Trump calls for release of any Epstein files naming Democrats: “Embarrass them”
As prosecutors grapple with a a massive trove of documents Regarding the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, President Trump suggested Friday that the Justice Department was spending too much time on the issue — but said prominent Democrats linked to Epstein should be nominated.
The Justice Department has released numerous files on Epstein over the past week, in response to a law requiring it to release its files on Epstein by December 19. The files span more than 20 years of investigations into the disgraced financier and highlight the relationships he cultivated over the years with well-known people like Mr. Trump and former President Bill Clinton — neither of whom were accused of wrongdoing.
And on Wednesday, the department announcement that the Manhattan federal prosecutor’s office had discovered more than a million additional documents “potentially related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.” He said combing through the newly discovered documents and making necessary redactions could take “a few more weeks.”
Mr. Trump discussed the discovery Friday evening on Truth Social, writing: “Now 1,000,000 more pages about Epstein have been found. The DOJ is forced to spend all its time on this Democrat-inspired hoax. When will they say MORE, and work on voter fraud, etc. »
The president went on to say that it was Democrats, not Republicans, “the ones who worked with Epstein.”
“Release all their names, embarrass them and return to help our country,” he wrote.
Mr. Trump has long been wary of the Epstein problemPeriodically calling it a “hoax” and arguing that Republican lawmakers who supported releasing more documents about Epstein had fallen for a Democratic-led diversionary tactic.
He finally said last month that Republicans should vote for the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which required the release of the files, writing, “it’s time to turn the page on this Democratic hoax.”
At the same time, the president has focused on Democrats with ties to Epstein. In mid-November, he asked the Department of Justice to investigate Epstein’s ties to Clinton and two other Democrats. The ministry had previously said in July that there is no evidence to justify prosecuting third parties not charged in the Epstein case.
Initial release last week of Justice Department files on Epstein presented several photos of Clintonincluding an image of the former president sitting in a hot tub and several images of him at events with celebrities like Michael Jackson.
Another file release earlier this week included references to Mr. Trump. A 2020 email from a federal prosecutor said flight logs revealed the president flew on Epstein’s private jet “many more times” than previously known.
The records do not indicate any wrongdoing by Clinton or Mr. Trump. A Clinton spokesperson has long acknowledged that the former president traveled with Epstein on several occasions, but said he had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
A Clinton spokesperson on Monday pushed the Justice Department to release “all remaining documents” in the Epstein files that mention Clinton or include a photo of him, arguing that the former president has nothing to hide.
Mr. Trump ran in the same social circles as Epstein in the 1990s and 2000s, but claims to have severed ties with Epstein many years ago. The president called liberation photos of Clinton and others a “terrible thing” Monday, saying many people appearing in images with Epstein “really had nothing to do with” him.
“I don’t like being shown pictures of Bill Clinton. I don’t like being shown pictures of other people. I think it’s a terrible thing,” the president told reporters. “I think Bill Clinton is a big guy, he can handle it. But you’ve probably exposed pictures of other people who innocently met Jeffrey Epstein years ago…and they are very respected bankers, lawyers and others.”
