out of his way to help run.
Trump would get plenty of opportunity to hobnob with the rich and powerful, while enjoying access to vulnerable girls in an environment where he wouldn't have any accountability.
tanyev
(48,938 posts)when he was U.S. Attorney for Southern New York, creating a vaccuum which was quickly filled by the Russian mafia. I dont recall Attorney (or Mayor) Giuliani doing anything about that.
🤔
EdmondDantes_
(1,573 posts)There's some anonymous claims to the tip lines, nothing like E Jean Carroll, or anyone going to the real press. It's hard for me to buy that someone wouldn't have come forward with a case that would survive scrutiny. And before you say they are afraid he'd have them killed, E Jean Carroll is in good health after getting him adjudicated guilty of sexual abuse.
Likewise if anything was in what of the Epstein files that have been released to Congress that implicated Trump, there would have been a race to the nearest media outlet. Maybe you can say that something was withheld from what was released to Congress, but that's supposition.
Skittles
(170,389 posts)???????????
Tesha
(21,113 posts)Not really, not ever
Midnight Writer
(25,218 posts)It was the same interview that he bragged about barging into the girls' dressing rooms without knocking.
"I have the right, you know, as the owner, to inspect the merchandise."
Dave Bowman
(6,966 posts)boyedav1969
(115 posts)...through which Epstein was funneling his money, looked very similar to the shady European / Russian ones Trump was known to use.
Grins
(9,352 posts)The bank favored by Putin and the Russian mob to launder money.
dempls
(48 posts)Trump's little grubby hands are all over it. And he doesn't give a damn about anyone else.
Grins
(9,352 posts)Media has me screaming at the TV! They only cover whats in todays news.
Im yelling for them to go back further!!! Go back to Casablancas!! To where it really started. Go back 40-years!
And friendly competitor may be the correct phrasing. JE HATED it when Trump got something he wanted; in one case (in a court deposition) - the virginity of A TWELVE YEAR OLD girl! And Epstein took that slight out on the girl..
Thanks for posting.
liberalla
(10,970 posts)him getting his cut... and it's no little slice either. Every deal he makes these days involves large chunks of cash or bitcoin being deposited in a t-Rump acct. Some aren't even in the States... He doesn't even hide it... though I believe there's still much we don't know.
Yes, they were in cahoots, partners or whatever... Until they weren't. One ego didn't get his way and they became fierce competitors/foes/enemies in all sorts of criminal schemes.
smdh
dalton99a
(93,028 posts)Akakoji
(499 posts)Theyre all sex traffickers
Figarosmom
(10,767 posts)And I think there were a few others. It was a consortium of the Rich. Doing those things made them feel like people had no control over them because they could do whatever they wanted. They weren't mere mortals.
kentuck
(115,309 posts)But when they met and understood their interests were similar, Trump probably volunteered to help him secure young girls. He likely bragged about owning the Ms Teen Pageant. I think there are documents already public that have pointed that out?
Then, they were swapping girls, in my opinion. They obviously had built up a reputation within a certain class of very wealthy billionaires and rich people. It is impossible to grasp the magnitude of this scandal. We usually leave the sex scandals to the Brits. They are much better at it.
Then they got their hands on the government. They got their greedy hands everywhere. The corruptness was only limited by their imaginations. Total disregard for the laws of this country.
ColoringFool
(465 posts)Winner gets to order the murder of the erstwhile rival.
debsy
(837 posts)Probably more
usonian
(24,275 posts)Lots there and more lately.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100221017875
Follow links there.