WASHINGTON — President Trump told reporters Tuesday that he’s baffled by the interest in investigative files related to Jeffrey Epstein — describing the convicted sex predator’s case as “sordid” but “boring.”
“He’s [been] dead for a long time, he was never a big factor in terms of life,” Trump said of Epstein, who was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell in 2019.
“I don’t understand what the interest or what the fascination is — I really don’t,” the president continued, as he spoke with reporters outside Air Force One.
“The credible information has been given,” Trump insisted, before re-upping his belief that the files may contain “fake” material cooked up by previous presidential administrations.
“I don’t understand why the Jeffrey Epstein case would be of interest to anybody,” he reiterated. “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.”
“But credible information — let them give it,” Trump noted. “Anything that’s credible, I would say, let them have it.”
Earlier Tuesday, Trump brushed off a question about whether he’s named in Epstein files — saying the documents were “made up.”
“No, no,” Trump replied dismissively on the White House lawn when a reporter asked if Attorney General Pam Bondi told him that he’s named.
“[Bondi] has given us just a very quick briefing and in terms of the credibility of the different things that they’ve seen,” Trump said.
“I would say these files were made up by [former FBI Director James] Comey and [former President Barack] Obama, made up by the Biden [administration] and we went through years of that with the Russia, Russia, Russia hoax.”
Trump added: “But she’s handled it very well. And it’s going to be up to her, whatever she thinks is credible, she should release.”
Bondi, asked about Trump’s remarks Tuesday afternoon, referred reporters to a two-page memo she issued last Monday declaring that “no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted” in the case.
The attorney general provoked a bipartisan outcry last week due to the fact that she had repeatedly touted plans for greater transparency, including at one point indicating that a client list was on her desk.
Bondi’s memo also asserted that “Epstein harmed over one thousand victims” with his sex-trafficking of young women and minors but that the DOJ “did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.”
Only Epstein — a once-reputed billionaire financier whose friends included Bill Gates, Prince Andrew and Bill Clinton — and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell faced charges for the abuse.
Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence.
Bondi’s memo asserted that Epstein, who formerly was friendly with Trump as well, died by suicide in prison in 2019 — and was accompanied by surveillance footage from near his cell.
A minute was missing from the clip, which does not directly show Epstein’s cell, but the attorney general said a minute is missing from each day’s tape due to antiquated technology.
Bondi told a reporter that she would have to “get back to” them on whether Epstein worked for a US or foreign intelligence agency.
Trump’s adviser turned critic Elon Musk claimed last month that the president “is in the Epstein files” and that “that is the real reason they have not been made public.”
Bondi’s decision against further disclosures after months of media appearances in which she teased looming bombshells sparked outrage from prominent Trump supporters as well as internal tension with FBI leadership.
Trump made clear his interest to move on from the matter last Tuesday during a Cabinet meeting.
“Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This guy’s been talked about for years,” the president exclaimed. “Are people still talking about this guy, this creep? That is unbelievable.”
Trump defended Bondi from criticism in a Saturday social media post in which he first raised the prospect that files may have lurking .
“What’s going on with my ‘boys’ and, in some cases, ‘gals?’ They’re all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB!” Trump wrote.
“Why are we giving publicity to Files written by Obama, Crooked Hillary, Comey, Brennan, and the Losers and Criminals of the Biden Administration, who conned the World with the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, 51 ‘Intelligence’ Agents, ‘THE LAPTOP FROM HELL,’ and more? They created the Epstein Files, just like they created the FAKE Hillary Clinton/Christopher Steele Dossier that they used on me, and now my so-called ‘friends’ are playing right into their hands.”
