WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump stated Friday that the Justice Department has “accomplished its role” in releasing records from Jeffrey Epstein’s case, asserting that it was “time to end” the campaign for increased transparency.
In an extensive Truth Social post, Trump criticized Democrats, claiming they did “nothing” about Epstein “while he was alive except befriend him, socialize with him, travel to his Island, and take his money!” Trump had known Epstein for years, although he mentioned in 2019 — following the disgraced financier’s sex trafficking arrest — that they had “a falling out.” Epstein died by suicide in jail in 2019, with various conspiracy theories about his death and criminal case emerging since.
Trump argued that Democrats “knew everything there was to know about Epstein, but now, years after his death, they suddenly seem to display such love and heartfelt concern for his victims. Does anybody really believe that?”
“The Department of Justice has fulfilled its duty, having provided everything requested of them,” he continued. “It’s time to conclude the Democrat Epstein Hoax, and acknowledge the Republicans for the great, even legendary, job they are performing.”
However, it’s not just Democrats who want the Trump administration to release more Epstein documents. Several Republican members of Congress have also been vocal in calling for that, including Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., have been promoting a discharge petition aimed at compelling a floor vote in the House to mandate the Justice Department to submit documents to Congress.
The petition needs 218 signatures to pass and the group expressed confidence this week that it would secure them by the end of September.
Massie and Khanna didn’t immediately return requests for comment about Trump’s post on Friday.
The Justice Department has so far only provided about one-third of the Epstein files to the House Oversight Committee. The files comprise about 100,000 pages, with the panel stating it obtained more than 33,000 pages and was anticipating more, though it did not specify when.
The committee on Tuesday released 33,295 pages of records, many of which were already public.
At a press conference on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, several victims spoke about the sexual abuse they suffered while working for Epstein. One of the accusers, Chauntae Davies, said of Epstein, “His biggest brag forever was that he was very good friends with Donald Trump,” Davies said. “He had an 8-by-10 framed picture of him on his desk with the two of them, like they were very close.”
In response, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that day, “This is a Democrat hoax that never ends. … I understand we’ve given thousands of pages of files, and I know that no matter what you do, it’s going to keep going. … Really, I think it’s enough.”
The Department of Justice didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The controversy surrounding the federal government’s Epstein records has been dogging Trump all summer after an unsigned Justice Department memo in July concluded that there was no proof of a so-called “client list” or evidence that would lead to further criminal charges.
Trump had tried to tamp down calls for more information, even as those calls grew from within his MAGA base. The president ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi in July to release “pertinent” grand jury testimony from the Epstein case.
