Trump, Clinton, and Bannon: Who Is in the New Epstein Photos
- House Democrats released roughly 90 photos from Jeffrey Epstein's estate showing him with figures like Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Steve Bannon, and Bill Gates.
- The images include Trump with women in leis, a mirror selfie of Bannon and Epstein, and shots of Epstein's private island featuring a dentist's chair and a blackboard with "plots" written on it.
- The White House dismissed the release as a "hoax" and "cherry-picking" while Democrats argue it is necessary transparency ahead of the December 19 deadline for the DOJ to release the full "Epstein files".
Congressional Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have released a collection of photographs obtained from the estate of the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein which feature several high profile figures including President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton. The release on Friday included an initial batch of 19 images followed by 70 additional photos that the committee obtained via subpoena. Led by Representative Robert Garcia the Democrats stated that the images were released to ensure transparency regarding Epstein’s orbit and to challenge what they described as a White House cover up regarding the financier's powerful associates. The estate has turned over approximately 95,000 images in total to the committee as part of an ongoing investigation.
Among the most discussed images is a photo of President Trump standing with six women wearing leis whose faces were redacted by the committee members. Another photograph from the collection depicts a bowl of novelty condoms featuring a caricature of Trump’s face with the slogan "I'm HUUUUGE" which were reportedly produced by a New York novelty shop as political satire. The White House immediately pushed back against the release with a spokeswoman accusing Democrats of selectively "cherry picking" photos and using random redactions to create a false narrative about the President. Trump has previously stated that he cut ties with Epstein long before the financier's 2006 arrest and claimed he banned Epstein from Mar a Lago for poaching staff.
The released files also highlight Epstein’s connections to other prominent figures across politics and business. One image shows former President Bill Clinton posing with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell alongside another couple. While Clinton met with Epstein in the 1990s and 2000s and traveled on his jet a spokesman for the former president maintains that Clinton had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and never visited his private island. Other photographs depict former Trump adviser Steve Bannon taking a mirror selfie with Epstein and Microsoft co founder Bill Gates appearing with Prince Andrew. Gates has publicly stated that his meetings with Epstein were solely to discuss philanthropy and has called the association a "huge mistake".
Beyond the celebrity cameos the cache includes photos taken on Epstein’s private property in the US Virgin Islands known as Little St. James. These images reveal the opulent grounds of the estate which featured a swimming pool and resort like amenities alongside more unsettling details. One room contained what appeared to be a dentist’s chair and masks on the walls while a blackboard in a study was scribbled with words like "power" and "deception" and "plots". Additional photos showed Epstein himself in a bathtub with bubbles and another where he held James Patterson’s book "Filthy Rich" in front of his face.
The political tension surrounding the release is palpable as Republicans on the committee argue that the Democrats are politicizing the investigation. A committee spokesperson for the GOP majority stated that they have received tens of thousands of documents and emails that show no wrongdoing by President Trump and argued that the Trump administration has done more for Epstein’s victims by calling for transparency. Conversely Representative Garcia emphasized that the photos are significant for public judgment and noted that the committee has only combed through about a quarter of the vast material provided by the estate.
This visual evidence adds to the scrutiny facing associates of Epstein who have dealt with varying degrees of fallout. Former Harvard President Larry Summers who appeared in the estate's records has expressed deep regret for communicating with Epstein after his conviction and subsequently resigned from the board of OpenAI. Prince Andrew relinquished his royal titles following allegations of misconduct which he denies. Meanwhile filmmaker Woody Allen and lawyer Alan Dershowitz also appear in the newly released visual materials.
The release of these estate photos is separate from the highly anticipated "Epstein files" currently held by the Department of Justice. Under a new law passed by Congress the DOJ is required to release all Epstein related files in its possession by December 19. Republican Representative Thomas Massie has warned that failure to abide by this deadline would have criminal implications for the department. Representative Garcia has urged the administration not to wait for the deadline to release the remaining files noting that many of the unreleased photos are "incredibly disturbing".