‘This SCAM Must...’: Trump Calls for Epstein Testimony Release After Letter Dispute
In a stunning political turn, U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to make public Grand Jury testimony in connection with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Trump issued the order after a Wall Street Journal report alleged Trump once sent Epstein a drawing of a nude woman on his 50th birthday in 2003 — a claim Trump denies in the strongest terms.
Labelling the charge as "fake," Trump asserted, "I have never made a drawing in my life," and threatened to sue the paper for defamation.
Within days of the report coming out, Trump addressed the controversy on Truth Social. "Due to the absurd amount of publicity that has been granted to Jeffrey Epstein, I have requested Attorney General Pam Bondi to provide any relevant Grand Jury testimony, with the approval of the Court. This SCAM, which is being pushed by the Democrats, needs to come to an end, immediately!" he wrote on Thursday, July 18.
Trump's request for disclosure comes amid increasing calls from his MAGA base, which has been pressuring him to reveal the long-speculated Epstein "client list." His new order is a significant shift in policy. On Wednesday, Trump had stated that Bondi must release "whatever she believes credible" about Epstein's activities.
Trump's renewed focus on the Epstein case also occurs weeks after the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI officially closed their investigation. A memo from the DOJ explained that there was "no incriminating 'client list,'" "no credible evidence that Epstein blackmailed famous people," and no basis to investigate uncharged third parties.
The memo further stated that video taken from Epstein's Manhattan cell showed that no one had entered before his death, contradicting many of the long-held conspiracy theories.
Even though the DOJ closed the case, Trump's recent action calling for the release of the Grand Jury records can re-pique public and media interest. Whether the court will grant such a release is uncertain, but the scandal ensures that the Epstein story continues to haunt America's politics.
