President Donald Trump sought to tamp down mounting pressure from within his own political base over the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, calling the case "sordid but boring" and suggesting that only "bad people" were interested in keeping the story alive. His remarks come as several prominent Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, publicly call for more transparency following the Department of Justice's recent confirmation that Epstein died by suicide and no "client list" exists.
"I don't understand why the Jeffrey Epstein case would be of interest to anybody," Trump told reporters Tuesday. "It's pretty boring stuff. It's sordid, but it's boring, and I don't understand why it keeps going. I think really only pretty bad people, including fake news, want to keep something like that going."
Despite brushing off the public's fascination with Epstein, Trump said Attorney General Pam Bondi should release "whatever she thinks is credible." When asked directly whether Bondi told him if his name appeared in the records, Trump responded, "No, no."
Bondi, who has faced criticism from some Trump allies, notably told Fox News in February that Epstein's client list was "sitting on my desk right now to review." Her spokesperson later clarified she had been referring more broadly to Epstein-related case files. Last week, Bondi deflected further questions, saying, "Nothing about Epstein. I'm not going to talk about Epstein."
The Justice Department and FBI released a memo earlier this month stating that investigators found no credible evidence of a client list, no proof of blackmail by Epstein, and no grounds to investigate any uncharged third parties. The memo also included footage-enhanced for clarity-that, according to officials, shows no one entered Epstein's prison cell area at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York on the night of his death in 2019.
The findings have done little to quell unrest within Trump's "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) movement. During his 2024 campaign, Trump had promised to declassify Epstein-related materials, leading many in his base to expect a broader disclosure. The recent DOJ memo, paired with Bondi's silence, has sparked backlash from Trump supporters and lawmakers alike.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, speaking to conservative commentator Benny Johnson, said, "It's a very delicate subject, but we should put everything out there and let the people decide it." Rep. Lauren Boebert called for the appointment of a special counsel if more documents were not made public. "Leaders and elected officials should keep their promises," Rep. Greene added in a separate interview.
Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana told NBC News, "I think it's perfectly understandable that the American people would like to know who he [Epstein] trafficked those women to and why they weren't prosecuted." Meanwhile, Senators John Thune and Jim Jordan expressed deference to Trump's judgment, with Jordan telling reporters he supports the president's discretion on the matter.
Even Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, a Fox News host, added to the pressure. "I do think that there needs to be more transparency on this," she said.
At a House session Tuesday, Democrats attempted to force a vote on releasing Epstein-related files but were blocked by Republicans, who noted the Biden administration also had access to the same documents and has not released them.
The DOJ memo, which claims to have reviewed over 300 gigabytes of data, emphasized that further disclosures would be inappropriate due to the sensitive nature of the material, including child sexual abuse evidence and information that could harm individuals not charged with any crime.
