Former President Donald Trump‘s campaign reportedly used a private jet previously owned by convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein for recent campaign travel, according to an investigation by Julie K. Brown of the Miami Herald.
This development has reignited discussions about Trump’s past associations with Epstein despite no evidence linking the former president to Epstein’s crimes.
Newsweek has contacted Trump’s campaign via email on Monday for comment.
The Miami Herald confirmed that Trump’s campaign utilized a blue Gulfstream G550 jet, once part of Epstein’s fleet, to attend several fundraisers over the weekend. This occurred after Trump’s own aircraft, “Trump Force One,” encountered technical difficulties en route to a campaign event in Bozeman, Montana, last week.
According to flight records and reports from multiple outlets, including the Aspen Daily News, the aircraft in question landed at Aspen-Pitkin County Airport on Saturday, bearing a “Trump 2024” logo. The plane’s tail number, N550GP, and its serial number, 5173, have been traced back to its previous ownership by Epstein.
Flight logs indicate that the aircraft, formerly registered as N212JE, was owned by Epstein’s Plan D, LLC in the U.S. Virgin Islands before being transferred to its current ownership in February 2021. The Gulfstream G550 is not the infamous “Lolita Express” associated with Epstein’s crimes.
Getty Images/Anna Moneymaker
The plane is currently operated by Threshold Aviation Group, a California-based charter company. The Trump campaign has stated it was unaware of the plane’s history when it was chartered through a vendor they frequently use.
The plane’s recent travel itinerary aligns with Trump’s schedule, including stops in Bozeman, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Aspen, Colorado, where he attended fundraising events.
Records show that Trump flew on Epstein’s planes several times between 1993 and 1997, during a period when they moved in the same social circles. However, their relationship reportedly soured following a property dispute in Palm Beach in 2004.
The story gained traction on social media platforms, with a viral post on Reddit‘s r/pics subreddit drawing attention to the plane’s history. The post was further amplified by political accounts on X, formerly Twitter, sparking widespread discussion and debate.
Will Guisbond, a staff reporter at The Air Current, made an X post, confirming the details of the report.
This is a developing story and will be updated with additional information when it becomes available.
.@theaircurrent can confirm reports that the @GulfstreamAero G550 that former President Trump has been using to travel for campaign events was formerly owned by Jeffrey Epstein. The aircraft is now owned and operated by Threshold Aviation Group.
— Will Guisbond (@willguisbond) August 11, 2024
