American lawmakers have published thousands of pages from Jeffrey Epstein's estate containing explosive private correspondence in which the disgraced financier repeatedly discussed Donald Trump and claimed he was the only person who could "take him down".
The 'Dog That Hasn't Barked'
The documents span from 2011 to 2019, covering years both before and during Trump's presidency, and include claims, speculation and personal remarks that Epstein shared with associates, journalists and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
House Democrats initially released a selection of emails containing Epstein's comments about Trump, with Republicans responding hours later by publishing approximately 20,000 additional pages through the House Oversight Committee in Washington.
In one of the earliest emails from 2011 sent to Maxwell, Epstein wrote: "I want you to realize that that dog that hasn't barked is Trump." He referenced that Virginia Giuffre had spent "hours at my house with him", adding he was "75 percent there" in what appeared to be an unfinished thought.
Epstein's Bold Claims About Trump
In another 2018 correspondence sent while Trump was in office, Epstein wrote: "They're really just trying to take down Trump and doing whatever they can to do that!" before adding the bombshell claim: "Its wild, because i am the one able to take him down."
The documents reveal Epstein told author Michael Wolff in 2019 that "of course he knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop". Epstein and Wolff exchanged extensive correspondence over several years, with Wolff recording long conversations for book projects about Trump.
In a particularly revealing 2015 exchange, Wolff warned Epstein that CNN planned to question Trump about their relationship during a Republican primary debate. When Epstein asked if they should "craft an answer" for Trump, Wolff replied that Epstein should "let him hang himself", suggesting that if Trump denied visiting Epstein's properties, it would give Epstein "valuable PR and political currency".
Wider Implications and Political Fallout
The document release has triggered significant political consequences, with House Speaker Mike Johnson announcing he will allow a vote next week that could force Trump's Department of Justice to release all documents in the infamous 'Epstein Files'.
Committee Republicans accused Democrats of curating the initial email selection to promote what they called a misleading narrative about Trump. Their larger batch included exchanges where Epstein criticised Trump, reflected on his political rise and shared gossip with reporters.
Among these was a 2015 message to New York Times journalist Thomas Landon Jr in which Epstein asked: "Would you like photos of Donald and girls in bikinis in my kitchen?" Another described Trump "almost walking through the door leaving his nose print on the glass as young women were swimming in the pool".
The documents also shed new light on Epstein's relationship with Bill Clinton, showing Epstein claimed to have stopped talking to the former president because "he swore, with whole-hearted conviction to me that he had done something, he had forgotten that he also swore the exact opposite to me only weeks before".
Following the publication, the White House accused Democrats of selectively releasing information to negative media outlets to construct a false narrative. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pointed out that Trump had removed Epstein from Mar-a-Lago years earlier, calling him "a creep" towards female staff.
The release has reignited calls among Epstein's victims for full transparency. Annie Farmer, a key witness at Maxwell's trial, stated: "The more information that comes out about Jeffrey Epstein, the more questions we're left with. Survivors deserve more than a trickle of information."
