The scandal concerning the Trump administration‘s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case continues to grow as President Donald Trump endures criticism over his handling of files related to the case.
Now, new reports that Trump himself appears in those files are fueling accusations of a potential cover-up by the White House.
Reports say Trump was informed that his name appears in the Epstein files
Several news sources are reporting that Trump was informed in May that his name appears more than once in files related to the disgraced former financier who died by suicide while imprisoned on sex crime charges.
White House sources indicate that Trump was informed about his appearance in the Epstein files during a May briefing on the case conducted by Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. Trump’s inclusion in the files was not the primary focus of the meeting, according to the reports.
The revelation that Trump knew in May that he was in the Epstein files seems to contradict an earlier denial by Trump that he was briefed about his name being in the files; Trump said, “No, no,” earlier this month when asked if Bondi had told him his name appeared in the files.
Trump’s inclusion in the files adds to speculation about the relationship between the two men. Epstein had a number of wealthy and famous friends in the 1990s, some of whom maintained connections with him even as he was charged with crimes relating to the sexual exploitation of underage girls. Trump was publicly friends with Epstein for years.
“I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy,” Trump told New York magazine in 2002. “He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side,” Trump told the magazine. Sometime after this interview, Trump supposedly had a falling out with Epstein; White House communications director Steven Cheung claims Epstein was kicked out of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club for being a “creep.”
Trump faces accusations of covering up Epstein information
Despite Trump’s condemnation of Epstein in recent years, his handling of the government’s information about the Epstein case has created a scandal that has divided Trump’s base. For years, many Trump supporters have demanded the release of the Epstein files and speculated about rich and powerful people who may have been implicated for engaging in sexual misconduct with Epstein. Although Trump said during his campaign that he was in favor of releasing the information, his top officials, including Bondi, have refused to release more details from the case and sought to downplay the files, saying that no “client list” of potential co-conspirators exists.
These actions have fueled accusations that the administration is covering up the information. In June, former Trump advisor Elon Musk claimed that the files were not being released because Trump’s name was in them. Despite scrutiny, Congressional Republicans have blocked attempts to release the files, with House Speaker Mike Johnson starting a recess early to prevent a vote. Meanwhile, moves by the Trump administration, such as releasing files related to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., or making dubious accusations against former President Barack Obama about the Russian election interference investigation, have been seen as attempts by Trump to distract from the Epstein scandal.
The alleged new revelations about Trump’s knowledge of his name in the Epstein files have added to the accusations that the president’s administration and allies are covering up information in the case. Despite efforts by the administration to downplay or move on from the Epstein case, the scandal over a perceived cover-up does not appear to be going away soon.
