Trump Pushes for Expanded Investigation Into Epstein Network
Trump- Seeking to shift attention after newly surfaced emails involving Jeffrey Epstein revived questions about his own past interactions with the disgraced financier, Trump on Friday urged the Department of Justice and the FBI to open a broad investigation into Epstein’s connections with several prominent individuals and institutions—including former President Bill Clinton, former Harvard president Larry Summers, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, and banking giant JPMorgan Chase.
The remarks, posted on Trump’s Truth Social account, signaled an attempt to redirect public scrutiny as fresh disclosures reignited debate over Epstein’s high-profile network. Trump, now back in the White House, framed the issue as one that implicates Democrats far more than Republicans, calling accusations linked to Epstein a political distraction pushed by his rivals.
According to Trump, Democrats are “using the Epstein hoax” to divert attention from what he described as the party’s retreat during negotiations that ended a historic U.S. government shutdown. Trump argued that the newly released documents highlight associations between Epstein and influential Democratic-leaning figures, rather than members of his own party.
Trump Calls for Federal Probe Into Epstein’s Ties to Clinton
“I will be asking A.G. Pam Bondi, and the Department of Justice, together with our great patriots at the FBI, to investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s involvement and relationship with Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman, J.P. Morgan, Chase, and many other people and institutions,” Trump wrote. He further asserted that available records show several of these men spent “large portions of their life with Epstein, and on his ‘Island.’”
While Clinton has long faced scrutiny for flights he took on Epstein’s private plane, he has consistently denied wrongdoing and has not been accused of criminal behavior related to the case. Previous statements from Clinton’s office have emphasized he was unaware of Epstein’s illicit activities. Several emails from 2011 included in the recent document release quote Epstein claiming Clinton had “never ever” visited his Caribbean island.
As of Friday, there were no public responses from Clinton, Summers, Hoffman, or JPMorgan Chase. The bank previously agreed to pay $290 million in 2023 to settle a class-action lawsuit filed by Epstein’s victims, though it did not admit wrongdoing.
The newly released emails—turned over to Congress by Epstein’s estate—have revived unanswered questions about Epstein’s extensive web of relationships. Epstein, who died in federal custody in 2019 from what authorities ruled a suicide, had been awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. His death began years of speculation and mistrust, especially regarding the involvement of powerful individuals who knew or socialized with him.
For Trump, the resurfacing of Epstein-related records has proved politically inconvenient. Although he has not been accused of wrongdoing, the scandal reemerged in public discourse early in his current term. Critics and rivals have questioned past comments and photos showing Trump and Epstein together during the 1990s and early 2000s—though Trump has repeatedly said he cut ties with Epstein long before the financier’s arrest.
The controversy intensified in July when Trump’s own Justice Department issued a memo reaffirming the official finding that Epstein died by suicide. The memo also stated that the much-discussed “client list”—which Attorney General Pam Bondi had suggested she was reviewing—did not actually exist. That revelation triggered anger among some Trump supporters, who had expected the administration to release new evidence that would expose Epstein’s alleged network of high-profile clients.
Wednesday’s release of email exchanges again pushed the issue back into the spotlight. One message referenced in the collection stated that Trump “knew about the girls” and had spent “hours” with Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s accusers. Giuffre, who had publicly settled cases against Epstein associates in the past, died by suicide in April—a detail that added another layer of public attention and speculation to the unfolding political drama.
The White House responded by referencing earlier comments Giuffre had made indicating that Trump “couldn’t have been friendlier,” while offering nothing that pointed to wrongdoing. Officials emphasized that Giuffre had not accused Trump of misconduct.
As the political storm grows, Trump appears determined to go on offense. His call for a sweeping federal investigation signals an effort to reframe the Epstein saga as a Democratic scandal rather than a bipartisan embarrassment. Whether the Justice Department or FBI will act on Trump’s request remains to be seen, but the renewed attention ensures that Epstein’s name—and the powerful people once linked to him—will remain central in political debate for months to come.
Source- EWN
