Donald Trump, Prince Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell in new un-seen pictures after President claims he ‘doesn’t know’ Duke
DONALD Trump and Prince Andrew are pictured posing with Ghislaine Maxwell in photos taken at Heidi Klum's hookers and pimps-themed Halloween party in 2000.
The president this week claimed not to know the prince, currently under scrutiny over his friendship with Maxwell and late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, despite having been seen with him many times over a period of years.
In photos obtained by , Trump is seen with one arm round then-girlfriend Melania and the other round Maxwell, an alleged accomplice of Epstein, who killed himself in August while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking.
Also pictured at the party, hosted by German supermodel Heidi Klum, is Prince Andrew, seen with the hand of long-time friend Maxwell draped over his shoulder.
Maxwell is alleged to have helped tycoon and one-time boyfriend Epstein procure young girls to abuse, and Andrew has in recent weeks faced increasing scrutiny over his association with the pair.
Both Maxwell and Prince Andrew deny any wrongdoing.
In November, Andrew stepped down from his royal duties after a widely-criticised BBC interview addressing allegations of sexual contact between him and Epstein victim Virginia Roberts when she was 17.
On an episode of BBC Panorama this week, Roberts repeated claims that she was trafficked for sex with Andrew on three separate occasions.
Other photos from the night show Andrew in conversation with host Klum and later among a crowd of revellers.
TRUMP SAID ANDREW WAS 'A LOT OT FUN'
Since media attention on Andrew has grown, President Trump has sought to distance himself from the prince, telling reporters in London earlier this week: "I don't know Prince Andrew, but it's a tough story."
Despite the claim, images show the pair spending time together on numerous occasions over a period of years.
The two were pictured shaking hands in Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace during the president's state visit to the UK in June of this year.
They were also seen alongside Epstein and Maxwell at another party in 2000 in Palm Beach, Florida.
In an interview in the same year, Trump told US celebrity magazine that Andrew was "a lot of fun to be with".
The Sun's political editor Tom Newton Dunn also tweeted this week: “When we interviewed [Trump] in July 2018, he told us he played 18 holes of golf with Andrew (and he insisted he won too)."
Members of the public slammed Trump's denial online and posted several snaps of the US billionaire and the prince together - including one showing Epstein in the background.
'TRUMP AND MAXWELL CLEARLY KNEW EACH OTHER'
President Trump is known to have been friendly with Epstein, and has been pictured with him on multiple occasions in the past, although Epstein himself does not appear in the latest set of images.
A witness told the Mail that Maxwell and Trump appeared to be on friendly terms, and that the pair chatted for around 15 minutes before she and Prince Andrew left to attend a different party.
"Prince Andrew was with Ghislaine and they were greeted by Heidi Klum," they said.
"While Andrew was chatting with Heidi, Ghislaine went over to speak with Donald Trump.
"Donald and Ghislaine were chatting for about 15 or 20 minutes.
"It seemed clear they already knew each other.
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"Andrew also said hello to Donald.
"They were friends and any time Donald arrived at a party he made sure to say hello to every single celebrity. Always."
