By Maxamed Cawil Jaamac
US President Donald Trump has said Attorney General Pam Bondi should release “whatever she thinks is credible” concerning the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — a statement that comes as Trump faces rare criticism from parts of his own base for urging people to move on from the controversy.
🗣 What Trump said
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Trump praised Bondi’s handling of the case:
“She’s handled it very well, and it’s going to be up to her. Whatever she thinks is credible, she should release.”
Asked whether Bondi had told him if his own name appeared in any Epstein files, Trump replied:
“No, no.”
Later the same day, Trump repeated that “credible” information should be released, but also questioned why the Epstein case still draws so much attention, calling it:
“Sordid but boring… Only really bad people, including the fake news, want to keep something like this going.”
📜 Why it sparked controversy
Last week, Bondi angered some supporters of Trump’s Make America Great Again (Maga) movement by saying there was no evidence Epstein kept a “client list” or used blackmail to control powerful figures.
Trump himself urged his followers not to “waste time and energy” on Epstein, but senior Republicans — including House Speaker Mike Johnson — have pushed back, calling for full transparency.
Many in the Maga movement believe Epstein’s death in 2019 (officially ruled a suicide) covered up crimes involving influential figures or intelligence agencies.
🏛 What other Republicans say
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Mike Johnson (House Speaker):
“We should put everything out there and let the people decide.”
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Marjorie Taylor Greene (Georgia congresswoman):
“I fully support transparency on this issue,”
and said elected leaders should keep their promises to voters. -
Lauren Boebert (Colorado congresswoman):
If more files aren’t released, a special counsel should be appointed.
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Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana):
“The American people would like to know who Epstein trafficked those women to and why they weren’t prosecuted.”
Other Republicans, like Senator John Thune and Congressman Jim Jordan, supported leaving the decision to Trump and Bondi.
🏢 Bondi’s position
At an unrelated press conference on Tuesday, Bondi refused to discuss Epstein:
“Nothing about Epstein,” she told reporters.
She said last week’s Justice Department memo “speaks for itself.” That memo, issued with the FBI, confirmed Epstein’s death was suicide and declined to release additional files.
Bondi had previously said in February that she had an Epstein “client list” on her desk; her spokesman later clarified she meant she had case files overall, not a specific list.
📊 Other details
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The Justice Department said it reviewed over 300 gigabytes of data before making its decision.
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House Democrats tried and failed to force a vote on releasing the files.
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Republicans noted the Biden administration (Democrat) also had access to the files but did not release them.
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Some Republicans fear if European countries start processing asylum claims or deportations but the US doesn’t act on Epstein files, it could create a “pull factor” that makes the US appear soft.
🧍♂️ Who was Jeffrey Epstein?
Epstein was a wealthy financier and convicted sex offender, accused of running a network to sexually abuse underage girls and potentially involving powerful clients. His 2019 death in prison, officially ruled suicide, has fueled years of speculation and conspiracy theories.
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