The Department of Justice on Sunday restored an image from the Jeffrey Epstein files that shows President Donald Trump, after facing backlash over its sudden removal from a public DOJ webpage.
The photo, which includes two separate images of Trump, had been taken down shortly after it appeared on the department’s website Friday. The image showed a collection of items on and around Epstein’s desk or credenza.
One of the photos depicts Trump standing with a group of women. The other is a widely circulated image showing Trump with his wife, Melania Trump, alongside Epstein and Epstein’s now-convicted associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
“The Southern District of New York flagged an image of President Trump for potential further action to protect victims,” the DOJ said in a post on X.
“Out of an abundance of caution, the Department of Justice temporarily removed the image for further review. After the review, it was determined there is no evidence that any Epstein victims are depicted in the photograph, and it has been reposted without any alteration or redaction.”
The DOJ did not clarify what it meant by the Southern District of New York. The term can refer either to the federal court district that includes Manhattan or to the U.S. Attorney’s Office based there, which handles federal criminal prosecutions.
On Saturday, congressional Democrats publicly questioned why the photo had been removed.
“This photo, file 468, from the Epstein files that includes Donald Trump has apparently now been removed from the DOJ release,” Democrats on the House Oversight Committee wrote on X. “@AGPamBondi is this true? What else is being covered up? We need transparency for the American public.”
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said early Sunday that the image was taken down after concerns were raised about women appearing in the photo.
“So we pulled that photo down,” Blanche said on NBC’s Meet the Press. “It has nothing to do with President Trump.”
The removal of the image — along with more than a dozen other files over the weekend — came despite a law signed by Trump requiring the DOJ to release all Epstein-related files by Friday.
The image originally went live Friday and disappeared from the DOJ website just hours later. The photograph showed a display of framed and unframed pictures, including images of Trump as well as other high-profile figures such as former President Bill Clinton and Pope John Paul II.
“When we hear from victims’ rights groups about this type of photograph, we pull it down and investigate,” Blanche said.
Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Richard Berman of the Southern District of New York ordered the unsealing of grand jury materials tied to the DOJ’s 2019 prosecution of Epstein on child sex trafficking charges. That order included language directing the DOJ to address concerns raised by survivors.
Despite that, the DOJ released only a small portion of documents and images on Friday, even though the Epstein Files Transparency Act required the full release of all Epstein- and Maxwell-related materials by that deadline.
The limited disclosure sparked criticism from both Democrats and Republicans.
Several Epstein victims also criticized the DOJ, saying they were not adequately informed about what would be released. Some survivors warned that the handling of the rollout could have put them at risk, according to multiple news reports.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky. — who co-sponsored the House bill mandating the release alongside Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif. — said lawmakers may seek accountability from the Justice Department.
Speaking Sunday on CBS’ Face the Nation, Massie said Congress is considering holding Attorney General Pam Bondi in contempt.
“The quickest way, and I think most expeditious way, to get justice for these victims, is to bring inherent contempt against Pam Bondi,” Massie said.
CNBC has reached out to the DOJ for comment regarding Massie’s remarks.
