President Trump has defended the appearance of Bill Clinton in the newly-published Epstein files and said that he “hated” to see the images.
The former president featured in the trove of documents related to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein released on Friday. Clinton has not been accused of any crimes related to Epstein.
Asked about the appearance of Clinton in the files, Trump said he didn’t like the images being published.
• Sign up for The Times’s weekly US newsletter
“I don’t like the pictures of Bill Clinton being shown. I don’t like the pictures of other people being shown. I think it’s a terrible thing. I think Bill Clinton is a big boy. He can handle it,” he said.
“But you probably have pictures being exposed of other people that innocently met Jeffrey Epstein years ago, many years ago.”
Trump was announcing a new class of warship when he was asked about Clinton on Monday
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Among the vast collection of material released on Friday were a series of images of Clinton, though they lacked crucial context of when or where they were taken.
In one widely shared image, Clinton is pictured topless in a hot tub, with his hands behind his head and an unknown figure redacted beside him.
Clinton, 79, has previously denied any wrongdoing and a spokesperson has said he had no knowledge of Epstein’s “terrible crimes”.
• Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, Trump and more in Epstein files — as it happened
The photo has been shared by multiple White House aides. “Slick Willy! @BillClinton just chillin, without a care in the world. Little did he know …,” Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, posted on X.
Abigail Jackson, the White House deputy press secretary, suggested the individual next to Clinton could be a victim of Epstein.
“Here is Bill Clinton in a hot tub next to someone whose identity has been redacted. Per the Epstein Files Transparency Act, DoJ was specifically instructed only to redact the faces of victims and/or minors. Time for the media to start asking real questions,” Jackson posted on X.
Other pictures show Clinton smiling alongside Epstein in coordinated shirts, and pictured with a collection of famous faces including Michael Jackson, Diana Ross and Mick Jagger.
With Michael Jackson, Diana Ross and an unknown person
REUTERS/DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
With a young woman who face has been redacted
REUTERS/DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
However in contrast to his aides, Trump said he was unhappy to see the images of Clinton and blamed it on the efforts of Democrats and some Republicans.
“I think it’s terrible,” he said.
• Katy Balls: Even Democrats don’t care if Bill Clinton is burnt by Epstein
“Look, I like Bill Clinton. I’ve always gotten along with Bill Clinton. I’ve been nice to him. He’s been nice to me. We’ve always gotten along. Respect him. I hate to see photos come out of him, but this is what the Democrats, mostly Democrats, and a couple of bad Republicans are asking for.”
A spokesman for Clinton responded to the release on Friday and said the former president did not have a relationship with Epstein when details of his crimes emerged.
On Monday the spokesman issued another statement and called for the Department of Justice to release any remaining documents related to Clinton.
“What the Department of Justice has released so far, and the manner in which it did so, makes one thing clear: someone or something is being protected,” Angel Ureña, the spokesman for Clinton, said in the statement.
“We do not know whom, what or why. But we do know this: We need no such protection.”