Trump complains Epstein files are damaging people who ‘innocently met’ him | Jeffrey Epstein
Donald Trump has broken his silence over the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, complaining that the reputations of people who “innocently met” the convicted pedophile could be destroyed.
In his first comments since the justice department began releasing the materials on Friday, the US president expressed sympathy for prominent Democrats who came under renewed scrutiny on Monday for their dealings with Epstein.
“I love Bill Clinton,” Trump said about the former president, who stands out in the first photos. “I’ve always gotten along well with Bill Clinton; I’ve been nice to him, he’s been nice to me… I don’t like getting pictures out of him, but the Democrats – mostly Democrats and a few bad Republicans – want that, so they give out pictures of me.”
Trump, who has a long relationship with Epstein and has resisted releasing the files for much of this year, was speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida. “Everyone was friendly with this guy,” he claimed. “But no, I don’t like seeing pictures of Bill Clinton. I don’t like seeing pictures of other people; I think that’s terrible.”
“I think Bill Clinton is a big boy, he can handle this, but there are probably exposed photos of other people who innocently met Jeffrey Epstein years ago and are highly respected bankers, lawyers and others.”
Trump added: “A lot of people are very angry that other people’s pictures are being published who have nothing to do with Epstein. But they’re taking pictures with him because he was at a party and you’re ruining someone’s reputation.”
He cited Harvard professor and former Democratic treasury secretary Larry Summers, who announced in November that he would retire from public life after email correspondence with Epstein emerged.
Trump, who tried to describe the Epstein files as a “hoax”, also tried to portray them as a distraction from his own party’s successes. “This whole thing with Epstein is a way of trying to distract from the tremendous success that the Republican party has had.
“For example, today we’re building the biggest ships in the world, the most powerful ships, and they’re asking me questions about Jeffrey Epstein. I thought that was over.”
In fact, there is no end in sight. Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA)The law, passed almost unanimously by Congress and signed by Trump, mandated the release of the full Epstein files by Friday of last week. However, the justice department has released only one set of documents so far, sparking outrage from survivors and members of Congress.
Clinton spokeswoman Angel Urena said Monday: published a statement We call on the justice department to release all materials, including photographs, that reference Clinton in any way. “Someone or something is being protected,” Urena said. “We don’t know who, what and why. But we know this. We don’t need such protection.”
Urena said there was “widespread suspicion” that the department was “using selective releases to imply wrongdoing against individuals who have been repeatedly cleared by the same Department of Justice.”
Epstein, a wealthy and well-connected financier, died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, which was ruled a suicide.
