US President Donald Trump has sharply criticised the Justice Department over its handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case, accusing it of conducting a politically motivated “witch hunt” and demanding the immediate release of names he claims are linked to the disgraced financier. His remarks came after officials revealed that more than one million additional documents connected to Epstein had been identified and would require further review before being made public.
Reacting on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump expressed anger over what he described as deliberate delays by the Department of Justice. He wrote that the discovery of another million pages showed the DOJ was being “forced to spend all of its time on this Democrat inspired hoax,” instead of focusing on what he called more pressing national issues. He questioned when the department would “say no more” and shift attention to matters such as election integrity, accusing Democrats of using the Epstein case as a political weapon.
Trump claimed that Democrats, not Republicans, were the ones with real ties to Epstein and demanded that their names be released publicly. He argued that exposing them would be embarrassing for the party and allow the government to move on. Describing the renewed scrutiny as yet another politically driven attack, he insisted that the investigation was designed to undermine what he called the successes of his administration.
His comments followed a lengthy Christmas Day post in which he again denied any wrongdoing and said he had cut ties with Epstein long before the financier became the subject of public scandal. In that post, Trump accused Democrats and sections of the media of attempting to falsely associate him with Epstein, calling the investigation a “Radical Left Witch Hunt.” He also claimed that those who once socialised with Epstein had distanced themselves only when public scrutiny became unavoidable.
The renewed debate comes in the wake of a bipartisan law passed by Congress last month and signed by Trump, mandating the Justice Department to release all unclassified records related to Epstein within 30 days. That deadline expired on December 19. In response, the DOJ released an initial batch of hundreds of thousands of documents last Friday, followed by additional disclosures in the days that followed.
The released files reportedly include references to several high-profile figures, including both Trump and former President Bill Clinton. However, lawmakers from both parties have expressed dissatisfaction with the scope of the disclosures, arguing that too many records remain withheld or heavily redacted. They have questioned whether the department is moving quickly or transparently enough.
On Wednesday, the Justice Department acknowledged that investigators in New York had uncovered more than one million additional documents potentially connected to the Epstein case. Officials said reviewing and preparing these records for release would take several more weeks, further delaying full disclosure. The announcement has intensified political pressure on the department, with critics accusing it of dragging its feet while supporters argue the review process is necessary to ensure accuracy and legal compliance.
As the controversy continues to unfold, the Epstein files remain a flashpoint in US politics, with both parties accusing each other of shielding allies and manipulating the issue for political gain.
