Rep. Jasmine Crockett weighed in on President Trump’s recent comments about Ghislaine Maxwell’s prison transfer, saying his lack of awareness fits a familiar pattern. During a Tuesday interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Crockett was asked whether she believed Trump’s claim that he hadn’t known about the transfer of the convicted Epstein associate to a different federal facility.
“I don’t think there’s a lot that the president is personally aware of,” Crockett said. “So him being clueless is on brand.”
However, she added that in this specific case, where the matter touches on Trump’s own interests and the political pressure surrounding the Epstein files, she found it hard to believe the president truly had no knowledge.
Earlier in the day, Trump had been asked directly about the situation during a public appearance. Collins attempted to ask whether he had personally approved Maxwell’s move. The president interrupted before she finished, saying, “I didn’t know about it at all, nope. I read about it just like you did.” He downplayed the significance of the relocation, adding that such transfers were “not a very uncommon thing.”
Federal officials confirmed last week that Maxwell had been moved from a prison in Florida to the Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas. The transfer wasn’t publicly announced and only came to light after inquiries by the press.
A spokesperson from the Bureau of Prisons acknowledged the move in a statement, noting that Maxwell remains in custody under standard procedures, and the transfer was routine.
The incident arrives at a time when the administration is facing renewed scrutiny over how it’s handled matters related to Jeffrey Epstein and his network. In recent weeks, frustration over the lack of transparency and accountability in the Epstein case has reignited among Trump’s critics and supporters alike — particularly after calls to release the full unredacted Epstein files have intensified.
Maxwell’s prison transfer, coupled with Trump’s insistence that he wasn’t involved, has only added fuel to that fire, with some lawmakers suggesting the administration isn’t being fully forthcoming. Crockett’s remarks reflect a broader skepticism about how much the president truly doesn’t know — and how much he may simply prefer not to say.