Former US President Donald Trump has publicly stated he "hated" seeing photographs of his predecessor, Bill Clinton, among the thousands of pages related to Jeffrey Epstein released by the US Department of Justice.
Trump's First Comments on the Release
In his first media engagement since the document dump on 19 December 2025, Mr Trump was questioned about the images featuring Mr Clinton. "I think it's terrible," Mr Trump said. "I like Bill Clinton... and I hate to see photos come out of him."
He emphasised their past cordial relationship, stating, "I've always gotten along with Bill Clinton. I've been nice to him, he's been nice to me." However, he framed the release as a political manoeuvre, claiming it "is a way of trying to deflect from the tremendous success that the Republican Party has."
Mr Trump argued that many people had encounters with the late financier, who was a convicted sex offender. "Everybody was friendly with this guy [Epstein], either friendly or not friendly," he said, noting Epstein was "all over Palm Beach and other places."
Clinton's Camp Demands Full Transparency
The release, which occurred hours before a legal deadline under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, included several images of the former Democratic president. These showed Mr Clinton in a painting wearing a dress, in a pool with Epstein's associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and in a hot tub with an unidentified woman.
In response, a spokesman for Mr Clinton, Angel Urena, issued a statement on Monday calling for Mr Trump to "release any remaining materials referring to mentioning or containing a photograph of Bill Clinton."
The spokesman suggested the selective nature of the release "makes it clear someone or something is being protected," but asserted that Mr Clinton does not require such protection. The statement warned that refusal to disclose everything would confirm suspicions that the Department of Justice's actions are "about insinuation" rather than genuine transparency.
Context and Ongoing Fallout
The context of the released photographs remains officially unknown. It is notable that the same vast document release features only one picture directly linked to Mr Trump.
Mr Clinton has consistently denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein and has expressed regret over ever meeting him. The slow pace of the file releases by the Department of Justice has also drawn criticism from various quarters, adding to the controversy surrounding the case.
As the political implications continue to unfold, the episode highlights the enduring sensitivity and legal complexities of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, with key figures from both major US parties now directly addressed in the latest document cache.
