In May 2025 Attorney General Pam Bondi told former U.S. President Donald Trump that his name was discovered in investigative papers pertaining to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Wall Street Journal piece has only helped to stoke political debate around Trump, especially among his MAGA followers, some of whom have long disseminated conspiracy theories regarding Epstein’s links with the elite.
Though the White House first dismissed the report as “fake news,” an official later confirmed that Trump’s name appears in some DOJ documents, including those drafted earlier this year for conservative influencers. Trump’s past links with Epstein are documented; he appeared numerous times in Epstein’s contact book and on 1990 flight manifests. Trump maintains their relationship ended before Epstein’s legal issues started and rejects having traveled on Epstein’s plane.
Though Trump has not been accused of any wrongdoing, the Justice Department’s decision not to continue investigating Epstein’s network, as outlined in a recent memo, has sparked outrage among Trump supporters. Some well-known conservatives have asked for Epstein’s contacts to the wealthy and powerful to be completely disclosed.
According to the DOJ’s internal review, the evidence, including Trump and “many other high-profile individuals,” did not call for additional action. Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the DOJ has filed a motion to unseal grand jury transcripts, adding that Trump was briefed as part of routine updates.
U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg rejected one such motion to unseal grand jury documents pertaining to Epstein’s earlier prosecution, however, citing legal constraints. Additional DOJ requests are still pending in Manhattan federal court.
The controversy got worse when the Journal revealed Trump may have sent Epstein a vulgar birthday message in 2003. Asserting the letter’s falsehood, Trump sued the Journal and its publisher, Rupert Murdoch.
Politically, the Republican Party itself has turned divisive on this subject. Speaker Mike Johnson suddenly dismissed the House early for summer vacation to bypass a vote on the Epstein papers, therefore temporarily putting bipartisan activities on hold. Nevertheless, a House Oversight subcommittee subsequently authorized a subpoena for all Department of Justice records pertaining to Epstein, with three Republicans supporting Democrats.
Clearly irritated by the Epstein headlines, Trump has tried to guide public conversation toward unrelated charges, including baseless allegations about Barack Obama meddling in the 2016 election. Obama’s administration has dismissed those claims as “ridiculous.”
Formerly found guilty in 2008, Epstein—who died in jail in 2019—had been recharged for child sex trafficking before his death. Over exclusive networks, his case—and that of colleague Ghislaine Maxwell—continues to elicit public interest and investigation.
