On Friday, President Trump called for the Justice Department to initiate criminal investigations into several prominent Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, and billionaire donor Reid Hoffman, alleging their connections to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender.
In a passionate post on social media, Trump criticized Democrats for “using the Epstein Hoax” as a distraction from the government shutdown, suggesting that federal law enforcement should explore their potential links to Epstein’s underage sex-trafficking network.
“This is another Russia, Russia, Russia Scam, with all arrows pointing to the Democrats,” Trump stated. “Records show that these men, and many others, spent large portions of their life with Epstein, and on his ‘Island.’ Stay tuned!!!”
Trump indicated that he would instruct Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Department of Justice, alongside the FBI, to investigate the “involvement and relationship” between Epstein and top Democrats.
Shortly after, Bondi confirmed that a prosecutor had already been assigned to the investigation. “Thank you, Mr. President. SDNY U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton is one of the most capable and trusted prosecutors in the country, and I’ve asked him to take the lead,” she announced on X. “As with all matters, the Department will pursue this with urgency and integrity to deliver answers to the American people.”
Trump also urged investigators to examine “J.P. Morgan, Chase, and many other people and institutions.” This demand follows the release of unverified emails by Democrats suggesting that Trump had a deeper knowledge of Epstein’s trafficking activities than previously acknowledged.
On Wednesday, House Democrats disclosed messages where Epstein claimed Trump had “spent hours at my house” with one of his victims and that Trump “knew about the girls,” many of whom were later identified as underage.
In another email, Epstein remarked, “Of course he knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop,” referring to Ghislaine Maxwell, who was later convicted of conspiring in Epstein’s crimes.
In response, Republicans released their own collection of emails from Epstein’s estate, some also mentioning Trump. The exchange of documents has reignited a political controversy surrounding Trump’s past connections with Epstein, prompting calls for comprehensive public disclosure of all government material related to Epstein’s network and elite affiliations.
The White House has maintained that Trump played no role in Epstein’s crimes, severed ties with him in the mid-2000s, and even banned him from Mar-a-Lago after Epstein attempted to recruit a spa worker. “These emails prove absolutely nothing other than the fact that President Trump did nothing wrong,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on Wednesday. “And what President Trump has always said is that he was from Palm Beach and so was Jeffrey Epstein. Jeffrey Epstein was a member at Mar-a-Lago until President Trump kicked him out because Jeffrey Epstein was a pedophile and he was a creep.”
