Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app
Continue in app Continue in browser

The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Fight boredom with iPhones and iPads here.

Trump Says He’ll Consult Justice Department On Possible Ghislaine Maxwell Pardon
Donald Trump in a suit and red tie, with images linking to Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein, related to Justice Department pardon talks.

Trump Says He’ll Consult Justice Department On Possible Ghislaine Maxwell Pardon

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
ADVERTISEMENT

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said he would speak to the Department of Justice about a possible pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted of helping Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls.

Speaking at the White House during an event focused on approving a mining road in Alaska, Trump told reporters he hadn’t “heard the name in so long” and would “take a look at it.”

Highlights
  • Trump said he would speak to the DOJ about a possible pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted of sex trafficking.
  • Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence after her 2021 conviction for helping Jeffrey Epstein abuse teenage girls.
  • The Supreme Court rejected Maxwell's appeal to overturn her conviction, leaving her sentence intact.

His comments came hours after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Maxwell’s appeal to overturn her conviction.

RELATED:

    Trump said on Monday that he will speak to the DOJ about a possible pardon for Maxwell

    Donald Trump in a suit and red tie, looking serious while discussing Justice Department and possible Ghislaine Maxwell pardon.

    Image credits: The White House/Flickr

    “I haven’t heard the name in so long. I can say this, that I’d have to take a look at it. I would have to take a look,” Trump said when asked by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins whether he would consider pardoning Maxwell.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    “I can say this—I’ll have to take a look at it. I will speak to the DOJ.”

    Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking and related charges. 

    She was convicted in 2021 after a high-profile trial that detailed her role in recruiting and grooming young girls for Epstein over several years. 

    Trump also revealed that Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs had also asked him for a pardon. Combs was sentenced last Friday to more than four years in prison after being convicted on prostitution-related charges. 

    “I call him Puff Daddy, has asked me for a pardon,” Trump said.

    Collins asked Trump a follow-up question related to Maxwell: “Why would she [Maxwell] be a candidate for clemency,” and noted that “she was convicted of child sex trafficking.” 

    Trump responded, repeating that he would have to look at it and speak to the Department of Justice.

    The Epstein case has remained a source of tension for Trump’s administration. 

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Some of his political supporters have criticized the Department of Justice (DOJ) for not releasing more information about Epstein’s crimes and associates. 

    Many, including Trump’s own MAGA base, have demanded accountability on the so-called Epstein files, especially in light of Trump’s long friendship with the sex offender.

    MAGA fans and critics have been demanding accountability on the so-called Epstein Files

    Donald Trump with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell at a social event, related to possible Ghislaine Maxwell pardon discussion.

    Image credits: Davidoff Studios/Getty Images

    Epstein died in 2019 in a Manhattan jail cell.

    The Supreme Court’s decision leaves Maxwell’s conviction and sentence intact. 

    Her legal team argued that a 2007 non-prosecution agreement involving Epstein should have protected her, but the court rejected that claim.

    ADVERTISEMENT
    Ic_polls

    Poll Question

    Total votes ·

    Thanks! Check out the results:

    Total votes ·
    Share on Facebook
    Avi Gopani

    Avi Gopani

    Author, News Reporter

    Read more »

    Avi Gopani is an Amsterdam-based journalist currently covering global current affairs at Bored Panda. She has previously reported for The Copenhagen Post, The European Correspondent, and Analytics India Magazine, covering stories across Europe and Asia. Outside the newsroom, she enjoys reading, traveling, and swimming.

    Read less »
    Avi Gopani

    Avi Gopani

    Author, News Reporter

    Avi Gopani is an Amsterdam-based journalist currently covering global current affairs at Bored Panda. She has previously reported for The Copenhagen Post, The European Correspondent, and Analytics India Magazine, covering stories across Europe and Asia. Outside the newsroom, she enjoys reading, traveling, and swimming.

    What do you think ?
    User avatar
    Add photo comments
    POST
    Rob D
    Community Member
    4 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    #97,432 of "things that saying/doing/even-considering that should be disqualifying if his voters weren't the worst human beings this country could possibly produce. Zero moral, ethical, or principles bottom; no low too low for conservatives per usual.

    Grazina Strolia
    Community Member
    2 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    MAGA: I know it's important to stay loyal to your leader, but doesn't this make you wonder if your leader might be a false prophet instead? I mean, remember Pizzagate? Preventing child a***e was important to you once! Please try to remember! Who ARE YOU? WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR? Not *who* do you stand for, but WHAT?

    Rob D
    Community Member
    4 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    #97,432 of "things that saying/doing/even-considering that should be disqualifying if his voters weren't the worst human beings this country could possibly produce. Zero moral, ethical, or principles bottom; no low too low for conservatives per usual.

    Grazina Strolia
    Community Member
    2 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    MAGA: I know it's important to stay loyal to your leader, but doesn't this make you wonder if your leader might be a false prophet instead? I mean, remember Pizzagate? Preventing child a***e was important to you once! Please try to remember! Who ARE YOU? WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR? Not *who* do you stand for, but WHAT?

    Related on BP Daily
    Popular on BP Daily
    Trending on BP Daily
    Also on BP Daily