President Donald Trump said Monday it was a “terrible thing” that photos of former President Bill Clinton and other prominent figures were published as part of the Justice Department’s release of files tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, warning that the disclosure risks unfairly damaging people who may have had innocent, long-ago encounters with Epstein.
Speaking at a press conference, Trump was asked whether he was surprised by the number of photos featuring Clinton that were included in the DOJ’s initial release. The president made clear he did not approve of the images being made public.
“I don’t like the pictures of Bill Clinton being shown. I don’t like the pictures of other people being shown,” Trump said. “I think it’s a terrible thing.”
Trump acknowledged that Clinton is capable of handling the scrutiny but said the broader issue goes well beyond one former president. He warned that the release could expose images of people who had no involvement in Epstein’s crimes.
“I think Bill Clinton’s a big boy. He can handle it,” Trump said. “But you probably have pictures being exposed of other people that innocently met Jeffrey Epstein years ago, many years ago, and they’re highly respected bankers and lawyers and others.”
Clinton appeared in several photographs included in the DOJ release on Friday, which followed Trump signing the Epstein Files Transparency Act into law late last month. Among the images were photos showing Clinton in a hot tub with an unidentified individual and another with a woman sitting on his lap, her identity also concealed.
Clinton has not been accused of any wrongdoing related to Epstein or the financier’s alleged sex-trafficking network, which reportedly involved minors. His spokesperson, Angel Ureña, said Friday that Clinton was among those who “knew nothing and cut Epstein off before his crimes came to light.”
Ureña also echoed concerns raised by Democrats and some Republicans over the pace and scope of the document release, suggesting the DOJ’s handling of the files raises serious questions. “What the DOJ has released makes one thing clear: someone or something is being protected,” the spokesperson said.
“We do not know whom, what or why,” Ureña added. “But we do know this: We need no such protection.”
Under the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act, the federal government was given until December 19 to release nearly all of the files it gathered during its investigation, with limited exceptions to protect victims and the integrity of ongoing investigations.
Trump said Monday that he has “always gotten along with Bill Clinton” and expressed sympathy over the images becoming public. “I respect him. I hate to see photos come out of him,” Trump said.
The president also pushed back against what he suggested was selective outrage from Democrats. “This is what the Democrats, mostly Democrats, and a couple of bad Republicans, are asking for,” Trump said.
He noted that photos of himself also exist, emphasizing how widespread Epstein’s social connections were at the time. “There are photos of me, too,” Trump said. “Everybody was friendly with this guy, either friendly or not friendly, but he was around. He was all over Palm Beach and other places.”
Trump suggested the renewed focus on Epstein is politically motivated, arguing it is being used to distract from Republican successes. “This whole thing with Epstein is a way of trying to deflect from the tremendous success that the Republican Party has,” he said.
While Trump has supported transparency through the release of the files, his comments underscored concern that the process could unfairly smear individuals without evidence of wrongdoing, turning a necessary reckoning into what he views as collateral damage driven by political agendas.
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