Trump: 'I'm Allowed' to Pardon Ghislaine Maxwell

The Justice Department has been meeting with convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell, partner of the late disgraced financier and fellow sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, though her attorney says there've been "no promises yet" of clemency for her from President Trump, who has been tied to Epstein over the years.

• When asked by a reporter on Friday morning about a possible pardon before he headed out on a trip to Scotland, Trump replied, "It's something I haven't thought about," per the Hill. "I'm allowed to do it, but it's something I have not thought about." He added: "I certainly can't talk about pardons."

• When asked about conversations currently taking place between Maxwell and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump said, "I don't know about the meeting. I know it's taking place, and he's a fantastic man. He's a great attorney."
• He then steered questions away from himself and the Epstein story, noting that "people should really focus on how well the country's doing," or on the other names who've also been linked to Epstein, including former President Clinton. "They don't talk about them, they talk about me," Trump said. "I have nothing to do with the guy." He added that he would pull up "a list" of all the people who've "lived with Jeffrey Epstein. I sure as hell didn't."
• The president also insisted that "I never went to the island," a reference to the private island Epstein owned. As for the letter he reportedly wrote to Epstein for the latter's 50th birthday, Trump said, "I don't even know what they're talking about," per CNBC. "Somebody could have written a letter and used my name, but that's happened a lot."