Administration Slams Claims of Justice Department Briefing, Citing Ongoing Efforts to Unseal Epstein Records

WASHINGTON – The White House on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, forcefully rejected a Wall Street Journal report claiming that President Donald Trump was informed in May by the Justice Department that his name appeared in files related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. White House spokesman Steven Cheung labeled the report “fake news,” accusing it of being part of a broader campaign by “Democrats and the liberal media” to smear the president.

The WSJ article, citing senior administration officials, alleged that Attorney General Pam Bondi and her deputy, Todd Blanche, briefed Trump in May that his name was among many high-profile individuals mentioned in the Epstein files, though no wrongdoing was indicated. The report suggested this meeting influenced the Justice Department’s decision to conclude its review of Epstein-related documents without further investigation. The White House dismissed these claims as baseless, with Cheung stating, “This is nothing more than a continuation of fake news stories concocted to undermine President Trump.”

The administration emphasized its commitment to transparency, noting that Trump had directed Bondi to seek the release of sealed grand jury transcripts from Epstein’s 2019 sex trafficking case. However, a federal judge in Florida rejected this request on Wednesday, citing strict rules on grand jury secrecy, further complicating efforts to quell public and political pressure for disclosure.

The controversy stems from Trump’s well-documented past association with Epstein, including appearances together at social events in the 1990s and early 2000s, as well as Trump’s name appearing in Epstein’s flight logs. Trump has maintained that their friendship ended before Epstein’s 2006 legal troubles, and no allegations of wrongdoing have been substantiated against him in the unsealed documents.

The WSJ report follows another contentious story from the outlet, which claimed Trump sent Epstein a suggestive birthday letter in 2003, including a drawing of a naked woman. Trump denied authorship, calling it “false, malicious, and defamatory,” and filed a $10 billion libel lawsuit against the WSJ, its parent company News Corp, owner Rupert Murdoch, and two reporters. The White House further escalated tensions by barring WSJ reporters from the press pool for Trump’s upcoming Scotland trip, citing their “fake and defamatory conduct.”

MAGA supporters, including figures like Laura Loomer and Charlie Kirk, have rallied behind Trump, dismissing the WSJ’s reporting as fabricated. Posts on X echoed this sentiment, with users like @CryptoFioner and @disclosetv amplifying the White House’s “fake news” narrative. However, the administration’s reversal on releasing Epstein files, after promising transparency during Trump’s campaign, has sparked frustration among some loyalists, with calls for a special counsel persisting.

The Epstein case remains a lightning rod, fueled by conspiracy theories about his 2019 death, officially ruled a suicide, and speculation about a supposed “client list” that the Justice Department denies exists. As the White House navigates this political firestorm, it continues to redirect attention to Trump’s legislative achievements, such as recent trade deals, while accusing the media of orchestrating distractions. The ongoing legal and public relations battles signal a deepening rift between the administration and parts of the media, with implications for Trump’s second term.