Donald Trump has spoken out for the first time since the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, arguing that individuals who had only innocent encounters with the convicted paedophile are having their reputations unfairly damaged.
The US president expressed sympathy for high-profile figures such as Bill Clinton, who appeared in the first batch of photos released by the justice department. Trump said he "hated" to see the images of the former president, adding that other people, including "highly respected bankers and lawyers", were also being harmed.
Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago residence, Trump claimed that the Epstein files were a distraction from Republican successes, such as shipbuilding. He labelled the files a "hoax" after previously resisting their release, despite signing the Epstein Files Transparency Act into law.
In response, Bill Clinton's spokesperson Angel Urena demanded the full release of any materials relating to the former president, suggesting something or someone was being protected. Epstein died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.
