The government has finally explained why a photo of President Donald Trump was briefly scrubbed from the latest release of the Epstein files.
Last week, the Department of Justice released another batch of files linked to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier whose crimes sparked international outrage.
The new material, made public under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, includes grand jury transcripts, FBI interviews with accusers, and chilling accounts from survivors that detail the years of abuse tied to Epstein and his longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
A picture of the president alongside Epstein vanished shortly after the release, triggering immediate allegations of a government cover-up.
The DOJ later reinstated the image, and insisted that it had only been pulled due to victim concerns.
An image of framed photos was removed from the DOJ website and later reappeared. Credit: Department of Justice
Victim Concerns Led To The Photo's Removal
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed the Trump image was among at least 13 files pulled from the DOJ website.
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee quickly flagged its removal online, demanding answers: "What else is being covered up?"
The DOJ said the Southern District of New York raised a red flag over the photo, prompting a review. "Out of an abundance of caution," the department said in a post on X, the image was taken down temporarily.
"After the review, it was determined there is no evidence that any Epstein victims are depicted in the photograph, and it has been reposted without any alteration or redaction," the DOJ added.
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Pictures of Donald Trump have disappeared from the latest tranche of Jeffrey Epstein files published by the US Department of Justice. Credit: Brandon Bell/Getty
The image came from a drawer inside Epstein’s home - part of a desk filled with photos - including one featuring Trump, Melania, Maxwell, and Epstein.
Blanche dismissed claims that the photo was removed because of Trump’s presence as "laughable".
"There are dozens of photos of President Trump already released to the public seeing him with Mr Epstein," Blanche told NBC News.
"So the absurdity of us pulling down a photo, a single photo, because President Trump was in it, is laughable."
He pointed to a New York judge’s order requiring officials to respond to any concerns from victims or rights groups before releasing sensitive material.
"There were a number of photographs that were pulled down after being released on Friday," he said.
Hundreds of photos feature Jeffrey Epstein with his associates and women whose identities have been redacted. Credit: US Department of Justice
Survivors Slam Botched Release and Missing Files
The Trump photo wasn’t the only thing that went missing.
At least 16 files were removed, including several that showed nude paintings and photographs from inside Epstein’s homes, per Sky News.
10 of them appeared to depict a small massage room decorated with nude artwork, clouds painted on the ceiling, and brown patterned wallpaper, BBC News reported.
Some images featured inconsistently redacted faces - with one woman’s face clearly visible in multiple files.
The DOJ said its actions were aimed at protecting victims, but critics weren’t convinced. Congressman Thomas Massie, a Republican who pushed for the files’ release, accused the department of violating the law.
"They are flouting the spirit and the letter of the law," he said, adding that he’s drafting contempt charges for Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Survivors and legal experts also condemned the redaction process. Attorney Gloria Allred said some nude images of survivors were released without proper redaction.
"We have had to notify the Department of Justice about names that should have been redacted that weren't redacted," she said. "This is further trauma to survivors."
Ashley Rubright, who was abused by Epstein starting at age 15, said: "There’s no way that that’s just to protect the victims’ identities, and there better be a good reason."
A photo of Epstein with unnamed girls was released. Credit: House Oversight Democrats
US Attorney Jay Clayton admitted that the DOJ review process was vulnerable to both machine and human error.
He noted the department blurred faces in many photos to avoid misidentifying victims, but admitted it was impractical to confirm everyone’s identity.
Trump has not commented on the photo or the document release. He has not been accused of any crimes related to Epstein.
But the backlash over the file removals, redactions, and the DOJ’s handling of the release continues to build.
"This is not over, and it won’t be over until we get the truth and transparency for the survivors," Allred declared.