The White House is on the defensive, pushing back forcefully against bombshell reports that Attorney General Pam Bondi personally informed President Donald Trump his name appears in investigative files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Wall Street Journal’s revelation, published on Wednesday, has plunged the administration deeper into a political crisis, forcing an initial “fake news” dismissal before a nuanced admission.
According to the Journal, Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche briefed President Trump in May, informing him that his name, alongside those of “many other high-profile figures,” appeared in files related to the Epstein investigation. These documents, the Journal reported, contained “what officials felt was unverified hearsay about many people, including Trump.”
The White House’s initial response to the Journal’s report was swift and blunt, with Communications Director Steven Cheung branding it “fake news.” However, this categorical denial quickly unraveled. A White House official later told Reuters that the administration was not denying that Trump’s name appears in some files, acknowledging that the President had, in fact, been included in a tranche of materials Bondi assembled for conservative influencers in February.
This shift in messaging highlights the immense pressure on the Trump administration regarding the Epstein saga. For weeks, the President has faced a “MAGA firestorm” from elements of his base, who have fiercely demanded the release of all Epstein-related files, often fueling conspiracy theories about a “client list” implicating powerful elites. The Justice Department’s recent memo, which concluded that Epstein died by suicide and that no “incriminating ‘client list'” existed, further inflamed these tensions.
The President himself has tried to dismiss the controversy, calling it a “scam” and a “hoax.” Just last week, he publicly directed Bondi to seek the release of sealed grand jury transcripts related to Epstein’s case in an attempt to quell the backlash. However, a federal judge in Florida on Wednesday blocked that request, citing strict legal precedents for grand jury secrecy.
Trump’s connection to Epstein dates back to the 1990s and early 2000s, with flight logs showing Trump flew on Epstein’s private plane multiple times. Trump and several members of his family also appear in an Epstein contact book. While Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing or knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activities, these past associations continue to fuel public and political scrutiny.
The latest reports have reignited calls from Democrats for greater transparency. Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) stated that Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel should be called to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee. A House Oversight Committee subcommittee on Wednesday voted to subpoena the Justice Department for Epstein files, with three Republicans joining five Democrats in a rare bipartisan show of defiance against their own party leadership.
As the legal battles over the Epstein files continue to play out in court, and with a subpoena issued for Ghislaine Maxwell to testify before Congress next month, the White House finds itself in an increasingly difficult position. The reports that Trump was briefed on his inclusion in the files, coupled with the administration’s fluctuating responses, ensure that the shadow of the Epstein case will continue to loom large over the political landscape.