Trump says he has 'not thought about' pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell but he’s ‘allowed to do it’

When asked by reporters outside the White House ahead of a private trip to Scotland if he had thought about a pardon or clemency for Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking, he told them: "I haven't thought about it."

"I'm allowed to do it, but it's something I have not thought about," he added.

He was nudged about the same topic at a later stage, to which he said: "I don’t want to talk about that" before praising Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who met with Maxwell and her attorneys this week in a federal courthouse in Tallahassee.

the US President also told reporters he did not know "exactly what's happening" with the Justice Department's meeting with Maxwell, and added Blanche is "a professional lawyer" and "he's been through things like this before".

Read more: Protests expected as Trump prepares to touchdown in Scotland for five-day private trip

Read more: White House in 'meltdown' after South Park depicts Trump in relationship with Satan

Maxwell, 63, recently had her request for the supreme court to review her case opposed by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Her lawyers argued she should never have been charged, citing a 2008 plea deal struck between Epstein and federal prosecutors.

Maxwell's attorney David Oscar Markus told reporters today: "We just ask that folks look at what she has to say with an open mind, and that’s what Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has promised us, and everything she says can be corroborated and she’s telling the truth.

"She’s got no reason to lie at this point, and she’s going to keep telling the truth."

The White House has become embroiled in the Epstein saga over the past few weeks.

Two weeks ago, the US government claimed no Epstein "client list" exists and reiterated the FBI's findings that the convicted sex offender took his own life in jail.

The comments sparked uproar amongst Trump's own supporters, who are demanding justice for Epstein’s victims and punishment for his enablers.

In a bid to shift attention away from the controversy, Trump began referring to the scandal as the "Epstein hoax" and blamed the Democrats for stoking conspiracies.

When this failed to placate MAGA supporters, Trump reportedly ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to request the Southern District of New York to unseal grand jury testimony in the Epstein court case.

The House Oversight Committee has subpoenaed Maxwell for a deposition at the Federal Correctional Institution Tallahassee in Florida on August 11.

The House Oversight Committee will subpoena the Justice Department to release files tied to Epstein, a committee spokesperson said this week, after three Republicans on a subcommittee joined Democrats to vote on the matter on Wednesday.