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President Trump given huge Epstein Files ultimatum by Fox News host
A tense political showdown is brewing after a Fox News personality publicly challenged President Donald Trump’s bold claim that he was “totally exonerated” by the release of the Epstein files.
The drama unfolded after Trump, 79, insisted that newly released documents tied to Jeffrey Epstein cleared his name — a statement that prompted an immediate and blunt response from one of his own network’s hosts.
Trump Declares Himself “Totally Exonerated” Amid Epstein Files Release
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Thursday, Trump addressed renewed attention surrounding the Epstein files, particularly in light of news that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor — the former prince — had been arrested over his ties to the late sex offender.
Trump did not mince words.
“Well, you know, I’m the expert in a way, because I’ve been totally exonerated,” Trump said. “It’s really interesting, because nobody used to speak about Epstein when he was alive, but now they speak, but I’m the one that can talk about it, because I’ve been totally exonerated. I did nothing.”
Jessica Tarlov Issues Public Challenge To Trump
But The Five co-host Jessica Tarlov, 41, wasn’t buying it.
In a sharp and succinct post on X, she responded directly to Trump’s claim.
“Then release all the files,” she wrote in an X post.
Epstein Files Transparency Act Sparks Ongoing Debate
The controversy traces back to November, when Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act into law. The legislation required the Department of Justice to release documents related to the shadowy and well-connected financier.
Since then, millions of pages have been made public.
Attorney General Pam Bondi previously asserted that “all” files had been released. However, not everyone involved in drafting the legislation agrees with that assessment.
Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie, who co-wrote the law mandating the files’ release, expressed skepticism about whether the public has truly seen everything.
Over the weekend, Bondi submitted a report to Congress to comply with the law’s requirement to provide lawmakers with a summary of all redactions made and the legal basis for those redactions, along with a list of government officials named in the documents.
Bondi cited “deliberative-process privilege” to justify certain redactions. The legal principle allows government agencies to withhold documents that detail internal decision-making processes.
Massie pushed back on that justification.
“The problem with that is the bill that Ro Khanna and I wrote says that they must release internal memos and notes and emails about their decisions on whether to prosecute or not prosecute, whether to investigate or not investigate,” Massie said.
His comments suggest that, in his view, the spirit — and possibly the letter — of the law requires even internal deliberations to be made public.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Arrest Adds Global Fallout
The ripple effects of the Epstein files have not been limited to Washington.
The release has ignited what many are calling a global firestorm. Andrew, 66, lost his royal title and was removed from his Windsor mansion before being arrested on Thursday.
King Charles addressed the situation in a formal statement.
“I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office,” King Charles said.
“What now follows is the full, fair, and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities. In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and cooperation.”