In a development from the ongoing Epstein files declassification, the U.S. DOJ released a photo of Donald Trump from file 468 on Friday, December 19, removed it hours later after victims' rights complaints, and republished it Sunday following redactions. The image, showing Trump with women in bikinis, has fueled debates on transparency versus protection, echoing broader file removals previously reported.
As part of the Epstein Files Transparency Act's mandated release on December 19—previously covered—the DOJ published nearly 4,000 images from Jeffrey Epstein's files. File 468 featured a desk with framed photos of Epstein and others, including Pope John Paul II. An open drawer revealed a small photo of Donald Trump surrounded by four women in bikinis, adjacent to a known image of Trump with Melania Trump, Epstein, and Ghislaine Maxwell.
The batch cleared review by 200 officials despite Trump's limited mentions. However, hours after posting on the DOJ's microsite, file 468 and 15 others were removed following alerts from victims' rights groups, as confirmed by Deputy AG Todd Blanche on NBC Sunday. He denied political motives, emphasizing legal requirements to redact potential survivors' faces—a step applied before republishing the image that afternoon.
House Oversight Democrats highlighted the removal on X, questioning AG Pam Bondi on hidden content. The incident parallels unredacted photos of Bill Clinton with obscured women in a jacuzzi, raising consistency questions. While the Act balances disclosure post-Epstein's 2019 death with victim safeguards, critics across parties decry delays and redactions in this high-profile transparency effort.
