The latest release of Justice Department records tied to Jeffrey Epstein has reopened scrutiny of President Donald Trump's past associations, even as a high-profile documentary backed by Amazon MGM Studios moves toward release with a notable omission inside the Trump family itself.
The Department of Justice on Tuesday published nearly 30,000 additional pages from the so-called Epstein files, intensifying political attention around redacted flight records and internal emails. Among the newly disclosed material is a 2020 email from an assistant U.S. attorney stating that Trump flew on Epstein's private jet at least eight times between 1993 and 1996, including a 1993 flight listing only Epstein, Trump and an unnamed 20-year-old woman.
The document release coincides with production of Melania, a documentary centered on First Lady Melania Trump and the 20 days preceding the 2025 inauguration. According to people familiar with the project, the film-reported to have cost Amazon MGM Studios $40 million-opens with Melania saying, "Here we go again," as the Epstein disclosures resurface in public debate.
Sources close to the production said the film features a "complete absence" of Ivanka Trump, reflecting what they described as an irreparable rift following the 2024 election. One source quoted via Rob Shuter's Substack said, "Melania and Ivanka do not get along-not at all," adding, "There's real tension, and Melania made it clear she didn't want Ivanka anywhere near this film."
The decision underscores a shift from Trump's first term, when Ivanka was frequently viewed as a central figure in Washington while Melania remained in New York. In her 2020 memoir, Melania and Me, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff described how Ivanka allegedly "rushed in" to fill that public role, a dynamic people familiar with the documentary say Melania is determined not to repeat.
The Justice Department records have also fueled renewed questions about Trump's historical ties to Epstein, though officials emphasized that inclusion in the files does not imply criminal conduct. In a statement released with the documents, the DOJ cautioned: "Some of these documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims made against President Trump... the claims are unfounded and false."
Trump addressed the disclosures Monday evening at his Mar-a-Lago residence, pivoting attention toward political rivals while disputing implications of wrongdoing. Referring to Epstein, he said, "Everybody was friendly with this guy," before adding, "I don't like the pictures of Bill Clinton being shown... I think it's a terrible thing." Trump again said he "threw Epstein out of Mar-a-Lago," despite flight records indicating shared travel as late as 1996.
The newly released files also include references to potential witnesses in the Ghislaine Maxwell case and a 1996 FBI report from Maria Farmer, who alleged authorities failed to act on her complaints decades earlier. Those materials have added legal and political complexity as lawmakers debate the scope and method of disclosure.
