Trump’s name appears 'multiple times' in Epstein files? Report reveals DOJ told US president his name among 'hundreds' linked to Jeffrey Epstein

The US Justice Department informed Donald Trump that his name appears several times in official documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. Attorney General Pam Bondi reportedly told Trump during a White House meeting in May that his name was mentioned, alongside others, in material that included “unverified hearsay” about individuals who had previously socialised with Epstein.

A senior official told the Journal that “hundreds of names” are included in the files, and that a mention does not imply any wrongdoing. White House communications director Steven Cheung dismissed the report, calling it “another fake news story”.

Trump’s past links to Epstein

Trump’s relationship with Epstein has long drawn scrutiny. In 2002, he told New York Magazine, “I’ve known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy… He likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.” The Journal also revealed that Trump once wrote Epstein a salacious birthday note, a claim he has denied. Trump has since sued the publication. Last month, Elon Musk posted on X that Trump “is in the Epstein files,” suggesting that was the reason they hadn’t been made public. “Have a nice day, DJT!” Musk added.

MAGA backlash grows over Epstein files

The Justice Department’s decision to close its internal review into Epstein earlier this month has sparked backlash among Trump’s own supporters. In a July 6 memo, the DOJ confirmed Epstein had died by suicide and declined to release further material. That announcement triggered anger within Republican circles, who had hoped for more transparency after Trump promised on the campaign trail to declassify files related to the case.

Earlier this year, Bondi said she had a “truckload” of documents to review and that a “client list” was sitting on her desk. She released “Phase 1” of the files in February, containing mostly public documents.

Judge blocks move to unseal Florida grand jury records

Amid public pressure, Trump had asked Bondi to make any “pertinent” grand jury transcripts public. Bondi then approached judges overseeing both the Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell cases. However, on Wednesday, a federal judge in Florida rejected the administration’s request to unseal grand jury records from Epstein’s 2000s-era investigation in the state.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has since announced that officials plan to meet with Maxwell “in the coming days”. The House Oversight Committee also approved a subpoena for Maxwell, to which Trump responded: “Sounds appropriate.”

ABC News asked Trump whether Bondi had told him about his name being in the files. “No, no,” he replied, while praising her handling of the case.