As backlash grows over the Justice Department’s failure to release long-anticipated records in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case, President Donald Trump has taken a dismissive stance, attempting to minimize the controversy.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Trump appeared confused by the public’s interest in the case. “I don’t understand the fascination,” he said during remarks made on his return to Washington from a brief trip to Pittsburgh.
Just days earlier, both the Justice Department and the FBI reversed their earlier implications that a list of prominent Epstein associates involved in underage trafficking existed. Trump came to the defense of Attorney General Pam Bondi, while criticizing a reporter for pressing questions about the missing documents.
The response from Trump’s online base was immediate and intense. Supporters accused him of being “out of touch” and demanded full transparency. Many expressed frustration at what they saw as an attempt to brush the matter aside.
Trump’s Tuesday comments marked the latest effort in a broader campaign to ease tensions surrounding the case. He described the Epstein story as “pretty boring” and insisted that “the credible information has been given.”
“I really don’t see why anyone would be interested in the Epstein case,” Trump added.
Over the weekend, Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, urging his followers to stand down amid reports of internal conflict between Bondi and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino. He hinted that the controversy was creating unnecessary divisions within his administration, quipping, “all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein.”
His message, however, failed to calm his base. Many supporters demanded the release of the files and warned Trump that continued stonewalling could cost him their loyalty.
The political dilemma is a uniquely personal one for Trump. After years of amplifying conspiracy theories and promoting QAnon-style narratives that paint him as a crusader against the so-called “deep state,” the expectations he helped foster are now turning against him. Supporters are asking for the very answers he seems unwilling — or unable — to provide.
When asked on Tuesday whether Bondi had informed him that his name appeared in the Epstein files, Trump flatly denied it. He praised Bondi’s leadership and said she should release anything “she believes is credible.”
However, he also cast doubt on the legitimacy of the documents, claiming — without providing evidence — that they were fabricated by former FBI Director James Comey and former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Meanwhile, Bondi declined to comment on the Epstein materials during a separate press conference focused on drug trafficking.
