Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. (Archive image, not from the latest files)Image: House Oversight Democrats
The publication of the Epstein files has widespread implications beyond the USA. Now there are allegations that a photo with Donald Trump was subsequently deleted.
December 20, 2025, 9:00 p.mDecember 20, 2025, 9:00 p.m
Simon Cleven / t-online
The US Department of Justice is accused of deleting a photo after the publication of files relating to the scandal of the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. US President Donald Trump is said to have appeared on it. The accusation was made, among other things, on the Democrats’ X profile in the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the US House of Representatives. The ministry, however, denies any subsequent changes to the files.
This is photo number 468, which is said to have been included in the first data set in the files.
The data set on the US Department of Justice’s Internet server contains a number of numbered files – but the number 468 is missing. According to several users and journalists on social networks, the file was still included when it was originally published.
It therefore contains a photo of a piece of furniture with several framed pictures on it and the drawer is open. There are photo albums and several individual photos in the drawer.
In one of the pictures, Donald Trump can be seen surrounded by several scantily clad young women. According to the information, it was one of the few files that show the current US president.
Ministry of Justice denies allegations
But the US Department of Justice says it did not change any files when publishing the Epstein files in order to protect President Donald Trump. Nothing will be withheld because of this, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said on ABC News.
Blanche also denied the question of whether there had been an instruction to edit material on the Epstein scandal that had a connection to the president. He continued: “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.”
Trump knew Epstein well, previous photos show. However, there is no evidence that the Republican was involved in the scandal; Trump himself 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.
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