President Donald Trump is addressing criticism directed at the Justice Department concerning its failure to disclose anticipated records related to the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case. In an effort to deflect blame, he has accused previous government officials of fabricating such documents.
On Tuesday, Trump publicly accused former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, along with former FBI Director James Comey, of allegedly creating these documents. “I would say that, you know, these files were made up by Comey, they were made up by Obama, they were made up by Biden…” he claimed while speaking to members of the press at the White House before departing for an event in Pennsylvania.
The following day, Trump took to Truth Social to target Democrats broadly, labeling their actions a “new SCAM” that he stated would be referred to as the “Jeffrey Epstein Hoax.” Epstein, who was arrested in July 2019, was found dead in his cell approximately a month later, with investigators concluding it was a suicide.
Trump presented no evidence to support his allegations that Democrats and Comey had tampered with documents relevant to Epstein’s case. Notably, Comey was fired in 2017, two years before Epstein's arrest, and has not returned to any government position since. Obama had finalized his presidency by the time of Epstein’s death, and during Biden’s administration, the Justice Department successfully prosecuted Epstein’s co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell. There is no indication that Biden or his administration had any involvement in that prosecution.
Interestingly, Comey, who served as FBI director during the tumultuous 2016 election, had been a Republican for most of his life but stated in 2016 that he was no longer affiliated with the party.
Last year, Trump suggested he might consider releasing information regarding the Epstein case if he were to win a second term. In February 2023, the Justice Department released some documents about the case, but they yielded no significant new insights. Earlier this month, the department acknowledged that a thorough examination of additional materials in its possession failed to uncover a list of clients associated with Epstein. They further stated that no more files would be published, aside from a video intended to substantiate claims of Epstein's suicide. This revelation caused an uproar among Trump supporters.
Additionally, Attorney General Pam Bondi hinted in a Fox News interview in February about a client list that was “sitting on my desk” awaiting review for release. She later clarified that her comments referred generally to the files associated with the Epstein case rather than a specific client list. Bondi and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino subsequently had a contentious exchange within the White House as the backlash against the Justice Department's choice to withhold records intensified.
For years, Trump, his administration officials, and conservative commentators have circulated unsubstantiated claims about Epstein. Conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein's death have become a common narrative in right-wing circles, often playing into Trump’s repeated vows to expose and dismantle what he refers to as the “deep state,” a hypothetical coalition of elites purportedly controlling government decisions from behind the scenes.
In light of these developments, Trump's political adversaries have capitalized on dissent within right-wing factions concerning Epstein. Several Democratic legislators are now demanding the release of all documents related to Epstein, suggesting that Trump may be resisting such actions due to potential implications involving himself or individuals close to him.
