US Justice Department restores Trump photo in Epstein files after removal

New Delhi,UPDATED: Dec 22, 2025 05:42 IST

The US Department of Justice on Sunday restored an image from the Jeffrey Epstein files that shows President Donald Trump, reversing an earlier decision to remove the photograph from public view after facing criticism.

The action came after 16 files disappeared from the US Justice Department’s public website containing records on the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein less than a day after being posted.

The image in question appeared as part of materials published on the Justice Department's website on Friday and was later taken down. It contained two separate photographs featuring Trump among a collection of items displayed on and inside Epstein's desk or credenza.

One photograph showed Trump posing with a group of women. The other was a widely circulated image of Trump standing alongside his wife, Melania Trump, Epstein and Epstein's now-convicted associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.

Following the removal, the department addressed the decision in a post on X.

"The Southern District of New York flagged an image of President Trump for potential further action to protect victims," the DOJ said.

The department did not clarify whether the reference to the Southern District of New York applied to the federal judicial district that includes Manhattan or to the US Attorney's Office that handles federal prosecutions in the district.

The image's brief removal drew criticism from those who questioned whether the department was selectively withholding information. Justice Department officials said the removal was procedural and based on the need to protect victims, not political considerations.

NEXT PHASE OF EPSTEIN DISCLOSURES

Alongside the clarification over the image, the Justice Department said a substantial volume of Epstein-related records has yet to be released. A department fact sheet stated that "hundreds of thousands of pages of material" remain under review, including photographs, documents and court records connected to the disgraced financier.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the department could not meet the congressionally mandated disclosure timeline without risking harm to survivors of Epstein's abuse.

"The reason why we are still reviewing documents and still continuing our process is simply to protect victims," Blanche said, adding that thousands of records contain sensitive information requiring individual assessment.

The Justice Department said more than 200 lawyers are working continuously on the review, a process being carried out jointly by the department and the Southern District of New York. Officials said the scale and sensitivity of the material have slowed the pace of disclosure but will not prevent eventual release.

In the DOJ's initial release on Friday, photographs, interview transcripts, call logs and court filings were made public, but some of the most closely watched records -- including FBI interviews with survivors and internal Justice Department memoranda outlining charging decisions -- were not included.

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