Meghan McCain, like the rest of us, has some questions after seeing President Donald Trump wish Ghislaine Maxwell “well” on national television. Maxwell was arrested recently for allegedly helping Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse and traffic teenage girls, and Trump said during a July 21 press conference that “I haven’t really been following it too much. I just wish her well, frankly.” Meghan wanted to know more about what that meant — was he “signaling something” to his former friend?
McCain was implying that Trump may be signaling to Maxwell that he’ll have her pardoned. Other convicted criminals in Trump’s inner circle, like his 2016 campaign strategist Roger Stone, 2016 campaign chairman Paul Manafort, and former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, have all been pardoned by the president. “I’m not a conspiracy theorist by nature, but what is going on that you have something nice to say about this person that’s being accused of some of the most egregious crimes that a human being can be accused of?” McCain said on The View.
“There’s a lot of conspiracy theories with Epstein and her and their power connection. It’s the first time I ever thought, like, wait — what is your connection to her? Which I always thought up until this point was nothing. We’re talking about this, or I’m talking about this and not the coronavirus.” Maxwell was arrested by the FBI in New Hampshire on July 2 on charges that she conspired with Epstein, her boyfriend, to sexually abuse minors. Her arrest came 11 months after Epstein’s death by apparent suicide in his jail cell as he awaited trial.
Maxwell is facing six counts, including conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, enticement of a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, conspiracy to transport minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Her trial is scheduled to start in July 2021. She is being held without bail in a Brooklyn detention center.
Despite claiming that he didn’t know Maxwell and Epstein well, Trump and his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, were photographed multiple times socializing with them in the past at his Florida resort Mar-A-Lago. He reiterated that in his White House press conference, which was supposed to be about the COVID-19 pandemic. “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 president stated.