Trump orders US Attorney General to release ‘credible’ Epstein information

US President, Donald Trump has directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to release “whatever she thinks is credible” about financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The move comes as Trump faces backlash from his political base for appearing to downplay the case.

“She’s handled it very well, and it’s going to be up to her,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday.

“Whatever she thinks is credible, she should release”, he said.

Bondi has come under fire after her department said there was no evidence Epstein kept a “client list.”

That statement contradicts earlier remarks from Bondi and other Trump allies who previously demanded full disclosure.

Asked if Bondi told him whether his name appeared in Epstein’s records, Trump said: “No, no.”

While campaigning last year, Trump promised to release files related to Epstein. But this week, he questioned the public’s obsession with the case.

“Only really bad people, including the fake news, want to keep something like this going,” he said.

He also called the case “sordid but boring.”

Trump defended Bondi in response to a reporter pointing out that his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, had also called for transparency.

Bondi drew criticism in February after telling Fox News: “It’s sitting on my desk right now to review,” when asked about a supposed Epstein client list.

Her spokesperson later clarified she was referring to general files, not a specific list.

At a Tuesday press event on fentanyl, Bondi declined to answer any questions about Epstein.

“Nothing about Epstein,” she told reporters. “I’m not going to talk about Epstein.”

She added that the Department of Justice memo released last week “speaks for itself.”

The memo, issued by the DoJ and FBI, stated there was “no incriminating list” and “no credible evidence” of Epstein blackmailing public figures.

It also confirmed Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial at a New York jail.

Despite the findings, many Trump supporters remain skeptical.

Some believe Epstein was murdered to protect powerful individuals allegedly involved in his crimes.

FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Dan Bongino had once questioned the official narrative but now accept that Epstein took his own life.

Investigators say they reviewed over 300 gigabytes of data and found no grounds to investigate uncharged third parties.

Still, pressure for transparency continues within the Republican Party.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, speaking to conservative commentator Benny Johnson, said Bondi “needs to come forward and explain it to everybody.”

“We should put everything out there and let the people decide,” he added.

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene agreed: “I fully support transparency on this issue.”

She praised Bondi’s work but said elected officials must “keep their promises to voters.”

Representative Lauren Boebert called for a special counsel if more files aren’t released.

Senator John Kennedy said, “It’s perfectly understandable that the American people would like to know who he [Epstein] trafficked those women to and why they weren’t prosecuted.”

But some Republican figures, like Senator John Thune and Congressman Jim Jordan, backed Trump’s lead on the matter.

House Democrats tried to force a vote this week to release Epstein-related files but failed.

Republicans pointed out that President Biden’s administration also has access to the files and has not released them.

Despite Trump’s call to move on, parts of the MAGA movement continue to suspect key details are being hidden to protect elites or intelligence agencies.

(BBC)

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