Mary Trump, the niece of U.S. president Donald Trump, has opened up about why a single encounter involving Jeffrey Epstein continues to trouble her. In an interview on The Daily Beast Podcast with Joanna Coles, she described how seeing Epstein at one of Donald Trump’s weddings in 1993 left a lasting and unsettling impression on her.
A disturbing moment at Donald Trump’s 1993 wedding
Mary Trump said she was 28 years old when she found herself in the same room as Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier who was later exposed as a sex offender. Photos from Donald Trump’s wedding to Marla Maples at the Plaza Hotel showed Epstein among the guests. Mary said that even though she was “in the same room” with him, she was never introduced, which she now sees as fortunate.
She explained that her uncle Donald would not have gone out of his way to introduce her to people he viewed as part of his close circle. When Joanna Coles asked whether her age played a role, Mary joked about the thought but clarified that the real reason was that Donald never considered her someone worth presenting to his powerful friends.
Epstein has returned to public discussion because Democrats on the House Oversight Committee recently released a large batch of his emails, subpoenaed from his estate. These included three emails in which Epstein mentioned Donald Trump, including one claim saying Donald “knew about the girls.” This has renewed interest in their past connections.
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Growing up amid sexism and disrespect in the Trump family
Mary also reflected on her childhood as the daughter of Fred Trump Jr. and described the environment within the Trump family. She said Donald Trump was “sexist,” and that misogyny was common among family members, including Robert Trump. According to her, her uncles treated her grandmother in a belittling and disrespectful way.
Mary recalled dinner table conversations where the men in the family made remarks about women based solely on appearance. They spoke about women they considered unattractive and also evaluated women they found beautiful. She said these conversations made it clear that women were not respected or valued for anything beyond looks.
Mary explained that as a child, she believed the narrative created by her grandfather Frederick Trump Sr. that Donald was successful. However, she said she never believed he was smart, describing him as “demonstrably not.”
A defining moment for her came at age 16, when her father held a birthday party for her at a Hyatt hotel owned by Donald Trump. When Donald arrived, he redirected the party’s focus onto himself, trying to impress teenagers who, according to Mary, “couldn’t have cared less.” This showed her how strongly he relied on attention, regardless of who it came from.
Power, danger, and the response from the White House
Mary Trump wrote about these experiences in her 2020 book Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man. When asked if she still considers Donald Trump “the world’s most dangerous man,” she said the danger comes not from his personal strength but from the power and influence granted to him by others. She described him as weak and said she finds it hard to understand why anyone would be personally afraid of him.
She warned that if President Donald Trump believes he is at risk—whether because of the Epstein matter or fears about his health—he may try to bring others down with him rather than face consequences alone.
The White House pushed back strongly. Spokeswoman Abigail Jackson accused Democrats and the media of ignoring Epstein’s victims in the past and using the issue now as a distraction. Communications Director Steven Cheung attacked Mary Trump personally, using harsh language to dismiss her comments.
Mary says these memories continue to shape how she views her uncle and the environment of power around him.
