Trump calls on DOJ to investigate Epstein’s links to prominent individuals

President Donald Trump said Friday he will direct Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s connections to a number of high-profile figures, an extraordinary move coming just days after Democrats released newly public emails from the late Epstein that mention Trump.

Trump announced the directive on Truth Social, accusing Democrats of reviving scrutiny of his past ties to Epstein and claiming they are “using the Epstein Hoax… to deflect from their disastrous SHUTDOWN, and all of their other failures.”

“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.

Bondi confirmed hours later that she would open the investigation at Trump’s request, naming Jay Clayton, the top federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, to lead the probe.

The decision marks Trump’s most aggressive effort so far to push back on bipartisan pressure to release all Epstein-related files. It also reflects his belief that he can blunt the issue by forcefully attacking it, even as allies increasingly fear that his approach is only amplifying the controversy and undermining his credibility.

“Why doesn’t he just release these? Just release them!” conservative host Megyn Kelly said on her show Wednesday. “Now he’s in a position of being singled out as the only one, allegedly, instead of one of many names.”

Earlier this week, Trump unsuccessfully tried to persuade Republicans to block a discharge petition compelling a House vote on the release of the Justice Department’s Epstein files. The White House even convened a Situation Room meeting with Rep. Lauren Boebert to discourage her support, showing her unreleased documents obtained by the House Oversight Committee. It did not change her mind.

Inside the White House, Trump’s handling of the Epstein fallout has puzzled even some senior officials, several of whom have urged him for months to change strategies. One Capitol Hill ally recently told Trump directly that he was receiving poor advice on the matter, a source told CNN.

A senior White House official disputed the idea that the administration was unprepared, saying they were aware of the emails but intentionally avoided re-elevating the story. The official insisted the newly released emails “prove literally nothing” and accused Democrats of weaponizing the “Epstein hoax.”

Multiple sources said Trump himself is dictating the administration’s approach, instructing aides not to get ahead of developments and to label any new information as irrelevant or part of a hoax.

In the House, Speaker Mike Johnson now plans to hold a vote next week on releasing the Epstein files, acknowledging the effort cannot be stopped. The measure is expected to draw broad GOP support.

Trump has not taken questions from reporters since the release of the House Oversight emails on Wednesday. The emails, which mention Trump, were neither sent nor received by him, mostly predate his presidency, and do not accuse him of wrongdoing.

Still, Trump has vented repeatedly on Truth Social, attacking Republicans who support releasing the files as “soft and foolish.” He has described the issue as another “Russia, Russia, Russia Scam” and renewed his call for an investigation into Epstein’s ties to “many other people and institutions.”

CNN’s review of thousands of Epstein emails shows the financier corresponded with a wide network of prominent figures, including several Democrats. Some of his most frequent exchanges were with former Obama White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler, who represented him legally, and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers. There is no evidence in the emails that any of these individuals participated in Epstein’s crimes.

JPMorgan Chase spokesperson Patricia Wexler said the bank “ended our relationship with him years before his arrest,” while noting JPMorgan’s 2023 settlements totaling $365 million with Epstein survivors and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The bank did not admit wrongdoing.

“The government had damning information about his crimes and failed to share it with us or other banks,” Wexler said. “We regret any association we had with the man, but did not help him commit his heinous acts.”