This photo, which itself shows several shots, has been deleted. The photo in question with Trump can be seen below left.Image: keystone
After it became known that photos from the Epstein files that had since been published had been deleted by the US Department of Justice, allegations of manipulation were made.
December 21, 2025, 07:57December 21, 2025, 08:05
Less than 24 hours after part of the Epstein files could be downloaded from the ministry’s website, a specific photo showing Donald Trump was removed from a data set. The accusation was first made by the Democratic Files Review Committee on X. Addressing Justice Minister Pam Bondi regarding the files:
“Is that true? What else is being covered up? We need transparency for the American people.”
Partially framed photos can be seen in the photo in question. One of the photos is older and shows today’s US President Donald Trump with his wife Melania, accompanied by the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his long-time confidant Ghislaine Maxwell. In another, Trump can be seen posing surrounded by young women. Former US President Bill Clinton is also shown in another picture.
As investigations by several media outlets have shown, at least 16 files in the newer version of the published data set were no longer accessible. In addition to the photo with the Trump image, according to the New York Times deleted twelve photos showing the infamous massage parlor at Epstein’s New York estate. Many attacks by the convicted and deceased sex offender took place there.
Late on Friday afternoon, after massive pressure from the public, the ministry initially uploaded four data sets containing thousands of files to its website. In addition to photos, there were also documents. A lot of things are completely blacked out – the ministry has already received criticism for this.
After thousands of files began to be published on Friday evening, a spokeswoman for the White House asserted that the current US government was the “most transparent” in the country’s history. According to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, hundreds of thousands more documents will be published in the next few weeks. The pages had to be edited before publication to protect the identity of the victims, he explained the delay in publication.
Photos and other materials will continue to be examined and processed “with great care and in compliance with legal provisions,” the Ministry of Justice announced on Sunday on X.
Pam Bondi and Todd Blanche (left) have yet to comment on the deleted photos.Image: keystone
Deputy Attorney General: Files not changed in favor of Trump
Blanche assured the US broadcaster ABC News that his house had not changed any files to protect President Trump. Nothing will be withheld because of this. He answered in the negative when asked whether there had been an instruction to edit material on the Epstein scandal that had a connection to the president. He further said:
“President Trump has made it clear from the beginning that he expects that all files that can be released will be released – and that is exactly what we are doing.”
However, the credibility of this statement is questioned – in addition to the current deletion allegations, Trump had also resisted releasing the documents in general for months without providing a reason for this. During the election campaign last year, however, he promised his supporters transparency.
Trump knew Epstein well, which is widely documented by photos and other documents. However, there is no concrete evidence that the Republican was involved in the scandal. There is only circumstantial evidence that Trump was complicit in Epstein’s sexual activities. And even these are missing for Trump’s criminal behavior. The US President has always denied any allegations of this kind.
Trump appears sporadically in the documents that have now been published, but according to initial evaluations, there appears to be hardly any new information about the relationship between Epstein and Trump. The US President did not initially comment, although Democratic former President Bill Clinton in particular can often be seen in the photos – Trump has publicly shot him in the past and even suggested an investigation into Clinton by the Justice Department.
That’s why the Epstein files are so explosive
The Epstein case has been a concern for the public for a long time. For years, the US multimillionaire from New York ran an abuse ring that victimized dozens of young women and minors. Over several years, Epstein himself is said to have abused underage girls in places such as New York and Florida. Six years ago he died in a prison cell at the age of 66, according to official reports, by suicide.
The financier had excellent contacts in high society, which led to numerous speculations about the scope of the scandal. The question arose again and again as to which prominent figures might have been involved in Epstein’s machinations. A month ago, the law finally ordered the publication of the files, which Trump had long resisted. (sda/dpa/con)