Fact check: What documented meetings or photos show Donald Trump with Jeffrey Epstein in the 1990s?

Executive summary: Newly surfaced and previously reported photographic and video evidence establish that Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein were photographed and filmed together on multiple occasions in the 1990s and into 2000, including events at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s 1993 wedding, and various social gatherings such as Victoria’s Secret-related parties. These items — reported in major outlets and archived image services — contradict claims that the two did not associate socially in the 1990s and document encounters spanning at least 1992–1999 ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

1. Photographs and video place them together at Mar-a-Lago and social events — the visual record is concrete and multi-year. Multiple sources describe and publish contemporaneous imagery showing Trump and Epstein in the same frame at Mar-a-Lago and at publicized social functions. A Getty Images photo dated January 1, 1997, is reported to show the two together at Mar-a-Lago, establishing a verifiable, timestamped image from the mid-1990s ^[3]. Independent reporting from 2025 describes newly uncovered photos and video documenting Epstein at Trump’s 1993 wedding and at late‑1990s fashion-industry events tied to Victoria’s Secret, further broadening the visual record and demonstrating encounters across the decade ^{[2] [4]}.

2. Video from the early 1990s shows informal interaction — context matters beyond just being photographed together. Reporting identifies video footage from 1992 showing Trump and Epstein chatting at a Mar-a-Lago party; that footage predates some of the later still images and shows them in an informal social context rather than merely appearing at the same public event ^[1]. The existence of video implies more sustained acquaintance than a one-off photograph would; it documents conversational interaction at a private event and corroborates reporting that Epstein circulated regularly in circles that included Trump during the 1990s ^[5].

3. Newly uncovered material expands the timeline and challenges earlier denials about the closeness of the relationship. 2025 reporting highlights newly surfaced archival material that places Epstein at Trump’s 1993 wedding and at fashion events through the late 1990s, and notes statements attributed to Epstein describing Trump as a close associate for a period ^{[6] [2]}. These developments extend beyond earlier public characterizations and show repeated proximity at high-profile social functions, suggesting a pattern of association through the 1990s and into 2000 that is documented by multiple media outlets and archival sources ^{[4] [7]}.

4. A clustering of sources from different outlets strengthens the factual picture but demands scrutiny of provenance and motives. The photographic and video claims are reported by mainstream outlets and image services, and the timeline is corroborated across separate pieces of reporting from 2019 through mid‑2025, indicating convergence on key facts: images and footage exist from the 1990s through 2000 showing Trump and Epstein together ^{[1] [3] [4]}. At the same time, newly released archival material can be selectively framed; outlets have differing editorial angles and some reporting emphasizes the apparent closeness while others present the items as context for broader investigations. Readers should note that the same visual evidence is being used to support both claims of long-standing friendship and to document mere social acquaintance ^{[2] [6]}.

5. Key disputed points remain documented encounters versus the meaning of those encounters — evidence does not by itself establish intent or breadth of the relationship. The documented photos and videos confirm that Trump and Epstein were together at events in the 1990s, but the visual record alone does not settle questions about the depth, duration, or private nature of their relationship beyond those encounters ^{[3] [6]}. Court records and participant interviews referenced in reporting add context about continued association into the mid‑2000s, yet assessments about when any “cutoff” occurred or the character of interactions rely on testimonial and documentary threads beyond the still and motion images themselves ^{[6] [8]}. The evidentiary picture is therefore one of repeated documented contact, with interpretive disputes about significance persistent among outlets and interested parties.