Trump’s new AG went on Fox News to declare the Epstein files fully released, and a community note fact-checked him before the interview was even over

President Donald Trump’s new acting Attorney General, Todd Blanche, appeared on Fox News and declared that the Department of Justice had fully released all Epstein files. But before his interview was even over, a community note on X fact-checked his claim directly. Blanche was installed as acting attorney general after Pam Bondi was fired by President Trump.

During his interview with Jesse Watters, Blanche said, “I have never heard President Trump say the attorney general was… anything that happened to her had anything to do with the Epstein files.” According to The Daily Beast, he also dismissed the matter as “a saga that has lasted for the entire past year” and stated, “The Department of Justice has now released all the files with respect to the Epstein saga.”

Trump had lost confidence in Bondi largely due to her handling of the release of millions of documents related to the late Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. Trump had made a campaign promise to release all documents from the FBI’s investigation into Epstein, and eventually signed a transparency act after a near-unanimous bipartisan vote in Congress to move this forward.

Blanche’s claim that all Epstein files were released is directly contradicted by the numbers

A community note on X clarified that “The DOJ has not released all Epstein files; it identified more than 6 million potentially responsive pages but released nearly 3.5 million.” California Congressman Robert Garcia posted on X, “This is a lie. About 50% of the files have been released and per our subpoena it’s illegal to withhold them.” He added, “Blanche may think it’s over, but we are just getting started.”

This was not the first time Blanche’s claims were challenged. Last month, MAGA podcast host Katie Miller pushed back when Blanche claimed all 6 million pages were public, saying, “There’s still 3 million held back, not all of them are public.” Blanche insisted they were, explaining that the DOJ “over-collected” and that withheld pages either had nothing to do with Epstein or were legally redacted.

An investigation by NPR in February revealed dozens of withheld pages, including files related to allegations of sexual abuse against President Trump, which were later released. The Justice Department maintains that any remaining withheld documents are privileged, duplicates, or relate to an ongoing federal investigation.

Meanwhile, Trump has been navigating several other high-stakes political situations, including setting conditions for an Iran nuclear deal that analysts say make peace difficult to achieve. Bondi’s tenure as Attorney General lasted 14 months and was marked by controversy over the Epstein files. 

She distributed binders labeled “Epstein Files” to conservative influencers that contained little new information, and the subsequent release of heavily redacted documents drew significant criticism. During a congressional hearing, Bondi notably refused to turn and face Epstein survivors who were present in the room.

According to Al Jazeera, reactions to Bondi’s firing were largely critical. Gloria Allred, an attorney representing numerous Epstein victims, called her departure “long overdue,” saying she “destroyed the trust in the DOJ that victims had a right to expect.” Epstein survivor Jess Michaels said, “Do I think that the next person put in charge, Todd Blanche, is going to do any better? We can only hope. But given that they worked together, I don’t have great expectations.”

Senator Elizabeth Warren stated the Justice Department under Bondi “became a cesspool of corruption” and that Bondi “will be remembered for blocking the release of the Epstein files, weaponising the DOJ to go after Trump’s political opponents and handing out merger approvals as political favors. Good riddance.”

After a February release of 3 million pages referenced names including President Trump, Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, former Prince Andrew, and Elon Musk, Blanche was asked about possible prosecution for anyone who had “relations” with minors through Epstein. He stated, “I’ll never say no, and we will always investigate any evidence of misconduct,” but added, “it’s not a crime to party with Mr. Epstein. So as horrible as it is… it’s not a crime to email with Mr Epstein.”

Trump has already named Blanche as acting attorney general and is reportedly considering EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin as a potential permanent replacement. Congress, already stretched thin dealing with issues like how lawmakers are handling the TSA security crisis, now also faces pressure to follow through on Epstein file subpoenas.