By Emmanuel Nduka Obisue
US President Donald Trump on Friday demanded that the Department of Justice and the FBI open a full investigation into the late Jeffrey Epstein’s ties to former President Bill Clinton, saying new email disclosures raise fresh questions that must be answered.
Trump’s call comes as newly released emails from Epstein’s estate reignited scrutiny over the disgraced financier’s relationships, including Trump’s own past links, and prompted widespread commentary in Washington.
The president, seeking to counter renewed attention on his connection to Epstein, said the materials instead highlight what he calls the “real” associations involving prominent Democrats.
On Truth Social, Trump accused political opponents of weaponising what he described as the “Epstein hoax” to divert attention from their handling of the recent record-breaking government shutdown. He argued that Democrats, not Republicans, had long-standing ties with Epstein.
“I will be asking A.G. Pam Bondi and the Department of Justice, together with our great patriots at the FBI, to investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s involvement and relationship with Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman, J.P. Morgan Chase, and many other people and institutions,” Trump said. According to him, “records show” several influential figures “spent large portions of their life with Epstein, and on his ‘Island”.
Clinton has for years faced questions about his interactions with Epstein and is known to have flown on his private jet, although he has never been accused of any wrongdoing. The newly released emails, some dating back to 2011, include statements from Epstein insisting Clinton had “never ever” visited his private Caribbean island. There has been no immediate response from Clinton, Summers, Hoffman or JPMorgan Chase, which previously paid $290 million to settle a related class-action lawsuit filed by Epstein’s victims.
The controversy has persisted despite authorities ruling Epstein’s 2019 prison death a suicide, a conclusion Trump’s supporters have frequently challenged. Since returning to office in January, Trump has repeatedly tried to downplay the scandal, even as accusations and speculation continue to swirl.
The situation escalated again this week after Congress obtained new subpoenaed emails suggesting Epstein told associates that Trump “knew about the girls” and spent time with Virginia Giuffre, Epstein’s most prominent accuser, who died by suicide earlier this year. The White House has responded by stressing that Giuffre had previously stated Trump “couldn’t have been friendlier”.
With pressure mounting, the House of Representatives is preparing to vote next week on compelling the Justice Department to release all its Epstein-related files, after a group of MAGA-aligned lawmakers forced the initiative forward.
Trump, however, publicly signalled that he does not want the investigation to shift toward him.
“Don’t waste your time with Trump. I have a country to run!” he wrote.
