Many of President Donald Trump’s most ardent supporters are expressing outrage this week after his administration reversed course on the “Epstein files.” A July 7 Justice Department memo revealed that the Trump administration would not be releasing any more documents related to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after repeatedly saying it would.
“While we have labored to provide the public with maximum information regarding Epstein and ensured examination of any evidence in the government’s possession, it is the determination of the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation that no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted,” the memo read.
Some took to social media to share administration members’ prior statements in which they called for the release of documents related to Epstein, including a supposed list of clients involved with child sex trafficking.
Kash Patel, now FBI director, told conservative podcaster Benny Johnson in 2023 that the list was being kept secret “because of who’s on that list.”
“Put on your big boy pants and let us know who the pedophiles are,” Patel said at the time.
Dan Bongino, former conservative podcaster who Trump named deputy FBI director, said in a May 2023 podcast“That Jeffrey Epstein story is a big deal. Please do not let that story go. Keep your eye on it.”
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In January 2024, Pam Bondi, now U.S. attorney general, criticized a federal judge’s release of unsealed court documents about Epstein. “It should have come out a long time ago,” Bondi told Fox News host Sean Hannity. “If people in that report are still fighting to keep their names private, Sean, they have no legal basis to do so unless they’re a child, a victim or a cooperating defendant.”
Then-vice presidential candidate JD Vance also added to the chorus on Theo Von’s podcast, in October 2024: “We need to release the Epstein list,” he said. Trump shared multiple times during the 2024 campaign that he would “probably” declassify Epstein files if elected.
The Justice Department’s July 7 announcement that additional files related to Epstein’s sex trafficking investigation would not be made public said there was no “incriminating client list.”
As the Trump administration weathers criticism, we looked back at the timeline of what prominent members of the administration said about the Epstein files’ disclosure since the start of Trump’s second term.
Jan. 30, 2025
Patel is asked about Epstein files during Senate confirmation hearings. During Patel’s Senate confirmation hearing to become FBI director, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., asks if he would work to help expose the people “who worked with Jeffrey Epstein in building these sex trafficking rings?” Patel replies, “Absolutely.” He says “I will do everything if confirmed as FBI director to make sure the American public knows the full weight of what happened.”
Feb. 21
Bondi says list is on her desk “to review.” At the end of an interview on Fox News, host John Roberts says“The DOJ may be releasing the list of Jeffrey Epstein’s clients. Will that really happen?” Bondi replies, “It’s sitting on my desk right now to review. That’s been a directive by President Trump. I’m reviewing that. I’m reviewing JFK files, MLK files, that’s all in the process of being reviewed, because that was done at the directive of the president from all of these agencies.” The administration’s X account Rapid Response 47 reposts a clip of her appearance.
Feb. 26
Bondi promises “a lot of information” to be released. In an appearance on “Jesse Watters Primetime,” Watters says, “You said last week that you have the Epstein files on your desk. When can we see them? And what’s taking so long to release them?” Bondi replies, “I do” and previews the next day’s document release, saying “What you’re going to see, hopefully tomorrow, is a lot of flight logs, a lot of names, a lot of information.”
Feb. 27
Trump counsel references criminal charges and a “list” on Piers Morgan. Alina Habba, counsel to Trump at the time, discusses Epstein files on “Piers Morgan Uncensored,” a YouTube talk show. “There were so many individuals that were hidden and kept secret and not been held accountable,” Habba says. When asked by Morgan if the release of the files would result in criminal actions, Habba answers, “Absolutely, I think it would be negligent for us not to.” Habba also references the existence of a “list,” saying, “You have to have your time in court and your case will be heard. But to hide lists to protect political friends, all of that, we don’t have time for that.”
White House releases what it calls “Phase 1” of the Epstein files to MAGA influencers. At a White House event, Bondi releases binders containing what she calls the “first phase” of “declassified Epstein files” to conservative influencers. “This Department of Justice is following through on President Trump’s commitment to transparency and lifting the veil on the disgusting actions of Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirators,” Bondi says in a written statement.
