President Donald Trump admits he has been briefed on the Epstein files but won’t shed light on whether he is in them.
As MAGA anger continues over the administration’s handling of the saga, Trump has also opened the door to releasing “credible information” about the case, while at the same time branding the files a Democratic hoax.
The mixed messages were made before Trump flew to Pennsylvania on Tuesday. Speaking to reporters at the White House, he acknowledged Attorney General Pam Bondi had given him a “quick” briefing about the files but he refused to say what was in them.
Asked if his name appeared in files, Trump replied: “No, no, she’s given us just a very quick briefing and in terms of the credibility of the different things that they’ve seen.
“I would say that these files were made up by Comey; they were made up by Obama; they were made up by Biden” he added, referring to the former Democratic presidents and the former FBI director James Comey.
“But she’s handling it very well and whatever she thinks is credible she’s going to release it.”
Later, at a separate event, the attorney general was asked if she would be open to releasing credible information in view of the president’s comments, but she refused to answer.
“I appreciate your question but this today is about fentanyl overdoses across our country and people who have lost their loved ones to fentanyl,” she replied.
“That’s the message that we wish to send today—nothing about Epstein. I’m not going to talk about Epstein.”
Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor in Florida in 2008 and died in 2019 as he was awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges involving more underage girls.
But the circumstances surrounding his death—and the notion of a “client list” of powerful people who joined his sexual depravity—has become a political headache for Trump, after the administration reneged on commitments to release the files.
The attempt to kill off the issue has outraged Trump’s MAGA base and resulted in a clash between Bondi and deputy FBI director Dan Bongino.
On Tuesday, Speaker Mike Johnson said DOJ should release everything that had on Epstein. He added that he would be open to Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s ex girlfriend and associate who is now in jail, testifying to Congress about what she knew.
“I’m for transparency. We should put everything out there and let the people decide. Pam Bondi needs to come forward and explain it to the American people. Let’s get this thing resolved,” he told conservative podcaster Benny Johnson.
Earlier, the president’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump also urged the White House for more transparency and predicted: “I believe that there will probably be more coming on this.”
Asked if he agreed with Lara Trump saying more transparency was needed, Trump said “credibility is very important, and you want credible evidence for something like that.”
He also praised Bondi for the way she handled the matter, even as some in his ranks continue to be enraged that she overpromised and under-delivered.
Among her critics was Bongino, who exacerbated tensions by not turning up to work last Friday after clashing with the attorney general.
He was back on the job on Monday, but some now view his position as untenable in the long term.
Asked for his thoughts on Bongino, Trump was less effusive than he was about Bondi, merely telling reporters: “I like Dan Bongino.”
The post Trump Won’t Say If He’s in Epstein Files as MAGA Rages appeared first on The Daily Beast.
