Trump Leaves Door Open to Pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell

President Donald Trump has publicly acknowledged that he has the authority to pardon Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex trafficker associated with Jeffrey Epstein, though he has not committed to doing so. Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence for her role in Epstein's sex trafficking ring, and Trump has faced scrutiny amid ongoing investigations and the reluctance of his administration to release the full files related to Epstein's case. Trump deflected questions about potential pardons by shifting focus to other individuals linked to Epstein, including Larry Summers and Bill Clinton, insisting he never visited Epstein's island. The controversy has intensified as Trump's own Justice Department informed him that his name appears in the so-called "Epstein Files," though the context remains unclear. Despite public outrage and speculation, Trump has not ruled out a pardon, and his former personal attorney, now Deputy Attorney General, recently met with Maxwell in prison. This situation has fueled political turmoil, with critics accusing Trump of leveraging his pardon power amid mounting pressure regarding his connections to Epstein and Maxwell.