“There will be no cover-ups, no missing documents, and no stone left unturned,” Patel posts on X. “If there are gaps, we will find them. If records have been hidden, we will uncover them. And we will bring everything we find to the DOJ to be fully assessed and transparently disseminated to the American people as it should be.”
Journalists and analysts reviewing the files find they are largely made up of documents that had already been made public.
Bondi says FBI field office withheld files. Bondi says in a letter to Patel that the FBI Field Office in New York had withheld “thousands of pages of documents.” Bondi instructs Patel to deliver the remaining documents by 8:00 a.m. on Feb. 28 and directs him to open an investigation into why all the documents were not initially delivered.
March 3
Bondi says she received a “truckload” of documents. In an Fox News interview with Sean Hannity, Bondi says that a “truckload” of evidence was delivered to the White House per her request. Except for the names of victims, Hannity asks, “Will everything else be made public that you get in your possession?” Bondi replies, “We believe in transparency, and America has the right to know.” She also accuses the Biden administration of sitting on the documents. “It’s a new administration and everything is going to come out to the public,” she says.
May 7
Bondi says FBI is reviewing “tens of thousands of videos.” Outside the White House Bondi tells reporters that the FBI is reviewing “tens of thousands of videos of Epstein with children or child porn.”
May 18
Patel and Bongino say Epstein’s death was a suicide. In a joint interview with Fox News and Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo, Patel and Bongino say that after reviewing the “whole file,” they believed Epstein killed himself.
June 5
Musk accuses Trump of being tied to Epstein crimes. What began as a public blowup over a federal tax and spending bill between Trump and just-departed adviser Elon Musk devolves into a social media back-and-forth. “Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files,” Musk writes on X. “That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!”
RELATED: Is Donald Trump in the Jeffrey Epstein files? What to know after social media fight with Elon Musk
June 6
Patel discusses FBI review of files on Joe Rogan’s podcast. Patel tells Rogan about FBI’s review of the Epstein files and the circumstances around his death, but downplays the existence of video tapes incriminating others: “If there was a video of some guy or gal committing felonies on an island, and I’m in charge, don’t you think you’d see it?” Patel says. “And is there video from the island?” Rogan asks. “Not of what you want,” Patel says.
Trump shares Epstein attorney statement on Truth Social. Trump posts a screengrab of a June 5 X post from former Epstein attorney David Schoen, which said, “I can say authoritatively, unequivocally, and definitively that [Epstein] had no information to hurt President Trump. I specifically asked him!”
July 7
DOJ memo says no client list exists, declines to release more files. A Justice Department memo says “the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have conducted an exhaustive review of investigative holdings relating to Jeffrey Epstein.” The memo describes a review of videos and images of minors including child sex abuse material and pornography.
“This systematic review revealed no incriminating ‘client list’. There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions. We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties,” the memo says.
The memo concludes that “no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.” The memo also concludes that Epstein’s death was a suicide. The Department of Justice also releases videos taken outside his cell at the time of his death.
Leavitt says Epstein files are among others on Bondi’s desk. During a briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is asked about Bondi’s February statement that she had the Epstein client list “on her desk.” Leavitt replies that Bondi was referencing all the files. “She was saying the entirety of all of the paperwork — all of the paper in relation to Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes,” Leavitt says. “That’s what the attorney general was referring to, and I’ll let her speak for that.”
July 8
Bondi responds to questions in Cabinet meeting. Bondi responds to a reporter’s question about Epstein. “In February,” she says, “I did an interview on Fox, and it’s been getting a lot of attention because I said I was asked a question about the client list.” She says she meant “the file along with the JFK, MLK files as well. That’s what I meant by that.”
During the same meeting, Trump chastised the reporter for asking about the topic. “Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This guy’s been talked about for years…Are people still talking about this guy? This creep? That is unbelievable.”
PolitiFact Researcher Caryn Baird and Staff Writer Gabrielle Lazor contributed to this report.
