Trump confirms he was never briefed by Pam Bondi on Epstein files

Hold onto your hats, folks—President Donald Trump just dropped a bombshell by flat-out denying any briefing from Attorney General Pam Bondi about his name popping up in the Jeffrey Epstein files.

The Daily Mail reported that Trump insists he was never informed about his mentions in the Epstein documents, despite reports of a May 2025 meeting with Bondi, while questions swirl around his ties to Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell’s recent Justice Department meetings, and whispers of a potential pardon for Maxwell.

Let’s start at the beginning—Trump made this denial to reporters after touching down in Scotland to check on his golf courses.

He was unequivocal, stating, “No, I was never briefed.” Well, that’s a firm line in the sand, but reports from The Wall Street Journal suggest otherwise, and it’s hard not to wonder who’s got the straight story here.

Conflicting Reports on Epstein File Briefing

According to those reports, Bondi met with Trump in May 2025 and laid out that his name appeared “multiple times” in the Epstein files.

Now, before anyone jumps the gun, being named doesn’t mean guilt, and there’s no evidence tying Trump to Epstein’s horrific child sex trafficking crimes. Still, the discrepancy between Trump’s words and these accounts raises eyebrows.

The Justice Department, for its part, claims this was just a “routine briefing” to keep the president in the loop. Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche reportedly assured that nothing in the files warrants further investigation or prosecution. If that’s true, why the secrecy and conflicting narratives?

White House communications director Steven Cheung didn’t mince words, calling the report “fake news” in a statement to the Daily Mail.

He argued, “This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media.” Sounds like a familiar refrain, but it’s worth asking if dismissing every tough story as a hoax is the best defense.

Let’s not forget the dark backdrop here—Jeffrey Epstein, who died in a New York prison in 2019 while awaiting charges for sex crimes, was ruled a suicide.

His death has fueled endless conspiracy theories about the elite who might have benefited from his silence. It’s a messy web, and Trump’s name being tangled in it, even peripherally, keeps the rumor mill spinning.

Then there’s Ghislaine Maxwell, the only person currently behind bars for Epstein’s trafficking ring, serving a 20-year sentence after her 2021 conviction on five counts.

She’s been in the spotlight lately, wrapping up a second day of meetings with the Justice Department, including a grueling nine-hour session with Todd Blanche. What’s she saying behind closed doors?

Maxwell’s attorney, David Oscar Markus, hinted at the breadth of questioning, noting, “They asked about every possible thing.” He’s framing her as a “scapegoat” who’s been “treated unfairly for the last five years.” That’s a bold claim, but with her conviction standing firm, it’s tough to see her as a victim in this tragedy.

Pardon Talks Stir Controversy

Here’s where it gets spicier—there’s a growing fringe push for Trump to pardon Maxwell, especially after the Justice Department rejected her bid to toss her conviction.

Markus hasn’t formally requested a pardon yet but didn’t rule it out, saying, “Things are happening so quickly.” Turns out, actions—or inactions—have consequences, and Maxwell’s team seems to be playing every card they’ve got.

Trump, when pressed on a potential pardon, gave a cagey response: “I’m allowed to do it, but it’s something I haven’t thought about.” Later that same day, he shut down further discussion, insisting, “This is no time to be talking about pardons.” Smart move or strategic dodge? You decide.

Maxwell isn’t done yet—she’s set to testify before Congress from prison on August 11, though details remain scarce. What “truth” will come out, as Markus claims, when she’s already spent hours spilling details to Blanche about “100 different people” tied to Epstein’s crimes? The public deserves transparency, not more closed-door mysteries.

These secret meetings with Maxwell are fueling skepticism about how the Epstein files are being handled. It’s unclear if or when the Justice Department will release what they’ve learned, and that opacity only deepens distrust. If there’s nothing to hide, why keep the curtains drawn?

High-profile names, including Trump’s, being linked to Epstein’s documents doesn’t mean guilt, but it does mean scrutiny—and rightly so.

The American people aren’t asking for witch hunts; they’re asking for clarity on a case that’s haunted the nation for years. Let’s hope the powers that be remember that dodging tough questions rarely ends well.