These weren’t new allegations or charges. The Justice Department had revisited the Epstein investigation following public and political pressure and concluded, again, that there was no credible evidence of criminal conduct, and no justification for reopening the case. But the names were still there. Trump’s was one of them.
Now, two months later, Trump is claiming he was never told.
Asked last week whether Bondi had informed him, Trump told reporters, “No, no. She’s given us just a very quick briefing.” That doesn’t match what multiple senior officials recall. One put it bluntly: “He knew. She told him directly.”
The White House hasn’t denied that his name was included in the documents. In fact, they haven’t denied much at all, just insisted that nothing in the files rises to the level of legal concern.
An administration official confirmed to Reuters on Wednesday that the White House is not denying that Trump’s name appears in the files. In fact, they said that detail had already been acknowledged, quietly, in briefing binders circulated among political influencers earlier this year.
Trump-Epstein Controversy: The paper trail
Trump’s connection to Epstein is well documented. They moved in the same circles in the 1990s and early 2000s. Epstein had Trump’s numbers in his contact book. There are photos, flight logs, and a long trail of public quotes. In 2002, Trump told New York Magazine that Epstein was “a terrific guy” who liked women “on the younger side.”By 2003, the relationship had supposedly soured. But a new Wall Street Journal report surfaced a strange detail: a birthday greeting Trump allegedly contributed to a book Epstein compiled that year. It included a sketch of a naked woman and a note signed “Donald.” Trump’s lawyers say the signature is forged and are now suing the Journal and Rupert Murdoch for $10 billion in defamation.
Internal tensions, public denials
The bigger issue isn’t whether Trump’s name appeared in some file. It’s how the White House has handled it. Officials close to the situation say the briefing was deliberate, not vague. Bondi and Blanche reportedly told Trump they’d reviewed a range of material, much of it old, some unverified. They found no legal basis to pursue charges, and no evidence of a so-called “client list.” Still, they told him he was in it.
That makes his public denial difficult to explain. Several aides were caught off guard when Trump claimed he didn’t know. Some are now frustrated the White House didn’t redact his name from talking points and internal summaries circulated earlier this year to allies and conservative media.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung responded by deflecting: “The President kicked Epstein out of his club for being a creep. This is just more fake news from the Democrats and their media puppets.”
Legal fallout, political pressure
The Justice Department has since filed a motion to unseal transcripts from a federal grand jury related to Epstein’s earlier charges. A judge in Florida denied the request, citing grand jury secrecy laws. Another motion is pending in New York.
Meanwhile, the House Oversight Committee has voted to subpoena all Justice Department records related to the Epstein investigation. The move has bipartisan support. Speaker Mike Johnson, likely trying to avoid a public fight, adjourned Congress early for summer recess just before a full floor vote could take place. But before leaving town, lawmakers issued a subpoena to compel Ghislaine Maxwell to testify.
This isn’t just about what’s in the files. It’s about who gets to decide what the public sees.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted earlier this month found that nearly 70% of Americans believe the government is withholding information about Epstein’s network. That figure includes majorities in both parties.
Trump’s legal team says it’s all politically motivated, and insists the Journal will be proven wrong. The Justice Department says it found no reason to reopen the case. But with conflicting stories coming out of the West Wing, congressional pressure mounting, and public suspicion deepening, the Epstein question isn’t going away. Not any time soon.
