Highlights:
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Trump says Epstein Files disclosures could harm people who met Jeffrey Epstein innocently
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President defends Bill Clinton and others photographed with Epstein at social events
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Trump criticizes what he calls selective release of Epstein Files documents
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Lawmakers and survivors continue to push for full disclosure under federal law
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Clinton spokesperson calls for complete transparency and no special protection
President Donald Trump on Monday addressed the release of documents linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, warning that the ongoing publication of Epstein Files materials could unfairly damage the reputations of people who had only incidental contact with the financier years ago and were not involved in his crimes.
Speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump said the way the Epstein Files are being released could create misleading narratives about individuals whose names or images appear in photographs or documents without evidence of wrongdoing. He argued that selective disclosure of Epstein Files materials risks portraying innocent social interactions as something more serious.
Epstein Files and concerns over innocent associations
Trump said the Epstein Files include photographs and documents that, taken out of context, could ruin reputations. He stressed that Epstein moved in elite social and professional circles for years, which meant many well-known figures encountered him without any involvement in his criminal activity.
“Photographs and documents being made public risk destroying the reputations of individuals who ‘innocently met’ Epstein at social and professional gatherings,” Trump said, expressing concern for public figures facing renewed scrutiny as Epstein Files documents emerge.
The president singled out former Democratic president Bill Clinton, whose name and photographs appear in the first batch of released Epstein Files materials. “I like Bill Clinton,” Trump said. “I’ve always gotten along with Bill Clinton. I hate to see photos come out of him, but this is what the Democrats, mostly Democrats and a couple of bad Republicans, are asking for.”
Trump said Epstein’s broad social reach made it wrong to draw conclusions based solely on images or brief associations highlighted in the Epstein Files. “Everybody was friendly with this guy,” he said. “You probably have pictures being exposed of people who are highly respected bankers, lawyers, and others who really had nothing to do with Epstein.”
Epstein Files releases criticized as selective
Trump said many people are angry about what he described as selective handling of the Epstein Files. He argued that releasing a single photograph or isolated document without full context could unfairly harm someone’s personal and professional standing.
He pointed to the case of former Treasury Secretary and Harvard professor Larry Summers, who announced in November that he was stepping back from public life after past email exchanges with Epstein became public through related disclosures. Trump suggested that similar outcomes could follow for others named in the Epstein Files even if they had no role in Epstein’s crimes.
According to Trump, the Epstein Files controversy has overshadowed other political issues. He said the focus on the Epstein Files is being used to divert attention from Republican policy achievements. “This whole thing is a way of trying to deflect from the tremendous success that the Republican Party has,” he said, citing defense and industrial initiatives.
Legal background of the Epstein Files release
The current release of Epstein Files materials stems from the Epstein Files Transparency Act, legislation passed by Congress with near-unanimous support and signed into law by Trump. The law mandates the Justice Department to release all files related to Epstein.
So far, only one batch of Epstein Files documents has been made public. This has drawn criticism from lawmakers, advocates, and survivors of Epstein’s abuse, who argue that partial disclosure undermines the intent of the law. They are calling for the complete release of all Epstein Files without redactions that are not legally justified.
The Justice Department has not provided a timeline for when additional Epstein Files materials will be released, adding to frustration among those seeking full transparency.
Epstein Files and calls for full transparency
On Monday, a spokesperson for former president Clinton responded to renewed attention on his association with Epstein by urging full disclosure of all relevant Epstein Files materials. “Someone or something is being protected,” the spokesperson said, calling for transparency and warning against selective releases that could imply wrongdoing without evidence.
The spokesperson said no individual should receive special protection and that releasing all Epstein Files at once would reduce speculation and misinterpretation.
Epstein died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide. Despite that ruling, the handling of his case and the scope of his network continue to generate public interest and controversy, now centered on the Epstein Files.
As pressure builds from lawmakers across parties and from survivors’ advocates, the Epstein Files remain a focal point of political and legal debate. Trump’s comments underscore the tension between demands for transparency and concerns about reputational harm, a balance that continues to shape the ongoing release of Epstein Files documents.
