Bill Clinton has been drawn back into the political storm surrounding the release of files linked to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, after President Donald Trump said the publication of photographs connecting prominent figures to Epstein was unfairly damaging reputations.
Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Donald Trump said Bill Clinton — who appeared frequently in the newly released material — was capable of handling the renewed scrutiny, even as he criticised the Justice Department’s disclosure process for fuelling anger and political fallout.
“No, I don't like the pictures of Bill Clinton being shown. I don't like the pictures of other people being shown. I think it's a terrible thing. I think Bill Clinton’s a big boy, he can handle it,” Trump told reporters.
Asked whether he was surprised by the number of images of Bill Clinton included in the newly released Epstein files, US President Trump criticised the way photographs were being circulated without context.
“There are a lot of people who are angry about some of the people in the photos.”
Trump argued that being photographed with Epstein did not amount to wrongdoing and said reputations were being unfairly harmed.
“People that really had nothing to do with Epstein, but they’re in a picture with him because he was in a party, and you ruin a reputation of somebody,” Trump said. “So a lot of people are very angry that this continues.”
The controversy follows a decision by the US Department of Justice last Friday to release thousands of pages of documents tied to federal investigations into sex-offender Jeffery Epstein. The material includes photographs, phone records and investigative notes.
However, much of the disclosure was heavily redacted, and it did not include the full set of documents held by the government. Lawmakers from both parties accused the department of failing to comply with a bipartisan law mandating the release.
The Justice Department said the scale of the material made it impossible to meet a congressional deadline of 19 December, promising further disclosures in the coming weeks.
The staggered disclosure has triggered rare bipartisan criticism. Some Democrats and Republicans said the limited release fuelled speculation rather than transparency.
Critics also accused the administration of attempting to shield Trump, who had a documented social relationship with Epstein before the two men fell out in the mid-2000s. Trump signed the Epstein files legislation into law only after sustained pressure from congressional Republicans, having initially opposed it.
US President Trump rejected those claims, saying the controversy was being used to undermine him politically.
“But this is what the Democrats — mostly Democrats, and a couple of bad Republicans — are asking for,” Trump said. “So they give you their photos of me too. Everybody was friendly with this guy, either friendly or not friendly, but he was around.”
Angel Urena, Bill Clinton's spokesperson, said in his statement, "The White House hasn't been hiding these files for months only to dump them late on a Friday to protect Bill Clinton."
"This is about shielding themselves from what comes next, or from what they'll try and hide forever. So they can release as many grainy 20-plus-year-old photos as they want, but this isn't about Bill Clinton. Never has, never will be. Even Susie Wiles said Donald Trump was wrong about Bill Clinton," he added.
A spokesman for Clinton criticised the release of Epstein Files and questioned the Justice Department’s motives.
“Refusal to do so will confirm the widespread suspicion the Department of Justice’s actions to date are not about transparency, but about insinuation — using selective releases to imply wrongdoing about individuals who have already been repeatedly cleared by the very same Department of Justice,” said Angel Ureña in a statement.
Bill Clinton has previously denied any involvement in Epstein’s criminal activities and has not been charged with any wrongdoing.
The dispute has exposed divisions within Donald Trump’s own political base. The handling of the files has added to political pressure on the president ahead of the midterm elections.
Donald Trump said some Republicans were furious that the issue was being used to distract from what he described as his administration’s achievements.
“A lot of Republicans are angry because of the fact that it’s just used to deflect against a tremendous success,” he said.
He also attacked Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, calling him “a real low life” and a “loser” for working with Democrats on the legislation.
Democratic Representative Ro Khanna and Massie, the bipartisan sponsors of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, have threatened to hold Attorney General Pam Bondi in contempt of Congress.
“The quickest way, and I think most expeditious way to get justice for these victims is to bring inherent contempt against Pam Bondi,” Massie said during a joint interview with Khanna on CBS’s Face the Nation.
Survivors of Epstein’s abuse also condemned the partial disclosure, saying in a joint statement that the failure to release all files violated the law and undermined justice.