Following a series of contradictory statements, President Donald Trump has now said he wants to “release everything” related to the Jeffrey Epstein case files, but with a caveat to protect “innocent people.” This shift comes as his administration faces mounting pressure from both the public and political opponents over the handling of the sensitive documents.
In a recent interview with a U.S. media outlet, President Trump stated his desire to make all documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case public. “We want to release everything,” he said, before adding a condition: “we don’t want people to get hurt that shouldn’t be hurt.” This position marks a change from a previous announcement by the Department of Justice and the FBI, which had indicated they would no longer release related files. That decision had sparked a backlash from Trump’s political base.
The debate surrounding the files has been a source of significant controversy. The House Oversight Committee has issued subpoenas to the Justice Department for the Epstein files, and is also seeking depositions from figures like the Clintons. These moves underscore the ongoing political pressure from both sides of the aisle to uncover the full scope of Epstein’s network. A new lawsuit has also been filed by a legal organization, Democracy Forward, to compel the release of records detailing the administration’s communications regarding the case.
Trump’s relationship with Epstein has come under renewed scrutiny. Reports from The Wall Street Journal and others have claimed that Trump’s name appears multiple times in the documents, and that he was briefed on this by Attorney General Pam Bondi. Trump has consistently denied prior knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and has claimed he cut off their relationship years ago. He has also previously dismissed the ongoing interest in the case as a “scam.”