‘Trump had nothing to do with Epstein files’: DOJ defends redacting US president’s photo, then republishes it

US deputy attorney General Todd Blanche has insisted that the Justice Department’s decision to remove over a dozen photographs from the recent release of Jeffrey Epstein files “has nothing to do with President [Donald] Trump.” He said the move came at the request of victim advocacy groups, according to NBC News.The photos were re-released by the DOJ. In a post on X, the department said: “The Southern District of New York flagged an image of President Trump for potential further action to protect victims.”It added: “Out of an abundance of caution, the Department of Justice temporarily removed the image for further review. 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.”Blanche explained that the photographs were taken down on Saturday only temporarily and included un-redacted images of women. “The photo will go back up” once Justice Department officials complete their review and determine whether further redactions are needed. On Saturday, NBC News confirmed that 15 images released on Friday had been removed from the department’s website.One of the removed files included a photo of a tabletop covered in framed pictures of Epstein with famous individuals, including printed photos of Trump with women in bathing suits inside an open drawer. “Blanche told NBC News’ Meet the Press on Sunday DOJ is still investigating that particular photo: “We don’t have perfect information. And so when, when we hear from victims-rights groups about this type of photograph, we pull it down and investigate. We’re still investigating that photo. The photo will go back up, and the only question is whether there will be redactions on the photo.”Blanche also pushed back against criticism from Democrats over the Justice Department’s partial release of the Epstein files on Friday, which was the deadline under the Epstein Files Transparency Act set 30 days ago. He said delays were necessary to protect victims and their privacy.Lawmaker Ro Khanna was disappointed with the partial release and called on Blanche and Attorney General Pam Bondi to agree on the full release. Dick Durbin and Shri Thanedar criticised the department for violating the law and condemned the lack of transparency initially promised by MAGA base. Republican Thomas Massie called the removal of documents “government lies,” while former Trump aide Marjorie Taylor Greene criticised the slow release, posting that it was “NOT MAGA.”Blanche pushed back against all claims of a cover-up. “I have no reason to believe that the lawyers that were working on this case were talking about President Trump, because he had nothing to do with the Epstein files. He had nothing to do with the horrific crimes that Mr. Epstein committed,” he said. He reiterated that DOJ is not withholding information intentionally: “We are not redacting information around President Trump, around any other individual involved with Mr. Epstein, and that narrative, which is not based on fact at all, is completely false.”