Risky strategy for Trump as he escalates Epstein row with loyal supporterspublished at 13:29 BST 18 July

13:29 BST 18 July

Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Calls for more information to be released on Jeffrey Epstein have met support on both sides of the American political spectrum - a rare challenge to Donald Trump's leadership from some of the president's most loyal supporters.

It's also a rare source of consensus among the American public.

A YouGov poll indicated that 79% of Americans want the government to release "all documents it has".

That included 75% of Republican respondents and 85% of Democrats.

And, with remarks in the Oval Office where he blamed his own side - saying some "stupid Republicans... have fallen into the net" - Trump is drawing battle lines on the Epstein issue that divides his political base.

Trump's success has been powered by two central messages to his supporters – that he's an outsider who fights against a corrupt establishment and that he tells it like it is.

At a time when many voters say they are tired of polished politicians with shifting views, Trump's base sees him as authentic - unvarnished and controversial, yes, but honest.

His shifting comments – that the Epstein files should be released, that there are no files, that any possible files are hoaxes – also make him seem less like a straight-shooter and more like a man with something to hide.

He's left with the problem of trying to prove a negative. And for the moment, some of his supporters aren't buying it.

• Our North America correspondent has more on warnings from some commentators that the Epstein story could consume Trump's presidency

We've just heard from Donald Trump, as calls grow for the release of court files concerning Jeffrey Epstein.

In a social media post, he says: "If there was a 'smoking gun' on Epstein, why didn’t the Dems, who controlled the 'files' for four years, and had Garland and Comey in charge, use it? BECAUSE THEY HAD NOTHING!!!"

As a reminder, a judge will need to make the final decision on whether material can be released, which could take some time and is unlikely to be immediate.

Image source, Getty Images

As we've been reporting, Trump has threatened to sue The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) for publishing a story claiming his name appeared on a "bawdy" 2003 birthday card to Epstein.

The card allegedly "contained several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand drawn with a heavy marker", the publication reports.

Writing on Truth Social, the US president dismissed the card as a "FAKE" - adding that "these are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don't draw pictures".

He said he intends to sue the WSJ, saying the story was "false, malicious, and defamatory”.

While the veracity of the purported birthday card has yet to be confirmed, what is well-documented is Trump's history of doodling.

In his 2008 book Never Give Up, he spoke about offering up some of his doodles for charity to raise funds for the hungry:

And in the past decade, several doodles attributed to the US president have hit the auction circuit, fetching thousands.

The BBC has contacted the White House for comment.

Image source, Reuters

Demands for the release of court documents relating to the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein have also been coming from Trump's supporters.

As US Vice-President JD Vance arrived in West Pittson, Pennsylvania, he was greeted by a sign reading: "WHERE IS THE LIST???" - a reference to Epstein's purported client list.

During his presidential campaign Trump promised to declassify Epstein files, including the much-anticipated “list”.

"We put you in office, you ran on this platform," truck driver and Trump supporter Steven Taylor told the BBC. "We didn't ask for it. And now we want it. We demand it. There needs to be accountability. There needs to be justice."

Others remain confident the files will be released. Ed DeLucca, 72, said that when Trump "is ready, he'll let them out".

"There's a reason for it. They'll come out," he added before saying that Maga factions warring over the Epstein files need to "make peace" first.

And some are pinning the blame for the growing pressure on Democrats for failing to declassify more details earlier.

"I don't care. Democrats should have released it when Biden was president," Chrissy Matticks told the BBC. "Democrats are just using it as a political football."

• You can read more about what Trump supporters are saying in our story

Image source, Getty Images

Before he became the central figure in a high-profile sex trafficking case, Jeffrey Epstein was a maths teacher and powerful financier in New York City.

Courting the rich and famous with private jets and lavish parties in the 1980s, Epstein’s business grew to manage hundreds of millions of dollars in clients’ assets.

Among the celebrities he socialised with were US President Donald Trump, former president Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew.

"I've known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy," Trump told New York magazine in 2002, external.

In 2005, the parents of a 14-year-old girl told police in Florida that Epstein had molested their daughter at his Palm Beach home. He avoided federal charges and instead received an 18-month prison sentence.

Since 2008, Epstein had been listed as a level three on the New York sex offenders register. It was a lifelong designation meaning he was at a high risk of reoffending.

In July 2019, he was arrested in New York on sex trafficking charges, accused of running "a vast network" of underage girls for sex.

After being denied bail, he was held in New York's Metropolitan Correctional Center, where he was found dead in his cell months later.

Image source, Getty Images

US President Donald Trump is facing a mixture of backlash and support over the handling of the Epstein files issue, including from his often loyal political base.

On Thursday, Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene said: "If President Trump was guilty of anything regarding Jeffrey Epstein, Democrats would have used it against him the past 4 years."

