Wishes Ghislaine Maxwell 'well' after sex trafficking arrest

When asked about Ghislaine Maxwell's arrest on charges of recruiting and grooming underage girls for Jeffrey Epstein, Trump stunned reporters by saying "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." The comment drew immediate criticism given Maxwell faced serious federal charges for enabling a pedophile ring. Two weeks later, Trump doubled down in an Axios interview, again saying he wished her well and defending the comment by referencing Epstein's jail death, appearing to suggest Maxwell might face similar danger. The sympathetic comments toward an accused sex trafficker stood in stark contrast to Trump's refusal to disavow QAnon's baseless claims about elite pedophile rings.

"I just wish her well, frankly. I've met her numerous times over the years." — White House press briefing responding to question about Ghislaine Maxwell's arrest, July 21, 2020