Photos were removed from the Justice Department's public webpage for disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein's files at the request of victim advocacy groups and had "nothing to do with" President Donald Trump, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday.
Blanche, appearing on NBC News' "Meet the Press," pushed back at Democrats and some lawmakers who argue the DOJ failed to meet a congressionally mandated deadline to disclose material under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
He said the delay was driven by victim protections and a "methodical process" involving "hundreds of lawyers" reviewing documents line by line to redact victims' names and identifying details.
"The statute also requires us to protect victims," Blanche told host Kristen Welker, arguing critics are demanding speed while ignoring the law's privacy requirements.
He said the people "complaining" about Friday's initial release are often the same ones who "apparently don't want us to protect victims."
The issue intensified after files, including at least one image showing Trump, disappeared from a DOJ webpage shortly after they were posted.
Blanche said those files were removed after concerns were raised about photographs depicting women.
"You can see in that photo, there's photographs of women," Blanche said, adding the department learned after posting the material that victims' rights groups had concerns about the women pictured.
"So, we pulled that photo down. … It has nothing to do with President Trump."
Blanche called it "laughable" to suggest the DOJ removed material because the president appeared in it, noting that "dozens" of photos of Trump with Epstein have already been public for years and that Trump has acknowledged socializing with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s before a falling out.
The real issue, Blanche said, is that the department does not have "perfect information" when identifying potential victims, so it will pull down images when concerns are raised, investigate, then repost them with appropriate redactions.
"The photo will go back up," Blanche promised, saying the only question is what needs to be redacted — such as faces or identifying information — if a survivor is involved.
Welker pressed Blanche on whether redactions were being made for "embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity," which the law prohibits.
Blanche said "absolutely, positively not," insisting the only redactions are for victim protections and other legally recognized privileges.
He also directly addressed the political narrative surrounding Trump's name.
"There is nothing that he has to hide in the Epstein files," Blanche said, describing Democrats' insinuations as a "hoax" — not that the files themselves are fake, but that claims the DOJ is "hiding or protecting" information about Trump are "completely false."
Blanche went further, offering a clear guarantee.
"Yes," every mention and photo of Trump in the files will be released, he said, except where victim redactions are required.
He added the same standard will apply to "anybody else," rejecting the idea that the department is shielding politically sensitive names.
As for the broader universe of records, Blanche said the Justice Department will release "everything that we have from this case" in compliance with the transparency law, with victim information protected.
He dismissed threats of contempt or impeachment floated by some lawmakers over the pace of disclosure.
"Not even a little bit. Bring it on," Blanche said, vowing the remaining Epstein files will be released "over the next couple of weeks" and "in some form" as the review and redaction process continues.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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