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, âWhen can we expect the Epstein documents to be released?â
Trump, perhaps channeling his inner poker player, countered, âWhich documents?â
âThe Epstein files,â came the reporterâs clarification.
With a calm yet pointed demeanor, Trump replied, âI donât know. Iâll speak to the attorney general about that. I really donât know.â
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.âa move he claims was unprecedented in its unredacted and unfiltered nature.
Trump: âI know that weâve done the RFK, the Kennedy. Martin Luther King is out there very shortly, so weâll find out. Weâve really announced weâre doing them in full transparency. When we did JFK, people were saying, âOh, maybe it wasnât allââit 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 donât 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.â
WATCH:
Trump on Epstein File Release
“I’ll speak to the AG about thatâŠ. We’ll find out.”@reaganreese_ pic.twitter.com/BnvOhzfqRq
â 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 Bondiâs 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, âMedia 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 cameraâŠâ
On February 21, Bondi announced on Fox News that she was actively reviewing Epstein-related documents, claiming, âItâs sitting on my desk right now to review.â She confirmed this was under President Trumpâs directive, alongside reviews of JFK and MLK files.
When pressed about significant scandals, she responded with caution, âNot yet.â 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 Trumpâs directive, hinting at âa lot of documentsâ while sidestepping specifics.
On February 27, the Justice Department released âThe Epstein Files: Phase One,â 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 âcolossal disappointmentâ due to extensive redactions and a lack of substantive new information. Bondi had previously hyped the release on Fox News with Jesse Watters, promising âflight logs, names, and a lot of information.â
Bondi revealed that she learned from a source that the FBIâs Southern District of New York (SDNY) field office is withholding âthousands of pagesâ of Epstein-related documents.
She promptly wrote to FBI Director Kash Patel, demanding the âfull and completeâ 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 Newsâ 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 âthousands of pagesâ 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, âAmerica has the right to know,â and pointed out that the Biden administration had previously âsat on these documents.â
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 Epsteinâs associates.
She confirmed that critical information had been withheld and vowed to uncover the truth, stating, âThey can try to hide documents from us, but they canât. It might take a little longer, but we will find them, and we will release them to the American people.â
On April 8, conservative watchdog Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit against the DOJ for allegedly withholding crucial records related to Epsteinâs clients and associates, citing violations of the Freedom of Information Act.
 
					
 
			 
                                 
                             