Jack O’Donnell, former president of the now-demolished Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, revealed a troubling incident from the 1980s involving Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. In an interview with CNN, O’Donnell said he had to reprimand Trump after he brought Epstein and a group of young women—including a 19-year-old—onto the casino floor late one night.
“I had to call them and say look, they’re giving you a break this time, but if this happens again, the fine is going to be substantial and it’s going to be on your head,” O’Donnell said. “And by the way, it’s not going to look good, you and this guy Epstein coming down here with these young women.”
Regulatory risk over underage access
Although the woman was not a minor, she was under 21, which posed a serious legal problem for the casino.
“The casino could’ve been fined or even lost its license,” O’Donnell warned. “The inspectors were waiting in my office. It was serious.”
He recalled the specific incident occurring in the early hours of a Sunday morning: “Donald and Jeffrey had come into the casino around 1:30 a.m. with three women.”
“Pretty good buddies”
O’Donnell said one of the women was identified as a 19-year-old ranked No. 3 in women’s tennis at the time, which confirmed to regulators that she was underage for gambling floors.
“To get on a helicopter with a friend and three other people and fly down to Atlantic City — I mean, you can connect those dots. They were pretty good buddies,” he said, describing the close ties between Trump and Epstein during that era.
Trump denounces Epstein rumors
As scrutiny over Jeffrey Epstein’s associations continues, Trump has tried to distance himself from the disgraced financier, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
On Wednesday, Trump lashed out at supporters demanding the release of Epstein’s alleged client list, calling them “weaklings.”
“My PAST supporters have bought into this ‘bulls–t’ hook, line, and sinker,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats’ work. Don’t even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I don’t want their support anymore.”