Trump administration clarifies stance on Epstein files after photos and video goes viral

WASHINGTON (The Uttam Hindu): The White House has addressed questions about President Donald Trump's past ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The administration has expressed its full support for Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

White House Press Secretary Carolyn Levitt said Trump had distanced himself from Epstein long ago. "The president has always stood by his words. He expelled Jeffrey Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago club because, frankly, Epstein's behavior was inappropriate," she said.

Levitt also said that Trump had completely severed his ties with Epstein several years ago and has long been open and forthright about this. Recently, new documents have surfaced that mention an alleged conversation between Trump and the Palm Beach police chief in the early 2000s. Levitt said this was a phone call, which may or may not have happened, and he doesn't have any definitive information. He reiterated that Trump had expelled Epstein from his club, and that remains true today.

Levitt also mentioned the declassification of documents related to Epstein. He said that more than 3 million documents related to Epstein and his serious crimes have been released. This shows that the president and his administration are committed to transparency and wanting to expose the truth. When asked if Trump would consider pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell, he said that there is no such consideration at this time. He added that the last time the issue was discussed, Trump had also said that he was not considering it.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was also questioned, as he had acknowledged his past connections with Epstein during testimony on Capitol Hill. Levitt responded by stating that Lutnick is a very important member of the president's team and that the president fully supports him. Levitt then highlighted the government's accomplishments, noting that the Dow Index surpassed 50,000 for the first time on Friday. He also cited a federal appeals court ruling upholding the administration's detention policy for migrants, saying, "For the ninth consecutive month, there have been no illegal border crossings at the southern border."

Jeffrey Epstein was a financial tycoon who was accused of sex trafficking. He died in federal custody in 2019. Ghislaine Maxwell was later convicted of sex trafficking. Epstein's case has also been in the news because he had contact with many prominent and influential people.

The administration says the release of the documents is part of its transparency policy, while critics still want complete clarity about past interactions and decisions made with the individuals named in the documents.