Donald Trump claimed that Bill Clinton visited Jeffrey Epstein’s island “28 times.” This was part of a broader effort to smear Clinton by tying him to Epstein’s sex trafficking scandal. However, the number itself is a distortion and not a verified fact.
Here’s how that number likely came about:
1. Flight Logs — Not Island Visits
The figure “26 or 27 flights” appears in Epstein’s flight logs from the 2000s. These logs show Bill Clinton aboard Epstein’s private jet. However:
- Most of those flights were tied to Clinton Foundation work or humanitarian trips in Africa.
- Clinton’s Secret Service detail was reportedly present for nearly all of them.
- The logs do not show him ever going to “Little St. James,” Epstein’s private island in the Virgin Islands.
So the “28 times” Trump cited probably stems from an exaggerated or rounded-up version of those jet trip counts.
2. No Evidence of Island Visits
Clinton’s spokesperson has consistently stated:
“President Clinton has never been to the island.”
There’s no public evidence. The flight logs, Secret Service records, and witness testimony do not place Clinton on Epstein’s island.
3. Why Trump Said It Anyway
Trump has a history of weaponizing unverified or inflated claims — especially against political rivals. Saying “28 times” sounds more incriminating than “some flights on Epstein’s plane,” and makes for a juicier headline. Whether it’s true doesn’t seem to be the point — the goal is association by repetition.
4. Projection?
Ironically, Trump himself had a friendship with Epstein. He was photographed with him multiple times. Trump allegedly partied with him in the ’90s and early 2000s. He too appears in flight logs, but not nearly as many times as Clinton. He was once accused of sexual assault at Epstein-linked events in a now-dropped lawsuit.
So in short:
Trump likely said “28 times” because it’s a conveniently damning number. It is loosely based on a misrepresentation of flight logs. It is not based on actual visits to Epstein’s island.