Alyssa Farah Griffin, a co-host of ABC’s “The View,” criticized former President Trump for not walking back his 2020 remarks about Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend and associate of Jeffrey Epstein.
“But listen, there’s a lot in the far right who want to wish-cast these liberal elites being part of the Epstein things,” Farah Griffin said Thursday on “The View.” “We know Bill Clinton name has come up, but no wrongdoing has been alleged … but Donald Trump’s name has also come up, no wrongdoing alleged.”
“But I do remember being at the White House when Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested, and Donald Trump said, ’I wish her well.’ And afterward I ran back to his office. I said, ‘You need to walk that back.’ And he didn’t. He doubled down,” she continued.
Farah Griffin and her fellow co-hosts were discussing the recent documents connected to Epstein’s alleged sex crimes that started to be released Wednesday. The documents were part of a settled civil suit against Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence on charges related to the sex-trafficking crimes alleged against Epstein.
When asked if Maxwell was going to “turn in powerful men” after she was arrested in 2020, Trump told reporters that he did not know much about the situation.
“I don’t know. I haven’t really been following it too much. I just wish her well, frankly. I’ve met her numerous times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm Beach and I guess they lived in Palm Beach, but I wish her well, whatever it is,” he said at the time.
Farah Griffin, also a contributor for CNN, served as Trump’s communications director for about eight months in 2020. She was clear in her comments that she was not accusing Trump of anything.
“Now, I’m not accusing him of anything other than the fact that this is a horrible woman who actually brought women into sex trafficking, put them in places that were in danger to their body,” she said, speaking of Trump’s remarks.
The Hill has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.
Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges in 2019.