WASHINGTON – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he has not considered granting clemency to Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of Jeffrey Epstein, despite renewed political attention on the case.

“It’s something I haven’t thought about,” Trump told reporters when asked about a possible pardon or sentence commutation. “I’m allowed to do it, but it’s not something I’ve considered.”

Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence in a Florida federal prison after being convicted in 2021 for her role in facilitating Epstein’s sexual abuse of underage girls. She is appealing her conviction.

Trump has faced pressure from both supporters and critics to push for more transparency regarding Epstein’s connections to powerful individuals and the circumstances of his death in jail in 2019. The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently concluded it found no grounds to pursue a client list or continue its investigation, a decision that has frustrated many within Trump’s political base who suspect a cover-up.

Amid this renewed interest, Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, who previously served as Trump’s personal attorney, met with Maxwell in prison on Thursday and said he planned a follow-up meeting on Friday. According to Blanche, he reached out to Maxwell’s legal team to determine whether she could provide information on others involved in abusing victims.

Trump, asked about Blanche’s meeting with Maxwell, said he was unaware of the details but reiterated he had no connection to Epstein.

“They always focus on me,” Trump said. “I had nothing to do with the guy. But they don’t talk about others who were close to him.”

Trump had previously been seen in photos and at social events with Epstein during the 1990s and early 2000s, and his name appeared in flight logs for Epstein’s private jet. Trump has denied ever flying on Epstein’s plane and has not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing.