The US Department of Justice has reinstated a photograph from the Jeffrey Epstein files showing President Donald Trump, following backlash over its removal from the official website.
Signed into law by Trump on November 19, 2025, the Epstein Files Transparency Act required full disclosure of unclassified documents by December 19. File 468 in Dataset 1 depicts framed pictures on Epstein’s desk, including Trump with women and another with Melania Trump, Epstein, and Ghislaine Maxwell.
Southern District of New York officials flagged it to protect victims, leading to temporary withdrawal.
“The Southern District of New York flagged an image of President Trump for potential further action to protect victims,” the DOJ stated on X. “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.”
House Oversight Democrats decried the deletion as a cover-up. “This photo, file 468, from the Epstein files that includes Donald Trump has apparently now been removed from the DOJ release,” they posted on X.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche clarified on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that concerns over women in the image prompted action. “It has nothing to do with President Trump,” said Blanche. “When we hear from victims’ rights groups about this type of photograph, we pull it down and investigate,” he added.
Friday’s partial release—thousands of pages amid vast archives—drew bipartisan ire, with co-sponsors Representatives Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna threatening contempt against Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“The quickest way, and I think most expeditious way, to get justice for these victims, is to bring inherent contempt against Pam Bondi,” Massie said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
Survivors criticised poor notifications and redactions for endangering them while shielding elites.