who was president when epstein was convicted

February 15, 2026

Jeffrey Epstein was first convicted in 2008, when George W. Bush was president of the United States.

Quick timeline

Epstein’s key criminal conviction for sex offenses came in 2008, via a plea deal in Florida that labeled him a sex offender.

At that time, the sitting U.S. president was George W. Bush , whose second term ran from January 2005 to January 2009.

Epstein was later federally charged with sex trafficking in 2019, which happened during Donald Trump’s first term, but he died in jail before any new conviction in that federal case.

So if you’re asking “who was president when Epstein was convicted,” that refers to the 2008 conviction under President George W. Bush.

Note: Some online discussions mix up his 2008 conviction with his 2019 federal charges and subsequent death, which is why you’ll also see Trump’s name come up in these timelines.

TL;DR: The president when Epstein was convicted (2008 plea deal) was George W. Bush.