Argus News - 'President Absent For Madeleine?' New Epstein Texts Reignite Trump's Former PA Westerhout Controversy

Washington, Feb 12: The political arena in the United States has been in turmoil since January 30, 2026, after the US Department of Justice released more than 3 million pages of files related to Jeffrey Epstein. The disclosure also included 2,000 videos and approximately 180,000 images, triggering a fresh wave of allegations and political controversy.

A leaked 2019 email from author Michael Wolff to Jeffrey Epstein has thrust Donald Trump's former personal assistant, Madeleine Westerhout, back into the spotlight with fresh, unproven allegations of a White House affair. The claims, resurfaced in recent Epstein document releases, paint a tantalising picture of power, proximity, and presidential indiscretion during the chaotic 2018 government shutdown.

How Did Westerhout Rise Through The Ranks?
Westerhout, now 35, rose rapidly through Trumpworld. A College of Charleston graduate, she started in Republican politics, working for the RNC and Mitt Romney's 2012 campaign.

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During the 2016 transition, she greeted visitors in Trump Tower's gilded elevators, quickly earning a spot as Trump's personal secretary in the White House. By 2019, she was Director of Oval Office Operations, handling his schedule and delivering sensitive papers. Her closeness to Trump was significant; insiders described her as one of his most 'trusted aides'.

What Is The Alleged Scandal?
The scandal theory originates from Wolff's draft email to Epstein, part of material for an unpublished book.
According to reports in 'The Mirror' and 'Raw Story', Wolff claimed Trump bragged to friends that he stayed behind in the empty White House over the holidays -- while Melania and the family headed to Mar-a-Lago -- because he was “banging” his then-28-year-old assistant. The email alleged that Trump even received documents from Westerhout while in his underwear.

Adding fuel, newly released Epstein files include 2019 texts between Epstein and Steve Bannon. Epstein reportedly joked that Trump's absence from family festivities was “for Madeline,” prompting Bannon to reply, “She has a way about her!!!!” The White House dismissed the exchange as referencing a “salacious and false rumour.”

Downfall of Westerhout
Westerhout was abruptly fired in August 2019 after an off-the-record dinner with reporters. She allegedly boasted of having a closer relationship with Trump than his own daughters and claimed he avoided photos with Tiffany Trump because he viewed her as overweight. Trump called the comments “hurtful” but praised her as a “very good person” bound by a confidentiality agreement.

Westerhout's Response
Westerhout has vehemently denied any affair. Through her attorney and in a statement to The Mirror in November 2025, she labelled the accusations “absurd,” “defamatory,” and “unhinged from reality.” No corroborating evidence beyond the Wolff email and Epstein circle gossip has surfaced, and Trump has not directly addressed the specific rumour.

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Who Was Jeffrey Epstein?
Jeffrey Epstein was a wealthy American financier and convicted sex offender who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. He was accused of running a large-scale sex-trafficking network that exploited and abused dozens of underage girls, some as young as 14, from the early 2000s onward. Epstein allegedly lured victims with promises of money or modelling opportunities, then coerced them into sexual acts with himself and powerful associates at his private properties in New York, Florida, New Mexico, Paris, and his private island in the US Virgin Islands. He pleaded guilty in 2008 to lesser state charges in Florida, serving just 13 months with work release. New charges in 2019 exposed a broader conspiracy involving recruiters like Epstein's former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.