The US Department of Justice had removed photos of President Donald Trump from documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, but after public outcry, they were restored. The Justice Department explained that the photos were temporarily removed after the Southern District of New York raised concerns about protecting the identities of victims. The department clarified that none of the individuals in the photo were Epstein victims.
The US Department of Justice had removed photos of President Donald Trump from documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. This sparked significant backlash, after which the photo of President Donald Trump that had been removed from the database was made public again.
The US Department of Justice has re-released a photo from the recently released Jeffrey Epstein documents that shows President Donald Trump. In the photo, Trump is seen with several women.
The Justice Department clarified that the photo was temporarily removed after the Southern District of New York objected to the image to protect the identities of victims. No Epstein victims are depicted in this photo.
Which photo was removed?
The Epstein files included photos of Trump standing with a group of women, while another photo showed him with his wife Melania, Epstein, and Epstein’s now-convicted associate Ghislaine Maxwell. The files also included photos of the disgraced financier with former President Bill Clinton and Pope John Paul II.
Read more: What is the Jeffrey Epstein case, when did it begin, and who exposed it?
Why were the photos removed?
The Justice Department said that the photo was temporarily removed for review after the Southern District of New York objected to it to protect the identities of victims. However, following online backlash, they restored it and clarified that the photo did not depict any of Epstein’s victims.
The Justice Department said in a post on the social media site X that the Southern District of New York had flagged a photo of President Trump for potential further action to protect victims. The Department of Justice stated that the image had been temporarily removed for further review. After the review, it was determined that there was no evidence that any of Epstein’s victims were depicted in the photograph, and it was reposted without any changes or edits.