Donald Trump said the continued release of Jeffrey Epstein–linked documents unfairly damages people who had no involvement in Epstein’s crimes, arguing that officials are using photographs alone to tarnish reputations.
Speaking Monday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Trump said many individuals appear in Epstein-related images simply because Epstein attended social events. “People that really had nothing to do with Epstein, but they’re in a picture with him because he was at a party, and you ruin a reputation,” Trump said. “A lot of people are very angry that this continues.”
Trump singled out former president Bill Clinton, whose photographs appeared repeatedly in the latest document tranche, saying he hated to see Clinton “being tarnished by the association.” He described the situation as “terrible,” while blaming Democrats—and “a couple of bad Republicans”—for pushing the disclosures.
“But this is what they’re asking for,” Trump said. “They give you photos of me too. Everybody was friendly with this guy, either friendly or not friendly, but he was around.”
Political fallout over Epstein disclosures
The dispute over the Epstein files has fueled infighting among Trump’s supporters and added to political pressure ahead of next year’s midterm elections. The U.S. Department of Justice last Friday released thousands of pages of photographs, phone records, and investigative notes tied to Epstein. The department heavily redacted much of the material and did not publish the full set of records it holds.
Lawmakers from both parties accused the Trump administration of failing to comply with a bipartisan law that mandated full disclosure. The DOJ said the volume of material made it impossible to meet the December 19 deadline set by Congress and promised additional releases in the coming weeks.
Critics rejected that explanation. Some accused the department of staggering the release to shield Trump, who once socialized with Epstein before severing ties in the mid-2000s. Trump signed the Epstein disclosure legislation into law only after pressure from congressional Republicans forced him to drop his earlier opposition.
Clinton office demands full release
A spokesperson for Clinton complained Monday that the limited release appeared designed to protect “someone or something” and called for the immediate disclosure of all remaining materials related to the former president.
“Refusal to do so will confirm the widespread suspicion that the Department of Justice’s actions are not about transparency, but about insinuation,” said Angel Ureña, arguing that selective releases imply wrongdoing by people whom the DOJ has previously cleared.
Lawmakers threaten contempt
Trump emphasized that he ended his friendship with Epstein years ago and accused political opponents of weaponizing the controversy against him. “A lot of Republicans are angry because it’s being used to deflect from tremendous success,” he said.
Meanwhile, Epstein Files Transparency Act co-sponsors Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie threatened to hold Attorney General Pam Bondi in contempt of Congress over the DOJ’s handling of the release.
Massie said on CBS’s Face the Nation that pursuing contempt proceedings was the fastest way to secure justice for Epstein’s victims. Trump responded by attacking Massie personally, calling him a “low life” and a “loser” for working with Democrats.
Survivors of Epstein’s abuse also criticized the Justice Department, saying in a joint statement that the partial, heavily redacted release violates the law and continues to deny them full accountability.
Read more on the case: