Donald Trump's 'Pardon Promise' to Ghislaine Maxwell: Real or Hoax? Epstein's Accomplice Clings to Last Lifeline

As the US Supreme Court rejected her final appeal on 14 October 2025, former socialite Ghislaine Maxwell entered the final stretch of a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking.

Her only remaining glimmer of hope centres on a potential pardon by President Donald Trump, a possibility he has publicly left open but never committed to, creating a swirl of speculation around whether this is a genuine lifeline or simply a faint, politically untenable mirage.

Supreme Court Denial Ends Major Legal Route

According to Globe Magazine, the Supreme Court declined to hear Maxwell's appeal, ending her last major legal challenge.

Maxwell, 63, had argued that her 2021 conviction for sex trafficking underage girls was invalid due to a 2007 non-prosecution agreement between federal prosecutors in Florida and financier Jeffrey Epstein, with whom she worked closely for years.

The Supreme Court did not explain its decision, following standard procedure when declining to review lower court rulings. Maxwell's legal team, led by attorney Todd Blanche, who represented Donald Trump in several high-profile cases, argued that the prior Epstein deal should have shielded her from prosecution.

Her current lawyer, Oscar Markus, told Globe Magazine that the team was 'disappointed' by the court's ruling but vowed to continue appealing through 'every legal avenue available.' Maxwell, who has been incarcerated at the Federal Prison Camp Bryan in Texas since 2022, was convicted of recruiting and grooming underage girls for Epstein's abuse between 1994 and 2004.

Trump's Alleged 'Pardon Promise'

With her appeal rejected, Maxwell's only hope may be the possibility or belief of a presidential pardon. Globe Magazine reported that Maxwell had privately suggested that she had once heard that Trump might 'consider looking at her case' if he returned to the White House.

While Trump never promised clemency, his 2020 press briefing remark, 'I wish her well,' drew sharp criticism at the time and fuelled speculation of sympathy. Trump's aides have since denied any intention of granting Maxwell a pardon, and the President has not publicly commented on her since her conviction.

Legal observers say such hopes are unrealistic. 'Her case is too politically toxic,' one legal analyst told Globe Magazine. 'No administration wants to be seen excusing crimes linked to Epstein's trafficking network.'

Epstein Legacy and Life Behind Bars

Maxwell continues to maintain her innocence, claiming she was scapegoated for Epstein's crimes after his 2019 death in a New York jail, which was ruled a suicide. Four women testified at her trial that Maxwell had befriended and groomed them before Epstein sexually exploited them.

Maxwell has reportedly adjusted to a structured routine at the Bryan prison facility, teaching yoga and working in the library. Victims' advocates have criticised her detention conditions, which include access to outdoor recreation and gardening, as 'too lenient.' 'It's a slap in the face to survivors,' one victim told Globe Magazine. 'We'll never heal from what she helped cause.'

Despite her continued legal manoeuvres, experts say Maxwell's prospects for release are slim. 'The Supreme Court rejection is final,' one former federal prosecutor told Reuters. 'A pardon would ignite political chaos; it won't happen.'