Trump Reportedly Calls Epstein Victim 'Unhinged' After She Demands FBI Probe

Former President Donald Trump has forcefully rejected recent allegations by Maria Farmer, a longtime accuser of Jeffrey Epstein. Farmer told The New York Times she had twice urged investigators (in 1996 and again in 2006) to examine “people in Epstein’s social circle, including [Trump]” after a disturbing 1995 encounter in Epstein’s Manhattan office. In that episode, Farmer – then a young assistant of Epstein – says Trump arrived unexpectedly, “started to hover over her” and stared “at her bare legs” until Epstein intervened to wave him off. Farmer has since publicly recounted these events and questioned why authorities did not follow up on Trump’s name back then. The White House has long denied the encounter, with spokesman Steven Cheung telling the Times that “the president was never in [Epstein’s] office” and noting Trump had in fact “kicked [Epstein] out of his club” years earlier.

In response to Farmer’s account and the growing spotlight on Trump’s ties to Epstein, Trump has railed against what he calls partisan hype. On his Truth Social platform, he accused Democrats of perpetrating an “Epstein” publicity “SCAM” and demanded that Attorney General Pam Bondi “produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony” related to Epstein. Trump insisted he has “nothing to hide” and called for the release of grand-jury records, even as officials backtracked on earlier promises to publish unredacted files. In one post, he derided supporters “hung up” on the issue as “weaklings” and wrote “I don’t want their support anymore!” These comments underscore his defiant tone: he portrays the controversy as a political attack by opponents.

Some of Trump’s allies have echoed that defensive line. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt accused The New York Times of recycling “tired and pathetic” stories to distract from the administration’s successes. Yet Democratic lawmakers and critics see things differently. Several Democrats seized on Farmer’s allegations and the broader Epstein scandal as evidence that damaging information about Trump might still be hidden. As one Independent report notes, they have accused Trump of trying “to change the subject” by pushing unrelated conspiracy theories (such as a recent Obama-Russia investigation hoax) instead of focusing on the Epstein files. In Congress, some Democrats renewed calls for full transparency. (For example, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi publicly urged Trump to release all Epstein-related files, though she has not explained why past administrations did not do so.)

The episode has laid bare divisions even within Trump’s base. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released July 17 found that 69% of Americans believe the Trump administration is withholding Epstein files, and just 17% approve of how he’s handled the case. Notably, only 35% of Republicans in that survey approved of Trump’s response, with 29% disapproving. According to a Reuters story, Trump and his aides have privately reached out to prominent MAGA-aligned influencers to urge them to “dial down” their criticism of the administration’s handling of the Epstein probe. Some supporters, like Rep. Tim Burchett (R–Tenn.), have expressed frustration with Attorney General Bondi’s strategy, telling CNN he was “disappointed” in the lack of transparency. Others, however, continue to back Trump’s line that the accusations are politically motivated.

Amid this political furor, reports emerged on social media that Trump had personally disparaged Farmer. For example, several online accounts quoted him as calling her “crazy” or suggesting she was mentally unstable. None of these remarks have been confirmed by independent sources, nor do they appear in any official Trump statement or known Truth Social post. Major news outlets have not verified those quotes – they stem from unconfirmed social-media chatter, and we treat them as alleged statements. (By contrast, Trump’s authenticated posts – for instance, his public “SCAM” post and comments about frustrated supporters – are documented in outlets like Hindustan Times and Reuters.)

The dispute occurs against the backdrop of Epstein’s own notorious history. Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal child-trafficking charges. Before his death, he pled guilty in 2008 to lesser state charges in Florida. His associate Ghislaine Maxwell is now serving a 20-year sentence for running his trafficking network. Farmer, an artist, has been one of the earliest and most vocal accusers, having first gone to police and the FBI in 1996 to report Epstein’s abuse. She later testified against Maxwell at Maxwell’s 2021 trial. Trump, who was a private citizen in the 1990s, was not implicated in any criminal proceeding; the FBI has stated that Trump was never a target of the Epstein investigation.

As of now, there is no evidence that Trump committed any crime related to Epstein’s crimes, and he continues to deny any wrongdoing or impropriety in their past association. He has publicly requested that all relevant grand jury testimony be unsealed to clear his name. But until any such documents are released, Farmer’s claims – and Trump’s contested reaction – remain part of a heated partisan debate. Journalists and fact-checkers note that while Farmer’s account was reported by The New York Times (and covered by outlets like The Guardian and Hindustan Times), the specific allegation that Trump called her “crazy” has only appeared in unverified posts. The White House has not confirmed those words.

Background: Maria Farmer was among the first to report Epstein’s abuse in 1996 and again later told the FBI she thought powerful associates (including Trump) should be investigated. The New York Times article this week – which prompted the uproar – recounts her story and notes that Farmer has “long wondered” what investigators did with her tips. Trump’s defenders emphasize that he had later distanced himself from Epstein (one White House official reminded reporters that Epstein was expelled from Trump’s club). But the revived scrutiny has stirred calls on both sides to disclose the full Epstein files.

Reactions: Conservative media have largely backed Trump, highlighting his demand to “release everything” and dismissing the accusations as old news. Liberal outlets and Democrats, by contrast, portray Farmer’s revelations as potentially explosive and demand accountability – if not of Trump, then of officials who handled the files. The New York Times and Reuters accounts, for instance, frame Farmer’s story as one of the clearest links between Trump and the still-sealed Epstein materials.

Overall, the episode underscores how the Epstein controversy continues to roil U.S. politics. While Trump rails against the accusations as politically driven, investigators and journalists may yet decide whether any “embarrassing or politically problematic” material will come to light as the case files are examined. In the meantime, his supporters and opponents remain sharply divided – with all sides watching closely what turns out to be a low point in Trump’s public image.