The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has moved to quash speculation after removing certain documents and photographs from the publicly released Jeffrey Epstein files, insisting the action was not taken to protect former President Donald Trump.
Official Explanation for Photo Removal
In an interview on Sunday, 21 December 2025, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche addressed the controversy directly. He confirmed that a number of images were taken down from the DOJ website after concerns were raised by victims or victims' rights groups.
Blanche stated that a New York judge had mandated these redactions to protect individuals' privacy. "You can see in that photo there are photos of women," Blanche told Meet the Press. "We learned after releasing that photograph that there were concerns about those women and the fact that we had put that photo up, so we pulled that photo down. It has nothing to do with President Trump."
Dismissing 'Absurd' Claims of a Cover-Up
The official firmly rejected any suggestion that files were deleted specifically because they featured Trump. He labelled such speculation as "absurd," pointing out that numerous public photos already exist showing Trump socialising with the convicted sex offender during the 1990s and early 2000s.
Blanche emphasised the department's commitment to following the law, a process he claimed Trump himself had advocated. "We are, in every way, shape and form, complying with the statute, which, by the way, is what President Trump has been asking us to do since before he was elected," he said.
Process and Reassurances Moving Forward
Blanche assured the public that the removed materials are being properly redacted and will be re-uploaded to the official site. He concluded with a clear statement intended to deflect further political accusations: "There is nothing that he has to hide in the Epstein files, there never was."
This clarification comes amidst heightened scrutiny of the Epstein case files and ongoing political tensions in the United States. The DOJ's statement aims to frame the document management process as a routine legal procedure focused on victim welfare, rather than political interference.
