From left, American real estate developer Donald Trump and his girlfriend (and future wife), former model Melania Knauss, financier (and future convicted sex offender) Jeffrey Epstein, and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell pose together at the Mar-a-Lago club, Palm Beach, Florida, February 12, 2000.

As US President Donald Trump continues to downplay his ties to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, reports keep popping up, shedding light on the extent of their relationship.

The New York Times on Thursday published a photo of what it described as an “admiring note” Trump wrote to Epstein in a copy of his book Trump: The Art of the Comeback that belonged to the disgraced financier.

“To Jeff — You are the greatest!” the inscription, signed Donald, reads.

The message is dated October ’97, the month Trump’s book was published.

The Times also released a photo of Trump and Epstein posing with singer James Brown, while noting that the location the image was taken remains unknown.

When asked about the inscription, White House communications director Steven Cheung defended the president.

“The fact is that the President kicked him out of his club for being a creep. This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media,” he said in a statement.

The Times’ reporting follows CNN’s publication........

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