US President Donald Trump has strongly criticized the recent release of Jeffrey Epstein files as “a terrible thing.” Trump also defended Bill Clinton and other prominent figures depicted in the photos that emerged online in the past few days.
Despite being mentioned in the files, Trump claimed that most of the celebrities had innocently crossed paths with Epstein over the years. Epstein, a convicted child sex offender, preyed on underage girls.
During a statement following the release, Trump expressed his discontent, stating, “I know there are many people upset about the images of others. I think it’s awful… This Epstein situation is an attempt to divert attention from the Republican Party’s significant achievements. Many are displeased with this ongoing issue.”
Regarding Bill Clinton, Trump remarked, “I have a good relationship with Bill Clinton. We have always gotten along well, and I have respect for him. Bill Clinton can handle it; there may be images of people who innocently associated with Jeffrey Epstein years ago.”
According to the Daily Mail, Trump primarily blamed Congressional Democrats for pushing for the recent disclosure, acknowledging Epstein’s extensive connections in the 1990s and 2000s.
The data leak occurred after US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche emphasized the importance of safeguarding Epstein’s victims, leading to the upcoming release of hundreds of thousands of documents.
The US Department of Justice was mandated to disclose all files related to the Epstein investigation by midnight on Friday under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
Epstein, the convicted sex offender, was discovered dead in his prison cell in Manhattan in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, with his death ruled as suicide.
The revelation that both guards responsible for monitoring Epstein had fallen asleep and falsified records, compounded by malfunctioning or broken cameras in the area, underscored the lapse in prison security.