Attorney General Pam Bondi informed President Donald Trump in May that his name is mentioned in the files of disgraced late financier Jeffrey Epstein, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
According to senior officials who spoke with the outlet, the president was told his name appears multiple times in the Epstein files, along with other prominent individuals. The mention of Trump's name is not evidence of wrongdoing, the outlet noted, as Epstein sought the attention of many high-profile clients during his years as a financial adviser.
The White House immediately responded to the Journal's story in an official statement to Newsmax saying, "The fact is that the President kicked him out of his club for being a creep. This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media, just like the Obama Russiagate scandal, which President Trump was right about."
The Department of Justice and the FBI announced earlier in the month there was never any specific "client list" of Epstein and confirmed he did die by suicide. Officials said Bondi and her deputy told the president the report contained what they "felt was unverified hearsay about many people, including Trump" and that the documents contained hundreds of other names. The briefing included many topics and the president's name in association with Epstein was not the primary focus.
The complex issue of the Epstein files and their political relevance has roiled many in the MAGA base who feel they have been led to believe justice for the exploited girls would be coming with a second Trump presidency. Mixed signals from conservative influencers and inconsistent promises from government officials has only added to speculation that the Epstein case will never reach closure. Trump has since called the entire investigation a hoax and scolded his supporters to move on.
The Journal alleged last week that Trump had given Epstein a birthday letter that featured a hand-drawn image of a naked woman and a suggestive closing line that read, "Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret." The outlet claimed that Trump gave Epstein the letter in the early 2000s and it was collected in a book of letters from other high-profile friends and acquaintances for Epstein's 50th birthday in 2003. Trump has since filed a libel lawsuit over the printing of the story on Friday seeking at least $20 billion in damages.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.