Trump: 'Everyone knew about Epstein' in 2006, says Palm Beach police chief

Palm Beach — A newly released FBI document recounts a 2006 conversation between Donald Trump and Michael Reiter, who was Palm Beach's police chief at the time. In the document, Reiter describes that Trump told him, 'Everyone knew about Epstein.' The remark, cited years later to investigators, points to a moment when Epstein's circle and its handling by authorities were already under scrutiny long before the high-profile arrests and prosecutions of the late financier.

The document's release adds a fresh thread to the long-running Epstein saga: it suggests that a sitting or soon-to-be public figure commented on the level of awareness around Epstein's alleged misconduct. The claim is that Trump referenced widespread knowledge to Reiter, a prominent local law-enforcement figure, which could feed ongoing debates about what prominent figures knew and when they learned it.

Separately, existing reporting from around that period also described Trump’s statements about Maxwell and Epstein in the context of the broader case, with some accounts characterizing Maxwell in stark terms. While the new material does not by itself confirm broader knowledge or involvement, it could shape how observers view prior statements by Trump in relation to Epstein.

Legal and political commentators say that, even if true, a single remark from years ago must be weighed against a decades-long investigation and evolving public record. The released document does not appear to alter the legal status of Epstein's case, but it may influence public perception and prompt renewed interest in what public figures were told or believed about early indicators of wrongdoing.

As investigators continue to examine the Epstein affair, supporters of transparency stress the importance of releasing complete records to allow the public to assess what was known and when.

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