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| Trump says Attorney General Pam Bondi should release 'credible' information on Epstein | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Watch: Trump says Pam Bondi should release 'credible' Epstein files | Watch: Trump says Pam Bondi should release 'credible' Epstein files |
| US President Donald Trump has said Attorney General Pam Bondi should release "whatever she thinks is credible" on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as he faces a rare backlash from supporters after seeking to draw a line under the case. | US President Donald Trump has said Attorney General Pam Bondi should release "whatever she thinks is credible" on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as he faces a rare backlash from supporters after seeking to draw a line under the case. |
| Bondi has been lambasted by some of Trump's political base after she said last week there was no evidence that Epstein kept a "client list" or was blackmailing powerful figures. | Bondi has been lambasted by some of Trump's political base after she said last week there was no evidence that Epstein kept a "client list" or was blackmailing powerful figures. |
| At the weekend Trump urged supporters not to "waste time and energy" on the controversy. But allies of the president, including House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson, are calling for "transparency". | At the weekend Trump urged supporters not to "waste time and energy" on the controversy. But allies of the president, including House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson, are calling for "transparency". |
| Epstein's 2019 death in a US prison while awaiting federal trial was ruled a suicide. | Epstein's 2019 death in a US prison while awaiting federal trial was ruled a suicide. |
| But many in Trump's Make America Great Again (Maga) movement have theorised that details of the well-connected convicted paedophile's crimes have been withheld in order to protect influential figures, or intelligence agencies. | But many in Trump's Make America Great Again (Maga) movement have theorised that details of the well-connected convicted paedophile's crimes have been withheld in order to protect influential figures, or intelligence agencies. |
| On Tuesday, Trump praised his attorney general's handling of the matter, saying: "She's handled it very well, and it's going to be up to her. Whatever she thinks is credible, she should release." | On Tuesday, Trump praised his attorney general's handling of the matter, saying: "She's handled it very well, and it's going to be up to her. Whatever she thinks is credible, she should release." |
| When asked by a journalist if the attorney general had told Trump whether his name appeared in any of the records, he said: "No, no." | When asked by a journalist if the attorney general had told Trump whether his name appeared in any of the records, he said: "No, no." |
| Later on Tuesday, the president again called for the release of "credible" information, but he questioned the enduring fascination with the Epstein case, calling it "sordid but boring". | Later on Tuesday, the president again called for the release of "credible" information, but he questioned the enduring fascination with the Epstein case, calling it "sordid but boring". |
| "Only really bad people, including the fake news, want to keep something like this going," Trump said. | "Only really bad people, including the fake news, want to keep something like this going," Trump said. |
| Who was Jeffrey Epstein? | Who was Jeffrey Epstein? |
| Last week he vented frustration in the Oval Office about the fixation on Epstein and urged everyone to move on. | Last week he vented frustration in the Oval Office about the fixation on Epstein and urged everyone to move on. |
| But some Republican allies of the president are not letting go of the matter. | But some Republican allies of the president are not letting go of the matter. |
| In an interview on Tuesday with US conservative commentator Benny Johnson, Speaker Johnson said that he trusted President Trump and his team, and that the White House was privy to facts that he did not know. | In an interview on Tuesday with US conservative commentator Benny Johnson, Speaker Johnson said that he trusted President Trump and his team, and that the White House was privy to facts that he did not know. |
| But he said Bondi "needs to come forward and explain it to everybody". | But he said Bondi "needs to come forward and explain it to everybody". |
| "We should put everything out there and let the people decide," Johnson said in an interview. | "We should put everything out there and let the people decide," Johnson said in an interview. |
| Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene told Benny Johnson in a separate interview on Tuesday: "I fully support transparency on this issue." | Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene told Benny Johnson in a separate interview on Tuesday: "I fully support transparency on this issue." |
| She praised Bondi's work as attorney general, but said that leaders and elected officials should keep their promises to voters. | She praised Bondi's work as attorney general, but said that leaders and elected officials should keep their promises to voters. |
| Pam Bondi has said the memo released last week on Epstein by the Department of Justice "speaks for itself." | Pam Bondi has said the memo released last week on Epstein by the Department of Justice "speaks for itself." |
| Another conservative Republican, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, said if more Epstein files were not released, a special counsel should be appointed to investigate the financier's crimes. | Another conservative Republican, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, said if more Epstein files were not released, a special counsel should be appointed to investigate the financier's crimes. |
| Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana said the voters expect more accountability. | Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana said the voters expect more accountability. |
| "I think 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," Kennedy told NBC News. | "I think 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," Kennedy told NBC News. |
| But other influential Republicans – including Senator John Thune and congressman Jim Jordan – deferred to President Trump on the matter. | But other influential Republicans – including Senator John Thune and congressman Jim Jordan – deferred to President Trump on the matter. |
| "We should put everything on the table and let the people decide," says Johnson | "We should put everything on the table and let the people decide," says Johnson |
| At an unrelated news conference on fentanyl on Tuesday, Bondi brushed aside questions about the controversy. | At an unrelated news conference on fentanyl on Tuesday, Bondi brushed aside questions about the controversy. |
| "Nothing about Epstein," she told reporters. "I'm not going to talk about Epstein." | "Nothing about Epstein," she told reporters. "I'm not going to talk about Epstein." |
| She said last week's memo by the Department of Justice, jointly released with the FBI, declining to release any further files on Epstein and confirming his death by suicide, "speaks for itself". | She said last week's memo by the Department of Justice, jointly released with the FBI, declining to release any further files on Epstein and confirming his death by suicide, "speaks for itself". |
| Bondi told Fox News in February that a list of Epstein clients was on her desk for review, before her spokesman said last week she had actually been referring to overall files in the case. | Bondi told Fox News in February that a list of Epstein clients was on her desk for review, before her spokesman said last week she had actually been referring to overall files in the case. |
| The government's findings were made, according to the memo, after reviewing more than 300 gigabytes of data. | The government's findings were made, according to the memo, after reviewing more than 300 gigabytes of data. |
| On Tuesday, House Democratic lawmakers tried unsuccessfully to force a vote on releasing Epstein files. | On Tuesday, House Democratic lawmakers tried unsuccessfully to force a vote on releasing Epstein files. |
| Republicans pointed out the administration of President Joe Biden, a Democrat, also had access to the files, but did not release them. | Republicans pointed out the administration of President Joe Biden, a Democrat, also had access to the files, but did not release them. |
| Follow the twists and turns of Trump's second term with North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher's weekly US Politics Unspun newsletter. Readers in the UK can sign up here. Those outside the UK can sign up here. | Follow the twists and turns of Trump's second term with North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher's weekly US Politics Unspun newsletter. Readers in the UK can sign up here. Those outside the UK can sign up here. |