She also thanked Pam Bondi and Donald Trump, reacting to their announcement that they will unseal grand jury transcripts.

Meanwhile, representative Thomas Massie said on X: "Folks, keep the pressure on, it's working. But we want all the files."

House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Tuesday the justice department should release all of its information on the disgraced sex offender.

On Wednesday, he walked back on these comments, saying his words were "misrepresented", and he was clear he was "saying the same thing as the president" and only wants "credible information" released.

Another conservative Republican, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, said on Tuesday the "American people deserve and can handle the truth. Let's see the files".

But other influential Republicans – including senator John Thune and congressman Jim Jordan – deferred to Trump on the matter.

These latest developments come shortly after Trump said he would sue the Wall Street Journal over an article alleging that a "bawdy" birthday greeting bearing his name was sent to Epstein in 2003, before the late financier was charged with sex crimes.

The letter, which the newspaper claims was sent on Epstein's 50th birthday, has been decried by Trump as a "fake".

In a post, Trump says the newspaper and owner Rupert Murdoch "were warned directly" they would be sued if they printed the story, describing it as "false, malicious, and defamatory".

According to the newspaper, a letter bearing Trump's name "contained several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker".

"Inside the outline of the naked woman was a typewritten note styled as an imaginary conversation between Trump and Epstein, written in the third person," the paper reports.

It reportedly contains a joking reference that “Enigmas never age” and allegedly ends with the words: "A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret."

"These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don't draw pictures," Trump said on social media in response to the story.

According to the WSJ, the letter was part of a compilation of birthday greetings that was put together by Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of helping Epstein to sex-traffic children and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Image source, Getty Images

While campaigning for the presidency, Donald Trump promised to disclose as yet unreleased files relating to Jeffrey Epstein, after conspiracy theories about them swirled online for years.

Since Trump's return to office in January, some supporters have grown frustrated with his administration's handling of this pledge.

Here’s a look back at the key dates since:

21 February

Attorney General Pam Bondi tells Fox News that a list of Epstein’s clients is “sitting on my desk right now”. The White House later says she was referring to all the files related to Epstein's crimes.

28 February

Bondi accuses federal investigators of withholding thousands of documents related to Epstein, and asks the FBI to release all the information.

26 April

Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein of sexual assault, dies by suicide aged 41, her family says. The prince has long denied any wrongdoing.

6 June

Tech billionaire Elon Musk posts on X that Trump is “in the Epstein files”, referring to court documents and evidence thought to have been collected by investigators. The White House rubbishes the post, which Musk deletes.

7 July

The US Department of Justice and FBI conclude in a report that Epstein did not have a so-called client list that could implicate high-profile associates, and that he did take his own life – contradicting long-held conspiracy theories.

17 July

Trump asks Bondi to release "any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony" on Jeffrey Epstein, after what he calls a "ridiculous amount of publicity".

On Thursday, Donald Trump said he had asked his attorney general to "produce any and all pertinent grand jury testimony" relating to Jeffrey Epstein, "subject to court approval".

It's unclear whether he was referring to the first set of cases concerning Epstein in the early 2000s or federal charges brought in 2019. The BBC has enquired with the White House.

On Tuesday, Trump said Attorney General Pam Bondi should release “whatever she thinks is credible” on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He also questioned the public fascination with the case, describing it as “sordid but boring”.

The president is facing a rare backlash from supporters after seeking to draw a line under the disgraced financier’s case. Over the weekend, Trump urged his supporters not to “waste time and energy” on the controversy.

However, allies of the president, including House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson, are calling for “transparency”.

Last week, a memo released by the Department of Justice (DoJ) and FBI concluded Epstein did not have a so-called client list that could implicate high-profile associates, and that he did take his own life - contrary to conspiracies.

During his presidential campaign, Trump promised to declassify Epstein files, including the much-anticipated “list”.

Image source, Getty Images

Overnight, the US president said he had ordered the US Department of Justice (DoJ) to release more court documents relating to the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, following pressure from some of his most loyal supporters.

In response, Attorney General Pam Bondi said: "We are ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts."

It's unclear if they are referring to the first set of cases concerning Epstein from the early 2000s, or federal charges brought in 2019 - we've asked the White House.

It also doesn't mean we will necessarily see anything released today.

Last week, Bondi said the DoJ did not believe Epstein had a so-called client list that could implicate high-profile associates, and that he did take his own life - contrary to long-held conspiracies.

The US president's decision came shortly after he said he would sue the Wall Street Journal after it reported that Trump's name appeared on a "bawdy" 2003 birthday note to Epstein. It "contained several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker," the publication reports.

"These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don't draw pictures," Trump said.

Stay with us for further updates.