Trump warns release of Epstein files could ‘ruin’ reputations as bipartisan pressure mounts on Justice Department
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump, speaking at Mar-a-Lago in his first public comments since the Justice Department began releasing investigative files on Jeffrey Epstein last Friday, cautioned that people who “innocently met” the convicted sex offender could see their reputations damaged as photos and documents surface.
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“This whole thing with Epstein is a way of trying to deflect from the tremendous success that the Republican Party has,” Trump told reporters, adding, “There’s photos of me too. Everybody was friendly with this guy (Epstein).”
Trump called the release of images featuring former President Bill Clinton and others a “terrible thing,” saying, “Bill Clinton’s a big boy, he can handle it. But you probably have pictures being exposed of other people that innocently met Jeffrey Epstein years ago, many years ago, and they’re highly respected bankers and lawyers and others.” He said many people are “very angry that pictures are being released of other people that really had nothing to do with Epstein,” warning that a single party snapshot could “ruin a reputation.”
The renewed focus on the Epstein files — and how the Justice Department is managing their disclosure — has ignited bipartisan frustration in Washington. Lawmakers are threatening to escalate pressure on Attorney General Pam Bondi over what they describe as slow, selective releases of the materials.
“The DOJ needs to quit protecting the rich, powerful, and politically connected,” Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, said on X, as he and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California vowed to work together to force broader disclosure. The pair told MS Now they would pursue contempt of Congress proceedings against Bondi next month if necessary, and, after a 30-day grace period, push for fines of up to $5,000 per day until the documents are sent to Capitol Hill.
Clinton spokesman Angel Urena urged the Justice Department to immediately release any remaining materials that reference the former president, including photographs. “Someone or something is being protected. We do not know whom, what or why. But we do know this,” Urena said, adding, “We need no such protection.” He also said there is “widespread suspicion” the department is using selective releases to imply wrongdoing by individuals “who have already been repeatedly cleared by the very same Department of Justice.”
Pressure for full disclosure has widened beyond Congress. A group identifying itself as survivors of Epstein’s abuse said the public has received “a fraction of the files,” describing the documents so far as “riddled with abnormal and extreme redactions with no explanation.” The group also said some victim identities were left unredacted. The Justice Department has said it is working to clear more documents for release to Congress.
The debate has also exposed fissures within the GOP. Trump’s core MAGA supporters have clamored for a complete airing of the Epstein record. Trump has at times called the episode a Democratic “hoax,” while also signing a bill requiring full disclosure, underscoring the crosscurrents shaping the party’s stance.
Epstein, a wealthy and well-connected financier, died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges in what was ruled a suicide. The Justice Department’s gradual release of investigative files has reignited questions about who met with Epstein, when and why — and how the government is balancing public transparency with privacy and legal constraints.
For Trump, the political implications are clear. “Everybody was friendly with this guy,” he said, casting the uproar over the newly surfaced photos and records as less about accountability and more about the optics of proximity — and a risk, he argued, that extends far beyond the names already in the headlines.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
