President Donald Trump is throwing his weight behind calls to release any “credible” documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, after a wave of anger from his base exploded across conservative circles this week.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said he was leaving the decision up to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, while making it clear that transparency was the right move. “She’s handled it very well, and it’s going to be up to her,” Trump said. “Whatever she thinks is credible, she should release.”
Related: Trump Admin Claims Epstein Had No ‘Client List’
The statement came just days after a Justice Department memo concluded that Epstein died by suicide in 2019 and that there was no credible evidence he kept a “client list” or blackmailed powerful figures. That didn’t sit well with the MAGA faithful, many of whom believe Epstein’s connections to elites — and the cover-ups surrounding them — run far deeper than the official narrative suggests.
Despite having previously urged supporters to “move on” from the Epstein drama, Trump shifted his tone Tuesday and seemed more open to continued scrutiny of the case. “Credible information – let them give it,” he said. “I would say anything that’s credible, let them have it.”
The president also bizarrely claimed that the infamous Epstein videos were “made up” by Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and former FBI Director James Comey — a confusing accusation given his own administration’s role in promoting their existence back in the day.
For MAGA diehards, Trump’s response might be too little, too late. Since the DOJ and FBI released their joint memo last week DOJ press release here, stating there’s no evidence of foul play in Epstein’s death, MAGA influencers and conservative commentators have erupted with accusations of betrayal.
More: Trump Supporters Furious Over Epstein List Reversal, Poll Shows Growing Rift
Many had believed Trump would be the one to finally lift the lid on Epstein’s ties to global elites. Instead, the government’s findings were seen as a cover-up — and worse, a betrayal by the man they trusted to “drain the swamp.”
“I want to make this very clear to those on the right, including the president himself, who are telling us to just drop the subject and move on,” conservative firebrand Matt Walsh said on his podcast. “We can’t drop it. We can’t move on.”
Adding fuel to the fire, House Speaker Mike Johnson, one of Trump’s closest allies in Washington, also chimed in. In an interview with conservative host Benny Johnson, he called for full transparency, saying, “We should put everything out there and let the people decide.” He added that Bondi should “come forward and explain it to everybody.”
With pressure mounting from all sides, it’s clear the Epstein saga is far from over — and even Trump is now feeling the heat from his most loyal followers.