Did Johanna Sjoberg mention Trump in her Epstein deposition?

1. What Sjoberg actually said about Trump — the narrow, reported points

In the May 2016 deposition that was among documents unsealed in early January 2024, Sjoberg recounted that on a flight with Epstein bad weather forced a landing in Atlantic City, where Epstein said “Great, we’ll call up Trump” and suggested going to one of Trump’s casinos; she also answered “no” when asked whether she had ever massaged Donald Trump ^{[3] [2] [4]}. News outlets — The New York Times, NBC, BBC, The Guardian and others — report the same two factual elements from her testimony: the Atlantic City diversion/name-drop and her denial of having massaged him ^{[1] [2] [7] [4] [6]}.

2. What Sjoberg’s statements do not say — limits the coverage emphasizes

None of the cited reporting claims Sjoberg accused Trump of sexual misconduct or that she had met him in the contexts alleged for other figures; multiple summaries stress there was “no suggestion of wrongdoing” by Trump in her deposition and that she denied ever massaging him ^{[7] [6] [4]}. Available sources do not mention Sjoberg alleging any direct sexual contact, meetings, or massages with Trump beyond the Atlantic City anecdote and her explicit denials ^{[3] [2] [1]}.

3. How reporters framed Epstein’s mention of Trump — name‑dropping versus implication

Reporting frames Epstein’s reference to Trump as name‑dropping that conveyed Epstein’s access to powerful people — i.e., Epstein saying “we’ll call up Trump” — rather than as proof of an encounter between Sjoberg and Trump ^{[4] [8]}. Outlets repeatedly note the unsealed documents reveal Epstein’s habit of invoking famous associates, and Sjoberg’s deposition is presented as an example of that dynamic rather than as new evidence against third parties ^{[8] [9]}.

4. Discrepancies and consistency across outlets — what they agree and where detail differs

All major summaries agree on the Atlantic City stop and Sjoberg’s denial of massaging Trump; some outlets add context about other notable names mentioned in her testimony (Michael Jackson, Prince Andrew, David Copperfield) or quote specific lines such as Epstein saying Clinton “likes them young,” but they do not add allegations involving Trump beyond the casino anecdote ^{[10] [5] [7] [11]}. Tabloid coverage sometimes uses more sensational language (Daily Mail emphasized denials and quotes) but the factual core reported across mainstream sources is consistent ^{[12] [4]}.

5. Why this matters — legal and journalistic boundaries

Unsealed depositions can contain hearsay, name-dropping, and recollections that journalists must distinguish from allegations of wrongdoing. The reporting on Sjoberg’s deposition illustrates that distinction: references to Trump in her testimony are presented as context about Epstein’s social network and a flight diversion anecdote, not as sworn allegations against Trump by Sjoberg ^{[1] [6]}. Readers should note that deposition testimony can be partial and led by lawyers’ questioning; the available reporting focuses on what she was asked and how she answered ^[1].

6. Bottom line and recommended caution for readers

Bottom line: Sjoberg’s deposition mentions Trump only insofar as Epstein allegedly suggested calling him during an Atlantic City stop, and Sjoberg denied ever massaging or providing sexual services to Trump — she did not accuse him of misconduct in the unsealed excerpts reported ^{[2] [4] [6]}. For anyone tracking allegations involving Epstein’s circle, the distinction between being “mentioned” in a deposition and being accused of wrongdoing is crucial; readers should rely on full documents and corroborated reporting rather than headlines that conflate name‑dropping with direct allegations ^{[1] [8]}.