Epstein Documents Claim Trump Experienced Night Sweats Over Bannon Friendship
A significant new release of documents from the US Justice Department has revealed startling claims about former President Donald Trump's alleged anxieties regarding his relationship with a key adviser. The communications, part of a three-million-document tranche ordered for release by Trump himself late last year, contain messages between the late financier Jeffrey Epstein and Steve Bannon, Trump's 2016 campaign CEO who later became his chief White House strategist.
Revealing Text Exchanges Between Epstein and Bannon
The documents detail hundreds of friendly text messages exchanged between Epstein and Bannon in the months preceding Epstein's 2019 death by suicide while incarcerated. These communications show the two men discussing various topics including political matters, travel arrangements, and even a documentary project Bannon was reportedly planning to help rehabilitate Epstein's tarnished public image.
In one particularly revealing exchange from March 2019, Bannon requested Epstein's assistance with transportation, asking if he could provide his private plane to collect him from Rome. This request demonstrates the operational nature of their relationship during this period.
The "Wakes Up Sweating" Message
The most explosive revelation comes from a message Epstein sent to Bannon several months later, in which the financier claimed: "Now you can understand why Trump wakes up in the middle of the night sweating when he hears you and I are friends." Bannon's brief response to this provocative statement was simply: "Dangerous."
The context surrounding this exchange remains somewhat unclear due to the heavily redacted nature of the documents and their disorganised presentation. However, the implication that Trump experienced significant anxiety about the Epstein-Bannon relationship provides new insight into the complex dynamics within Trump's inner circle during his presidency.
Additional Trump References in Epstein Communications
These messages were not the only references to the former president within the newly released documents. Another exchange from 2018 focused on Trump's public threats to remove Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell from his position, despite having appointed him just one year earlier.
Around the same period, Epstein also communicated with Kathy Ruemmler, a lawyer who previously served as White House counsel under President Barack Obama. In a typo-ridden email, Epstein cautioned Democrats against portraying Trump as a Mafia-style figure, even as he simultaneously described the president as a "maniac."
Trump's Response to Document Release
Former President Trump addressed the document release during a conversation with journalists aboard Air Force One while traveling to Florida. He asserted that the communications actually exonerated him from any wrongdoing related to Epstein, claiming they represented "the opposite of what people were hoping" and specifically mentioning that "radical left" critics would be disappointed.
Trump further alleged that Epstein had conspired with author Michael Wolff, whom he described as a "third-rate writer," to damage him politically. The former president indicated he would "probably sue Wolff on that" and suggested similar legal action might be taken against Epstein's estate.
It is important to note that Trump's inclusion in these documents does not constitute evidence of criminal activity, and he has never faced formal accusations in connection with Epstein's crimes. The documents do, however, provide unprecedented insight into the communications between Epstein and members of Trump's inner circle, revealing previously unknown details about their relationships and conversations during a critical period in American politics.
