Trump claims Epstein 'stole' Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre from his Mar-a-Lago resort

Donald Trump has claimed paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein "stole" prominent accuser Virginia Giuffre and other young women from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

Ms Giuffre became a household name after she sued Prince Andrew for sexual abuse in August 2021 - saying he had sex with her when she was 17 and had been trafficked by his friend Epstein. Prince Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement with Ms Giuffre but has repeatedly denied the claims and has not been charged with any criminal offences.

Mr Trump made his remarks about Ms Giuffre as his administration has faced growing pressure in recent weeks, including from within his "MAGA" base, to release files related to Epstein after he promised to do so during his 2024 presidential campaign. The US president was speaking to reporters on Tuesday when he was asked about comments he made over the weekend about a falling-out with Epstein over employees taken from his business.

"He took people that worked for me. And I told him, 'Don't do it anymore.' And he did it," Mr Trump told reporters while on board Air Force One as he returned to the US from Scotland.

"I said, 'Stay the hell out of here'," the US president added. Pressed about whether any of the employees he referred to were young women, Mr Trump said many of them worked in the spa at Mar-a-Lago.

"The answer is yes, they were in the spa," he said. "I told him, I said, 'Listen, we don't want you taking our people, whether it was spa or not spa.' ...

And he was fine. And then not too long after that, he did it again." Asked if Ms Giuffre was one of the employees poached by Epstein, the US president replied: "I think she worked at the spa...

I think so. I think that was one of the people.

He stole her, and by the way, she had no complaints about us, as you know, none whatsoever." The White House said in a statement last week that Mr Trump banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago because he was acting like a "creep". Epstein took his own life in a Manhattan prison cell in August 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges.

On Tuesday, lawyer's for his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving 20 years in prison for recruiting young girls for the financier, said that they are open to her answering more questions from US Congress if she is granted immunity from future prosecution. However a spokeswoman for the House Oversight Committee, which requested the interview with Maxwell, said the panel would not consider granting the immunity she requested.

The former British socialite was interviewed inside a Florida courthouse by US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche last week. Officials have not publicly disclosed what she said.

Mr Blanche had earlier said that Maxwell would be interviewed because of Mr Trump's directive to gather and release any credible evidence about others who may have committed crimes in relation to the Epstein case. Separately, Maxwell's lawyers have urged the Supreme Court to review her conviction, saying she did not receive a fair trial.

They also say that one way she would testify "openly and honestly, in public.