Bondi briefed Trump that his name was in Epstein files
The conversation, which also included Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, was characterized by two White House officials as a “routine briefing” that covered the scope of the Justice Department’s findings. Trump’s name appearing in the files, they said, was not the sole focus of the discussions.
It wasn’t clear in what context Trump’s name appeared in the files. Like many high-powered people in 1990s New York, Trump was an associate of Epstein’s, who worked to cultivate celebrities to burnish his business. The revelation that his name appears in the documents does little to advance previous knowledge about his ties to the late sex offender.
Trump has struggled to tamp down weeks of backlash over the administration’s decision not to release more documents related to the Epstein investigation — a move that infuriated a vocal segment of the MAGA base and put the president at odds with some of his most ardent supporters.
The White House has dismissed the ongoing focus on the Epstein files, arguing that it’s distracting from the administration’s accomplishments and aiding Democrats’ efforts to damage the president.
But a growing and bipartisan chorus of lawmakers have since called for a full release of the documents, forcing Republican leaders on Capitol Hill to cut short their legislative session to avoid taking a series of votes on the matter. But before leaving town, a House Oversight subcommittee voted Wednesday to subpoena the Department of Justice to release files related to Epstein.