President Donald Trump is facing growing pressure, including from some of his closest allies, for more transparency about the Jeffrey Epstein case. But there are mixed opinions about what steps the administration should take next.
Trump has urged his supporters to move on from the case, decrying the story as “boring” and lashing out at those who have called for more information. Despite this, many people — including allies but also Democrats and critics on the right — have demanded more clarity about the case. Epstein was found dead in a New York jail cell in 2019 while he was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Conspiracy theories have swirled since then, including baseless claims that he was killed to protect his powerful clients.
Epstein's death, which was ruled a suicide, was rocketed back into the headlines this month after Attorney General Pam Bondi's office released an unsigned joint memo with the FBI saying an "exhaustive review of investigative holdings relating" to the case showed Epstein, the financier and convicted sex offender, had no "incriminating 'client list'" and that there was no evidence that would lead to charges against anyone else.
The memo infuriated some factions of Trump's MAGA base because both he and Bondi had previously said they would release more documents related to Epstein.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Here's a look at some of the paths that are being proposed by Trump's allies:
Publish the client list — if it exists
Bondi has faced backlash from some of Trump's supporters over her comments about the existence of Epstein's so-called client list months before the Justice Department memo came out. “It’s sitting on my desk right now to review,” she told Fox News in February. But she clarified this month at a Cabinet meeting that she was speaking more broadly about documents related to Epstein, not a specific list of clients.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said last week in an all-caps post on X that the Justice Department should “release the Epstein client list.”
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., told reporters Wednesday that "the attorney general ought to release whatever she thinks is credible and appropriate to release" but that the Justice Department finding about the client list was “kind of hard to believe.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., one of Trump’s closest and most prominent allies, told conservative commentator Benny Johnson on Tuesday that Bondi “needs to come forward and explain” her comments about the client list.
"Pam Bondi, I don’t know when she originally made the statement, I think she was talking about documents as I understood that they were on her desk," he said. "I don’t know that she was specific about a list or whatever, but she needs to come forward and explain that to everybody. I like Pam, I mean, I think she’s done a good job. We need the DOJ focusing on the major priorities. So let’s get this thing resolved."
Appoint a special counsel
Other Trump allies are urging him to appoint a special counsel to review the case.
The "best thing that the president can do is appoint a special counsel to handle the Epstein files investigation,” right-wing activist Laura Loomer told Politico, saying she did not want the controversy to “consume his presidency.”
Former White House adviser Steve Bannon has also voiced support for a special counsel, saying on his show "War Room" that he would "love" to have "a special counsel report directly to the office of the president."
Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., said in an interview Tuesday with Benny Johnson that "we need a special counsel," and she had a suggestion for who that person would be.
"Maybe Matt Gaetz can lead the special counsel,” she added, referring to the former congressman from Florida who was Trump's first choice for attorney general.
Bannon said Trump is open to the idea, despite his history with special counsels. Special counsel reports can take months and, in some cases, years to compile.
In his interview with Mike Johnson, Benny Johnson asked him whether he would support having Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s co-defendant, testify before Congress or lawmakers’ subpoenaing the Justice Department to get the files. The speaker replied that he had not spoken to lawmakers "about that specific subject, but I’m for transparency."
Asked Wednesday whether he would support a special prosecutor, Trump said, "I have nothing to do with it."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday was not interested in the idea. “The president would not recommend a special prosecutor in the Epstein case. That’s how he feels,” she said.
Hold congressional hearings
Hawley said he was also open to a hearing on the matter before the Senate Judiciary Committee that could include Maxwell, the only person who has been convicted in the case.
Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison term that she is appealing.
“Why not put her under oath?” Hawley said. “I think that could be good."
Send a congressional message
Several House Republicans have signed on to an effort by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., to force a vote calling on the Justice Department to release the entirety of its records related to Epstein.
"We all deserve to know what’s in the Epstein files, who’s implicated, and how deep this corruption goes. Americans were promised justice and transparency," Massie wrote Tuesday in a pair of posts on X.
The procedural effort would force a vote to release “all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials” related to Epstein.
Massie's discharge petition would take time to move forward.
"In 7 days we can start collecting signatures. At 218 signatures, the House must vote on our bill requiring a full release of the Epstein files," wrote Massie, who has repeatedly clashed with Trump.
A number of Republicans have already signed on to the effort, including Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee, a Trump ally. Burchett told NBC News on Wednesday night that did so because "I’m big on transparency."
Fire Bondi
Some Trump supporters online, including Loomer, have called for Bondi to resign or be fired.
"Someone needs to be fired for this," Loomer said on X, adding that letting Bondi "resign is more than she deserves. Trump should just FIRE her."
Trump has vigorously defended Bondi as doing a "great job." Bondi told reporters Tuesday, “I’m going to be here for as long as the president wants me here, and I believe he’s made that crystal clear.”
Conservative commentator and former Fox News host Glenn Beck echoed those sentiments in a video.
“Pam Bondi has created so much doubt and chaos in this whole thing," he said, urging Trump to "fire Pam Bondi."
Take it to the courts
The president of Judicial Watch, an organization that has been trying to obtain Epstein documents, suggested a different way forward.
“Just give us the records under FOIA,” Tom Fitton said on Bannon's “War Room” podcast, referring to the Freedom of Information Act.
“Describe what the records are. If they’re withholding anything, tell us why. And there’s a court process for it. If we don’t like it, we can challenge it.”
“But at least it’s a transparency that we don’t have currently because of the awful memo that was sent out,” he said.
Release all the documents
Others suggested the simplest path would be for the Justice Department to just release the files while protecting information about the victims.
"The Epstein files need to be released," and "I'm for releasing it now," said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C.
Boebert also backed releasing the files Wednesday. "The American people deserve and can handle the truth. Let’s see the files," she wrote on X.
Hawley said he was in favor, as well.
“My view is make public everything you can make public,” he said. “Let’s make it all public and get it out there.”
Lara Trump, the president's daughter-in-law, also joined the calls for more information about Epstein.
"I do think that there needs to be more transparency on this, and I think that that will happen,” she told Benny Johnson this week. "I believe that there will probably be more coming on this, and I believe anything that they are able to release that doesn’t, you know, damage any witnesses or anyone underage or anything like that, I believe they will probably try to get out sooner rather than later.”
Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina — a Republican who has clashed with Trump — was more blunt.
“Just release the damn files,” Tillis said. “Maybe somebody was wrong. Maybe they embellished a little bit about what was in the contents of the file. Apologize for it. Get this off the table. It’s sucking up too much oxygen. And we all should know.”
Trump has placed some of the onus on Bondi, saying Tuesday that "it’s going to be up to her, whatever she thinks is credible, she should release."
