Trump photo one of 16 files now missing from Epstein upload | US | News
A photo of Donald Trump standing next to a bikini-clad woman has mysteriously disappeared from the declassified Epstein files, with the image uploaded to the US Department of Justice (DOJ) website on Friday and no longer accessible by Saturday.
In total, 16 files have now vanished from the tranche of declassified Epstein documents. Among them was file number 468, which was a photograph of a cabinet in Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse. The cabinet and its drawers can be seen loaded with piles of other photographs depicting an array of celebrities, friends, associates, and more. One image clearly showed the current US President with his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, alongside paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and Epstein’s convicted associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Another photo from the missing file showed the President posing with four women, one in a swimsuit.
The DOJ file list now jumps from “EFTA00000467” to “EFTA00000469,” skipping file number 468.
The disappearances raise fresh questions about what else may have been removed – and why. Speculation has gone into overdrive online, with members of the US government also weighing in. Prominent Democrat and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on X, formerly Twitter, that ‘this could be one of the biggest cover-ups in American history’.
He added: “This is what Susie Wiles (Trump’s chief of staff) meant when she said Trump and Epstein were ‘young, single playboys together’.” He further added, “And if they’re taking this down, just imagine how much more they’re trying to hide.”
Democrat members of the House Oversight Committee have since called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to explain what happened to the files that have mysteriously disappeared. They said via X, formerly Twitter: “This photo, file 468, from the Epstein files that includes Donald Trump has apparently now been removed from the DOJ release. @AGPamBondi, is this true? What else is being covered up? We need transparency for the American public.”
The first file dump comes after months of political and legal infighting over its public release. The files were released thanks to the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was signed off by Trump in mid-November. The law states that the DOJ is required to release publicly “all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in the possession” of the DOJ, FBI, and US Attorney’s offices within 30 days, or by December 19, 2025.
The files, many heavily redacted, included photographs, contact lists, flight logs, business records and memos, court documents, photos, documents, receipts, snippets of text, emails, and more.
Among the fresh nuggets: insight into the Justice Department’s decision to abandon an investigation into Epstein in the 2000s, which enabled him to plead guilty to that state-level charge, and a previously unseen 1996 complaint accusing Epstein of stealing photographs of children.
The releases so far have been heavy on images of Epstein’s homes in New York City and the US Virgin Islands, with some photos of celebrities and politicians.
There was a series of never-before-seen photos of former President Bill Clinton, but fleetingly few of Trump. Both have been associated with Epstein, but both have since disowned those friendships. Neither has been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, and there was no indication the photos played a role in the criminal cases brought against him. Trump has always denied any wrongdoing relating to Epstein. Trump has not been accused of any crimes by law enforcement and has never been identified as the subject of any investigation.
Notably missing from the files were several powerful figures long associated with Epstein, including now-former Prince Andrew.
Ahead of the latest release, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability wrote on Instagram, “Oversight Dems received 95,000 new photos from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate. These disturbing images raise even more questions about Epstein and his relationships with some of the most powerful men in the world.”
The photos show several celebrities cosying up with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for conspiring with the disgraced financier to sexually abuse minors.
