Washington DC— US President Donald Trump on Friday dismissed the political storm surrounding the release of previously unseen photographs linking him to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, saying the images were being blown out of proportion and carried no significance.
Responding to questions from reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said he had not seen the photographs released by Democratic members of the US House Oversight Committee but stressed that Epstein was widely known in elite social circles. “Everybody knew this man. He was all over Palm Beach. He has photos with everybody. There are hundreds and hundreds of people that have photos with him. So that’s no big deal. I know nothing about him,” the President said.
The remarks came after Oversight Committee Democrats released 19 photographs obtained from Epstein’s estate, depicting several high-profile individuals, including Trump, former US President Bill Clinton, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson and former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon. According to the committee, the images form part of a much larger collection of over 95,000 photographs secured from Epstein’s estate.
In a statement posted on X, Oversight Committee Democrats said the images raised serious questions about Epstein’s associations with powerful figures and renewed demands for the full disclosure of Epstein-related files. They alleged a White House “cover-up” and urged authorities to release all remaining documents linked to the late financier.
Among the released material was an image showing novelty condoms featuring a caricature of Trump’s face with the caption “I’m HUUUUGE!”, reportedly sold by a New York-based novelty store. Other photographs included a mirror selfie of Steve Bannon with Epstein, a group image showing Bill Clinton with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, and another photograph featuring Bill Gates alongside Britain’s Prince Andrew.
Despite the controversy, the committee clarified that none of the images appear to depict any illegal activity, and details regarding when and where the photographs were taken remain unclear.
The White House strongly criticised the release, with spokeswoman Abigail Jackson accusing House Democrats of selectively releasing “cherry-picked” images to push what she described as a false narrative. Speaking to CNN, Jackson said the Trump administration had consistently supported Epstein’s victims by advocating transparency, releasing thousands of documents and calling for further investigations.
She also accused Democrats of hypocrisy, pointing to previously disclosed documents that allegedly linked Democratic leaders to Epstein. Jackson said the administration’s actions stood in contrast to what she termed politically motivated attempts to target the President.
As debate intensifies in Washington, the release of the photographs has once again brought the Epstein case into the political spotlight, fuelling partisan accusations and renewed calls for full disclosure of all remaining records connected to the disgraced financier.
