Trump tries to blame others as tensions rise around handling of Epstein case
Jul 16, 2025, 3:21 PM
President Donald Trump arriving before speaking at a ceremony to sign the "Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act," in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, July 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President Donald Trump is countering criticism of the Justice Department鈥檚 failure to release much-hyped records around the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case, trying to place blame on former government officials.
, he accused former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, as well as former FBI Director James Comey, of making up such documents.
鈥淚 would say that, you know, these files were made up by Comey, they were made up by Obama, they were made up by the Biden … ,鈥� Trump told members of the press at the White House before departing for an event in Pennsylvania.
The president on Wednesday posted on Truth Social in general for a 鈥渘ew SCAM鈥� that 鈥渨e will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax.鈥�
Epstein was arrested in 2019 and found dead in his cell at a federal jail in New York City about a month later. Investigators concluded that he killed himself.
Trump presented no evidence in claiming that Democrats and Comey tampered with documents related to Epstein鈥檚 case. Comey was fired in 2017, two years before Epstein鈥檚 arrest, and has not returned to the government since. Obama was long gone from the White House by the time of Epstein鈥檚 death. During Biden鈥檚 presidency, the Justice Department put on trial Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell and secured a conviction against her, but there is zero indication that he or anyone from the White House had anything at any point to do with that case.
Comey was a Republican for most of his adult life, but said in 2016 that he was that he was no longer registered with the party.
Trump suggested last year that he was considering releasing information about the Epstein case if he won a second term. In February, the Justice Department released some government documents regarding the case, but there were no new revelations. Then, earlier this month, it a months-long review of additional evidence in the government鈥檚 possession had not revealed a list of clients and said no more files related to the case 鈥� other than a video meant to prove that Epstein killed himself 鈥� would be made public. The announcement led to outcry from Trump supporters.
Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared to intimate in a Fox News interview in February that a client list was 鈥渟itting on my desk鈥� to be reviewed for release. She said last week that she was referring to the Epstein case file generally, as opposed to an actual client list. Bondi and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino then had a contentious conversation at the White House as backlash grew to the Justice Department鈥檚 decision to withhold records.
Trump, members of his administration and conservative influencers have spread unsubstantiated claims surrounding Epstein for years. Conspiracy theories about Epstein鈥檚 death are a popular trope in right-wing spheres, playing on Trump鈥檚 repeated promises to reveal and dismantle the 鈥渄eep state鈥� 鈥� a supposed secret network of powerful people manipulating government decisions behind the scenes.
Trump鈥檚 rivals have recently taken advantage of right-wing fissures over Epstein. Several Democratic lawmakers are calling for the release of all Epstein files and suggesting Trump could be resisting because he or someone close to him is featured in them. ___
