Donald Trump and Prince Andrew were overheard “swapping tales about women” by a diplomat in New York, a royal author told Newsweek.
The two men have both been under fire over their respective friendships with Jeffrey Epstein, the New York sex trafficker who died in jail in August 2019.
The president denied knowing Andrew that same year despite having previously said, in 2000, that he was a “lot of fun to be with.”
Now, historian Andrew Lownie argues in his new biography Entitled that the pair did enjoy each other’s company and were seen together by diplomats.
Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, told Newsweek: “It seems like this random individual wrote a book of fiction that belongs in the bargain bin of a discount bookstore.”
Why It Matters
Prince Andrew’s reputation disintegrated due to allegations by Virginia Giuffre that she was forced to have sex with him by Epstein and Epstein’s former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, as a 17-year-old sex trafficking victim.
Trump has denied knowing about Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes, but their friendship has been haunting him in recent weeks, since botched promises to release the Epstein files this year.
Trump administration officials had hinted at major revelations and even new charges in the case after the president ordered a review of the files.
Yet in July, the D.O.J. and FBI released a memo saying there was no “Epstein client list” to release, there would be no new investigations and there was no evidence the financier blackmailed prominent figures.
What to Know
Lownie said in an upcoming episode of Newsweek‘s The Royal Report podcast: “I had this fascinating lunch with the diplomat at the New York consulate, who had stories of Trump and Andrew swapping tales about women, swapping notes about masseurs, talking about golf.
“They have all these interests, golf, sex and money. So, I mean, it was amazing that Trump subsequently denied having any knowledge of Andrew, having any contact with him, when of course there’s plenty of pictures of them together in London, in Mar-a-Lago and elsewhere.
“They were all fishing in the same waters. But I can understand why they may want to distance themselves now.”
Newsweek representatives of Prince Andrew for comment.
What Donald Trump Said About Andrew
After Prince Andrew’s car crash interview in 2019, Trump denied knowing the royal: “I don’t know Prince Andrew, but it’s a tough story, it’s a very tough story.”
Yet he told People at a party in October 2000: “He’s not pretentious. He’s a lot of fun to be with.”
The magazine’s article read: “Attending a Halloween costume party hosted by model Heidi Klum at the chic Hudson Bar, the teetotaling Andrew sipped bottled water and chatted with Maxwell, who wore a leopard-print jacket and platinum wig, as well as with Donald Trump and his girlfriend, model Melania Knauss [as the First Lady was then known].”
Months earlier, that February, Andrew was photographed chatting with the Trumps at Mar-a-Lago. Epstein and Maxwell were at the same event and were also pictured socializing with both Andrew and Trump.
What Happens Next
The Epstein-shaped storm swirling around Trump has moved to questions about Ghislaine Maxwell, who had meetings over two days with Todd Blanche, deputy U.S. Attorney General, in July.
Shortly afterward, she was moved to a minimum security prison to continue serving her 20-year sentence for sex trafficking related offences.
Maxwell was convicted over allegations that she groomed girls for Epstein to sexually abuse.
Democrat Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has requested documents relating to the transfer, telling Newsweek it “reeks of a coordinated protection racket run at taxpayer expense to shield the president.”
Lownie said he was concerned Maxwell could be a flight risk: “I think she’ll disappear. I mean, we may assume that she’s in the American prison service but I think she’ll be sunning herself on the beach somewhere.”
And on her transfer, he added: “The victims must feel very strongly about this, that you know, here’s someone who had a very serious sentence, was charged and convicted on several counts, and, it was clear from the trial, had been deeply involved in what Epstein was doing.
“And yet, you know, here she is with a 20-year sentence being basically given a get out of jail free card.”
Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about Charles and Queen Camilla, William and Kate, Meghan Markle and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We’d love to hear from you.
Read the full article here
