Washington [US], July 24 (ANI): U.S. President Donald Trump was briefed in May that his name appeared in files related to the Justice Department’s review of the Jeffrey Epstein case, CNN reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
During a White House briefing with Trump and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Attorney General Pam Bondi revealed the presence of Trump’s name in the documents. According to two White House officials, the meeting was described as a “routine briefing” on the Justice Department’s findings, and the mention of Trump’s name was not the main focus.
Bondi also informed Trump that other high-profile figures were named in the documents. However, investigators found no evidence of a so-called client list or anything that contradicted the conclusion that Epstein died by suicide, CNN reported.
Sources familiar with the department’s review told CNN that the files included several unsubstantiated claims, including some involving Trump, which the Justice Department ultimately deemed not credible. It remains unclear in what context Trump’s name appeared. As CNN noted, Trump was among many prominent individuals linked to Epstein in the 1990s, when Epstein sought connections with celebrities and influential figures to enhance his public image.
“The White House is not surprised by this—Trump’s name was present in the binders that Bondi produced and handed out,” a White House official told CNN. The official added that many materials already released by the Justice Department had included Trump’s name and emphasized that the White House does not view the development as “groundbreaking or new or surprising at all,” reiterating there is no evidence of any wrongdoing by the President.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung also responded to the developments in a statement to CNN, saying, “The fact is that the President kicked him out of his club for being a creep. This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media, just like the Obama Russiagate scandal, which President Trump was right about.”
CNN reported that the Wall Street Journal first broke the story about Bondi briefing Trump in May regarding his name in the Epstein-related documents. These revelations appear to contradict Trump’s recent denial that he was informed. When asked last week whether Bondi had told him about it, Trump said, “No, no. She’s given us just a very quick briefing.”
The issue has added political pressure on the administration following its decision not to release additional Epstein-related documents, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from Trump’s supporters, according to CNN. White House officials were reportedly frustrated that Bondi did not redact Trump’s name from the binders shared with conservative influencers in February, calling it a long-standing point of contention between the DOJ and the White House.
In a joint statement issued Wednesday, Bondi and Blanche stated, “The DOJ and FBI reviewed the Epstein Files and reached the conclusion set out in the July 6 memo. Nothing in the files warranted further investigation or prosecution, and we have filed a motion in court to unseal the underlying grand jury transcripts. As part of our routine briefing, we made the President aware of the findings.”
While the White House has dismissed the renewed scrutiny of the Epstein files as politically motivated, bipartisan calls for full transparency have intensified. A House Oversight subcommittee voted Wednesday to subpoena the Department of Justice to release all documents related to Epstein, prompting GOP leaders to cut short the legislative session to avoid further votes on the matter.
Adding to the controversy, the Wall Street Journal reported last week that a letter bearing Trump’s name and an outline of a naked woman was part of a photo album gifted to Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003. Trump has denied writing the letter and has filed a lawsuit against the publication over the article, CNN reported.
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