Washington DC - The White House accused Democrats Wednesday of pushing a "fake narrative" after they released emails in which Jeffrey Epstein suggested that President Donald Trump was aware of the financier's sexual abuse.

"The Democrats selectively leaked emails to the liberal media to create a fake narrative to smear President Trump," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

She added that the release of the emails was "hoax" designed to take the shine off an upcoming vote to end the longest-ever US government shutdown, which Trump has claimed as a victory for Republicans.

"These stories are nothing more than bad-faith efforts to distract from President Trump's historic accomplishments," Leavitt said.

"Any American with common sense sees right through this hoax and clear distraction from the government opening back up again."

Trump has denied any involvement in or knowledge of the sex-trafficking activities of his former friend, who allegedly died by suicide in federal prison in 2019 as he was awaiting trial.

But in one of the emails released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee – and initially reported on by the New York Times and CNN – Epstein said that Trump "knew about the girls".

Epstein also asserts in another message that Trump "spent hours at my house" with an unnamed victim.

Leavitt said that victim was Epstein's main accuser, Virginia Giuffre, who took her own life in April.

Giuffre "repeatedly said President Trump was not involved in any wrongdoing whatsoever and "couldn't have been friendlier" to her in their limited interactions," Trump's spokeswoman added.

"The fact remains that President Trump kicked Jeffrey Epstein out of his club decades ago for being a creep to his female employees, including Giuffre."