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White House pushes back after reports Trump is named in Epstein files

July 24, 2025

The White House has denied reports from The Wall Street Journal that President Trump was informed in May by Attorney General Pam Bondi that his name appeared among hundreds mentioned in Justice Department documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. While the original report noted that being named in the documents was not evidence of wrongdoing, Trump administration officials called it "fake news" and politically motivated. Meanwhile, a federal judge denied the Justice Department's request to unseal Epstein case files from Florida, and a House subcommittee voted to subpoena the Justice Department for its Epstein files.

Who is affected

  • President Donald Trump
  • The Trump administration
  • Attorney General Pam Bondi
  • Trump supporters who are frustrated with the handling of Epstein information
  • Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's convicted associate serving 20 years in prison
  • House Republicans and Democrats divided over the issue
  • The Justice Department and FBI officials

What action is being taken

  • A House subcommittee has voted to subpoena the Justice Department for its Epstein files
  • The Justice Department is planning to meet with Ghislaine Maxwell to discuss her knowledge of the case
  • Republicans on the House Oversight Committee have sent a legal summons for Maxwell to appear remotely from prison on August 11
  • House Speaker Mike Johnson closed down congressional voting for summer break one day early
  • The White House is actively denying and pushing back against the Wall Street Journal's reporting

Why it matters

  • The controversy involves a convicted sex offender (Epstein) who had connections to powerful people
  • Trump had previously promised during his campaign to release files about Epstein
  • The situation has created internal division among Republicans, with some of Trump's supporters calling for Bondi's resignation
  • Democrats are accusing the Trump administration of a cover-up
  • The handling of the Epstein case continues to fuel conspiracy theories and public interest
  • The legal battle over document disclosure involves significant questions about grand jury secrecy rules

What's next

  • The subpoena for Justice Department files must be signed by House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer to proceed
  • A senior Justice Department official plans to meet with Ghislaine Maxwell to discuss her knowledge of the case
  • Maxwell must decide whether to testify before Congress or invoke her constitutional right to remain silent
  • Judges in New York are still deciding whether to unseal transcripts related to Epstein's 2019 sex-trafficking probe

Read full article from source: BBC

White House pushes back after reports Trump is named in Epstein files