Over the weekend, Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump flew to several campaign events in a jet formerly owned by Jeffrey Epstein, convicted sexual predator. The Trump campaign did not realize the plane had been Epstein’s, and Trump rented it because his private plane was experiencing mechanical problems.
Trump’s Private Plane Experiences Engine Trouble
While traveling to a campaign fundraiser in Bozeman, Montana, Trump’s private plane, “Trump Force One,” had to land in Billings due to engine trouble.
Alternative Arrangements Made for Campaign Stop
Trump and his team were traveling to Bozeman to attend a fundraiser by the Trump 47 Committee to benefit the Save America PAC and the Republican National Committee.
The Gulfstream Charter: A Temporary Solution
Not willing to miss the campaign stop, Trump’s staff chartered a flight to Bozeman for the event and switched planes the next day for a large Gulfstream, which the Trump campaign did not realize previously belonged to Epstein.
Limited Use of the Gulfstream Jet
The chartered Gulfstream plane was used for one day to travel to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Aspen, and Denver. “Trump Force One” then met Trump in Denver so his team could continue their travels.
Gulfstream Jet Branded for Trump 2024
The Gulfstream plane was decorated with a decal reading “Trump 2024.”
Media Scrutiny Over Epstein Connection
As various media outlets reported over the weekend, the serial number on the rented Gulfstream, N550GP, is the same as that on the Gulfstream owned by Epstein. However, it is not the most notorious of Epstein’s planes, the Lolita Express. The former Lolita Express plane was destroyed.
Trump Campaign Responds to Controversy
The Trump campaign released a statement, saying, “The campaign had no awareness that Mr. Epstein had owned the charter plane. We heard about the former owner through the media.” A vendor often used by the campaign commissioned the charter.
Impact on Trump Campaign Optics
The optics of Trump using Epstein’s former plane are detrimental to the Trump campaign. There is already public scrutiny around the relationship between Trump and Epstein, as it is widely known that they were former neighbors in Palm Beach, Florida, and that they had once been on friendly terms.
Trump’s Historical Ties to Epstein
There are various photos of Trump and Epstein together in the 1990s, long before Epstein was charged with crimes. No evidence has been introduced suggesting that Trump was involved in Epstein’s illicit and immoral activities.
Social Connections and Past Interactions
Trump and Epstein shared a social network, and flight logs show Trump flew on Epstein’s planes six times in the 1990s.
The End of the Trump-Epstein Relationship
Media reports indicate that Trump and Epstein’s dispute over a property in Florida ended their friendship or social relationship.
Epstein’s Legal Troubles and Death
In 2019, Epstein was arrested, charged, and convicted of sex trafficking and abusing over 100 girls and women over a decade. He then died in prison, and the Manhattan medical examiner ruled the death a suicide.
Current Ownership of the Gulfstream Plane
The Gulfstream Plane that Trump used while his was being repaired is currently owned by Threshold Aviation Group, a private charter company based in Ontario, California.
