Donald Trump has been caught out by photographic evidence after claiming not to know the Duke of York, as pressure mounts on Prince Andrew to give evidence in the US over his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The US president made the denial during a press conference at the US ambassador's residence in London on Tuesday, when asked about the prince's decision to step down from royal duties following a disastrous BBC interview about the Epstein allegations. Trump said: 'I don't know Prince Andrew, but that's a tough story, it's a very tough story.'
However, photographs show the two men together on multiple occasions, including at a party at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort on 12 February 2000, where Trump was also separately pictured with Epstein. Trump has previously described Epstein as a 'terrific guy' and 'a lot of fun to be with'.
Lawyers for five women who have accused Epstein of abuse have called on Prince Andrew to give evidence, saying he may have important information about trafficking for sexual abuse. The prince has consistently denied the allegations, which Buckingham Palace said were 'false and without foundation'.
One of Epstein's victims, Virginia Giuffre, alleges she was trafficked to have sex with Prince Andrew on three occasions between 2001 and 2002. In a BBC Panorama interview broadcast on Monday, she said: 'This is not some sordid sex story. This is a story of being trafficked. This is a story of abuse and this is a story of your guy's royalty.'
