In a recent swearing-in ceremony for Paul Atkins, the newly appointed chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, President Donald Trump faced a direct inquiry regarding the long-anticipated release of documents associated with the enigmatic Jeffrey Epstein.
A reporter pressed, “When can we expect the Epstein documents to be released?”
Trump, perhaps channeling his inner poker player, countered, “Which documents?”
“The Epstein files,” came the reporter’s clarification.
With a calm yet pointed demeanor, Trump replied, “I don’t know. I’ll speak to the attorney general about that. I really don’t know.”
While the President fell short of providing a concrete timeline, he took the opportunity to tout his administration’s commitment to what he described as “radical transparency,” referencing the complete release of documents related to the assassinations of iconic figures John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.—a move he claims was unprecedented in its unredacted and unfiltered nature.
Trump: “I know that we’ve done the RFK, the Kennedy. Martin Luther King is out there very shortly, so we’ll find out. We’ve really announced we’re doing them in full transparency. When we did JFK, people were saying, “Oh, maybe it wasn’t all”—it was all. People actually went up to the office, and they looked at some things that were not really easily available, and they were amazed that we gave it all. I don’t know if it solved any problems for people; people still have questions one way or the other. But 100% of all of these documents are being delivered.”
WATCH:
Trump on Epstein File Release
“I’ll speak to the AG about that…. We’ll find out.”@reaganreese_ pic.twitter.com/BnvOhzfqRq
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) April 22, 2025
Despite Trump’s assurances, skepticism is brewing among a faction of conservatives who express doubts about the Epstein client list ever being revealed, particularly under Attorney General Pam Bondi’s stewardship.
Bondi is currently facing a wave of criticism from the Republican base, who perceive her actions as insufficient and distracting. This sentiment is gaining momentum among MAGA supporters, who argue that Bondi’s media appearances have started to eclipse her actual achievements.
According to Rolling Stone, “Media Matters for America, a nonprofit that tracks right-wing media, found that Bondi has appeared on weekday Fox News programs 11 times since she took office as attorney general on February 5, with three additional appearances since. This count excludes weekend appearances and appearances on other networks (such as Fox Business), presenting only a fraction of her time spent in front of the camera…”
On February 21, Bondi announced on Fox News that she was actively reviewing Epstein-related documents, claiming, “It’s sitting on my desk right now to review.” She confirmed this was under President Trump’s directive, alongside reviews of JFK and MLK files.
When pressed about significant scandals, she responded with caution, “Not yet.” This marked her initial public commitment to transparency concerning the Epstein files.
In a separate interview with conservative host Benny Johnson, Bondi reiterated her intent to follow Trump’s directive, hinting at “a lot of documents” while sidestepping specifics.
On February 27, the Justice Department released “The Epstein Files: Phase One,” encompassing approximately 200 pages of documents, including flight logs, a heavily redacted contact book, and a victim list.
The release was met with harsh criticism as a “colossal disappointment” due to extensive redactions and a lack of substantive new information. Bondi had previously hyped the release on Fox News with Jesse Watters, promising “flight logs, names, and a lot of information.”
Bondi revealed that she learned from a source that the FBI’s Southern District of New York (SDNY) field office is withholding “thousands of pages” of Epstein-related documents.
She promptly wrote to FBI Director Kash Patel, demanding the “full and complete” Epstein files by 8:00 AM on February 28, 2025, and initiated an investigation into why her initial request was not fully accommodated.
On March 2, during an appearance on Fox News’ Life, Liberty & Levin with Mark Levin, Bondi updated viewers, claiming she had been misled by the FBI, which assured her that only 120 pages of Epstein files existed.
On March 4, in an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, Bondi announced that the FBI received “thousands of pages” of Epstein documents from the SDNY on February 28, following her deadline.
She assigned Kash Patel to investigate why these documents had been withheld and to prepare a comprehensive report. Bondi emphasized transparency, asserting, “America has the right to know,” and pointed out that the Biden administration had previously “sat on these documents.”
She clarified that redactions would be limited to protecting the identities of victims and grand jury information, promising to release as much as possible.
On March 15, during an interview with Maria Bartiromo, Bondi addressed the growing impatience among MAGA supporters regarding the lack of charges against Epstein’s associates.
She confirmed that critical information had been withheld and vowed to uncover the truth, stating, “They can try to hide documents from us, but they can’t. It might take a little longer, but we will find them, and we will release them to the American people.”
On April 8, conservative watchdog Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit against the DOJ for allegedly withholding crucial records related to Epstein’s clients and associates, citing violations of the Freedom of Information Act.
