The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. Justice Department informed Donald Trump his name appears multiple times in government files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Attorney General Pam Bondi allegedly told Trump during a White House meeting in May that the files contain unverified hearsay about several public figures, including Trump, who had social ties with Epstein. She also noted that the files wouldn't be publicly released due to the presence of child pornography and victims’ personal information. Trump reportedly responded by saying the DOJ should handle the matter as it sees fit.
FBI Director Kash Patel also reportedly confirmed to other officials that Trump’s name appears in the Epstein files. The report surfaces amid MAGA supporters' frustration over the Trump administration’s decision to close the review into Epstein’s case, reaffirming Epstein's death as a suicide and refusing to release more documents. The move angered Trump's base, which had anticipated more disclosures and prosecutions linked to Epstein if Trump returned to power.
In response to the backlash, Trump dismissed the Epstein files as a “hoax” and falsely claimed they were fabricated by Barack Obama and other Democrats. He criticized his own supporters who continue to focus on the case and attempted to shift public attention to conspiracy theories about the 2016 election, accusing Obama of treason.
Despite Trump’s more recent efforts to distance himself from Epstein, he once described Epstein in a 2002 quote as a “terrific guy” who enjoyed the company of beautiful women, “many of them on the younger side.” The Journal also recently reported that Trump wrote Epstein a suggestive birthday note in the early 2000s, though Trump denied the story and sued the outlet. Meanwhile, Elon Musk, a former Trump adviser, posted on social media that Trump’s presence in the Epstein files is the real reason they haven't been released, adding fuel to the controversy. When asked directly by ABC News if Bondi told him he was named in the files, Trump denied it and praised her handling of the case.
