Trump: Bondi has handled Epstein situation ‘very well'
Trump told reporters as he departed the White House for a trip to Pennsylvania that he would defer to Bondi to release whatever evidence she deems credible. The administration's handling of documents related to Epstein has fueled backlash from prominent figures in the MAGA movement.
'The attorney general has handled that very well. She has really done a very good job,' Trump said of Bondi.
'The credibility is very important. And you want credible evidence for something like that. And I think the attorney general has handled it very well,' Trump added.
The president said Bondi recently provided him a 'very quick briefing' on the Epstein documents. Trump pushed back when asked if he was told his name was on the list of those connected to Epstein.
'No, no. She's given us just a very quick briefing and in terms of the credibility of the different things that they've seen,' Trump said.
'But she's handled it very well, and it's going to be up to her whatever she thinks is credible, she should release,' he added.
The Justice Department and FBI issued a joint memo earlier this week that stated Epstein did not have a client list and confirmed he died by suicide in his New York City jail cell in 2019. The findings incensed members of the MAGA movement, who have for years pushed conspiracy theories about Epstein's death and claims that prominent Democrats would be named on a client list.
Bondi in particular has faced intense backlash, with some Trump allies calling for her ouster. Supporters have cited Bondi's comments earlier this year pledging transparency around the Epstein files, including an interview in February in which she said an Epstein client list was 'sitting on' her 'desk' to be reviewed. She has since asserted she was referring to a variety of files related to the Epstein case.
Trump over the weekend defended Bondi in a post on social media and appeared to urge his supporters to move on from their fixation on the Epstein files. But the issue has persisted, with Democrats piling on in their calls for the administration to release more findings.
Epstein, accused in several cases of sex trafficking young girls, ran in high-powered circles with figures that included Trump, former President Clinton, Britain's Prince Andrew and a number of other celebrities and ultrawealthy individuals. Epstein's associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, has been convicted of sex trafficking.
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