After Trump Split, Epstein Said He Could ‘Take Him Down’
News by The Vagabond News · November 13, 2025
A bombshell from the archives
In a newly released trove of emails from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier appears to claim he was uniquely positioned to destroy Donald Trump — even after their relationship had soured. One message dated December 2018 quotes Epstein: “Yes … it’s wild. Because I am the one able to take him down.” [1]
The revelation comes amid growing scrutiny of the long-standing ties between Epstein and Trump, and underscores the persistent questions about what Epstein knew — and when — regarding powerful individuals who moved in his orbit. [2][3]
Fractured friendship turns tactical leverage
Epstein and Trump first moved in the same social circles decades ago, including at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Their friendship reportedly cooled after Epstein allegedly began recruiting staff from Trump’s club — a move Trump later described as a betrayal. [4]
By July 2025, Trump stated publicly that he ended their relationship because “he stole people that worked for me … I threw him out of the place.” [5]
But the newly-released emails suggest the split was far from amicable. In one 2018 email thread with former White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler, Epstein wrote: “I know how dirty Donald is … of course he knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop.” [2] In another, he said he was the one “able to take him down.” [1]
It is not clear what Epstein meant by “take him down” — whether he was referring to legal exposure, media strategy, or another form of leverage.
What the documents show — and don’t
The email cache, released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, includes exchanges from 2011 through 2019, and appears to show Epstein repeatedly referencing Trump’s conduct and the “girls” tied to Epstein’s trafficking network. [3]
Examples include:
- A 2011 message where Epstein calls Trump “the dog that hasn’t barked” and claims someone “spent hours at my house with him.” [3]
- A 2018 message stating “Yes … because I am the one able to take him down.” [1]
- A thread where Epstein says: “I know how dirty Donald is.” [2]
Yet, the context of these messages — including full threads, identities of referenced individuals and exact meaning of key phrases — remains opaque. The committee has not released full transcripts, and names have been redacted. [3]
Trump response and political fallout
The White House, via press secretary Karoline Leavitt, dismissed the emails as politically motivated. She argued that “Democrats selectively leaked emails to the liberal media to create a fake narrative to smear President Trump.” [2]
Trump himself has denied any wrongdoing, maintained that he distanced himself from Epstein years ago and called the broader story a “hoax.” [3]
Despite these denials, the release has reignited a sharp media and political focus on the Epstein-Trump link — not only the past social relationship but what Epstein claimed to know and how he might have sought to weaponise that knowledge.
Why this matters
- Legacy risk for Trump: The notion that Epstein believed he could “take him down” implies a threat dimension — that Epstein held something potent against Trump. Even if unproven, such a threat can shape legacy narratives and raise new questions about transparency.
- Epstein’s leverage: These emails reinforce how Epstein positioned himself as more than a financier or associate; he appears to have viewed himself as a power broker with potential leverage over high-profile individuals.
- Implications for victims: For the survivors of Epstein’s trafficking network, the documents add another layer of complexity to what they have long argued: that elite connections contributed to Epstein’s protection.
- Political theatre meets justice: While this development is being framed in political terms — “smear”, “hoax”, “cover-up” — it also touches on deeper issues of criminal justice, victim rights and institutional accountability. The interplay of elite influence and criminal investigation remains in focus.
What comes next
Investigators, members of Congress and legal watchdogs are likely to push for fuller disclosure of the Epstein estate’s records. Some lawmakers — including those on the Oversight Committee — want a complete public release of all files tied to Epstein’s trafficking network. [3]
The White House may face renewed pressure to unseal additional documents or provide testimony. On the legal front, new civil actions from survivors could reference the newly-released emails as evidence of broader complicity or motive.
For Trump and his allies, the battle is shifting into narrative terrain: how to control public perception of the relationship and any potential fallout from what Epstein claimed he could accomplish.
Editor’s verdict
The newly disclosed emails dramatise one of the most troubling overlaps of wealth, power and criminality in recent U.S. history. That Jeffrey Epstein believed he had leverage powerful enough to “take down” Donald Trump forces a reevaluation of what the relationship really represented. For the Trump-Epstein saga, the headline is not just that they split — but that when they did, one side may have perceived the broken tie as dangerous. And in the court of public opinion, perception can matter as much as proof.
Related links:
- “Epstein emails thrust Trump back into spotlight over past ties” — The Guardian [3]
- “I know how dirty Donald is”: Epstein’s newly released emails reveal Trump references — Financial Express [2]
- “Trump: Epstein stole young woman from Mar-a-Lago spa” — Washington Post [12]
