The Department of Justice landed in hot water after failing to release the entire stack of Epstein Files by the stipulated deadline of December 19, 2025.
To make matters worse, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee claimed that the DOJ had deleted a picture of Donald Trump with Jeffrey Epstein shortly after releasing it in the files.
People were already shocked that the released documents barely mentioned Trump despite his years-long friendship with the convicted predator.
Moreover, hundreds of pages of documents were redacted, even though the Epstein Files Transparency Act clearly demanded the release of “all” documents.
On Saturday, Oversight Dems took to X to post a picture of Trump that the DOJ allegedly removed within a day of releasing the Epstein files.
The photo showcases multiple frames placed on the disgraced late financier’s desk, including his picture with Trump alongside Melania Trump and Epstein co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell.
Sharing the image, Oversight Dems questioned Attorney General Pam Bondi about a possible “cover-up.”
“This photo, file 468, from the Epstein files that includes Donald Trump has apparently now been removed from the DOJ release. @AGPamBondi is this true? What else is being covered up? We need transparency for the American public,” they wrote.
This photo, file 468, from the Epstein files that includes Donald Trump has apparently now been removed from the DOJ release.@AGPamBondi is this true? What else is being covered up? We need transparency for the American public. pic.twitter.com/3wYZAl2dse
— Oversight Dems (@OversightDems) December 20, 2025
However, the picture in question might not be the only file that has been deleted after its release. According to The Irish Star, as many as 16 documents related to the Epstein Files have vanished from the DOJ’s website.
This has fueled further speculation that the department is trying to protect Trump and his administration.
Ever since the first batch of files was declassified on Friday, Attorney General Pam Bondi has been slammed by politicians as well as Epstein’s victims for seemingly breaking the law and redacting information without an explanation to Congress.
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PROOF: The DoJ just *DELETED* one of the files they released that contained Trump!
Yesterday, file 468 was shown to have a picture of Trump that they missed.
We know this because it was downloadable yesterday – as can be seen in my local copy. pic.twitter.com/nCXWPEzT4i
— Adam Cochran (adamscochran.eth) (@adamscochran) December 20, 2025
Ro Khanna, one of the authors of the law, had already expressed his displeasure with the DOJ’s handling of the release.
He wrote, “The justice department’s document dump this afternoon does not comply with Thomas Massie and my Epstein Transparency Act. It is an incomplete release, with too many redactions. Thomas Massie and I are exploring all options.”
The legislation’s co-author, Thomas Massie, hinted at a possible legal action against Bondi and posted, “A future [justice department] could convict the current AG and others because the Epstein Files Transparency Act is not like a Congressional Subpoena, which expires at the end of each Congress.”
On the other hand, the DOJ has maintained that it has not redacted any files to protect Trump.
Speaking to ABC News, Deputy AG Todd Blanche said, “President Trump has certainly said from the beginning that he expects all files that can be released to be released, and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”
The DOJ also took to X to address questions related to the documents that disappeared from the government website.
“Photos and other materials will continue being reviewed and redacted consistent with the law in an abundance of caution as we receive additional information,” it wrote.
Photos and other materials will continue being reviewed and redacted consistent with the law in an abundance of caution as we receive additional information. https://t.co/xXngYQ4Qaw
— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) December 21, 2025
Trump shared a close bond with Epstein for years, but their friendship fell apart in the early 2000s, before the details of Epstein’s horrific crime came out.
Several pictures of the duo are already available in the public domain, so people were evidently surprised to find no mention of the President in the files.
Instead, multiple pictures of Bill Clinton have been released, which showed the former President spending quality time with the deceased abuser.
