Conservative reactions to the limited release of files involving the Epstein case have been sharply divided, with certain supporters of the previous administration pointing out the prominent presence of former President Clinton and other Democrats in images, while others lamented how heavy censorship cast former President Trump and GOP members in a negative manner.
Justice Department Justifies Censorship with Fervent Hyperbole
Justice Department representatives justified the redactions with intense hyperbole. “At no point in American history has a President or the Justice Department been so transparent with the public about such a sensitive law enforcement issue,” declared Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who issued a detailed memo describing the redaction process.
Questions Prompted by Blacked-Out Sections
While the former president's identity and image appear in some of the materials, the extensive redactions raise serious concerns about what may be hidden behind them. A number of conservative lawmakers swiftly demanded greater transparency.
“People are raging and walking away,” wrote Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Via a online statement, Republican Kentucky Thomas Massie asserted the redactions break the statute, and suggested that a subsequent Congress may move to impeach the top law enforcement official, Pam Bondi, for that violation. “Unfortunately, today’s document release egregiously fails to comply with both the intent and the letter of the act,” he continued.
Some Conservative Commentators Rally Behind the Release
However, a segment of conservative commentators and former President loyalists came out strongly in support of the administration.
The release—from a DOJ run by close Trump associate Pam Bondi—includes scores of pages that are completely redacted, and numerous of the men depicted in pictures have their identities obscured.
Yet a few are not, including prominent figures like Clinton, pop singer Michael Jackson, and academic Noam Chomsky. The presence of Clinton, especially, allowed some conservative voices to launch the attack.
“It’s pretty rich how the political left falsely claimed Donald Trump of being a sex offender, only for the administration's Justice Department to release documents that depict Bill Clinton skinny dipping with a convicted sex offender,” wrote conservative commentator Laura Loomer.
“Recently released Epstein Files reveal Bill Clinton shirtless in a hot tub with a female that is not his spouse Hillary Clinton,” posted attorney Rogan O’Handley. “There’s only one reason Epstein would take pictures of a US President with a girl in a jacuzzi: Leverage.”
Clinton Campaign Releases Response
Clinton has repeatedly said he knew of no illegal activity by Epstein and has never been accused to have engaged in any misconduct. “The White House has not been concealing these files for months only to dump them late on a Friday to shield Bill Clinton,” Clinton’s representative Angel Ureña stated in a statement.
“The release is about protecting officials from what comes next, or from information they will try and hide forever. So they can release as many grainy decades-old photographs as they want, but this is not about Bill Clinton. Not previously, never will be,” the response added.
Broader Rightwing Commentary Seems Muted
However, broader comment on the political right was relatively subdued following the disclosure, especially when compared with the vociferous demands for action that came before the congressional approval to enact a bill mandating the documents' release.
The commentator, who not long ago secured press credentials at the Pentagon, had been among the loudest proponents for a full release. Earlier this year, she criticized the Justice Department generally and Bondi specifically after a group of rightwing personalities were given hard-copy binders of files that contained little new data.
