Critics of President Donald Trump are not convinced by his latest claims about documents related to his former friend, convicted terrorist Jeffrey Epstein.
“I have nothing to hide. I have been exonerated. I had nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday night. “They went in hoping to find it and it turned out to be the exact opposite. I’ve been completely exonerated.”
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During the exchange, he used the word “completely innocent” at least twice.
The documents provide no new evidence of wrongdoing by Trump. However, Trump, who was once close to Epstein, was frequently mentioned, and the documents were heavily redacted and critics said many problems remained.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said last week that he searched for “Don,” “Donald” and “Trump” in unredacted documents provided to lawmakers and received more than 1 million results.
Trump also insisted on Monday that “[Bill and Hillary] Clinton and many other Democrats were “fascinated” by the documents.
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However, the documents also raise new questions for members of his own government and inner circle.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Muhammad Oz and former White House strategist Steve Bannon all appear in the documents, which tend to indicate a closer relationship with Epstein than previously known.
Several other prominent members of the government also appear in the documents.
One of Trump’s fellow Republicans, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), even gave the Trump administration a new name on Sunday.
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“This is the Epstein administration,” Massey said on “This Week,” accusing Trump and Trump allies of working to protect the names in the dossier rather than seeking justice for the victims.
Trump’s critics of X also don’t believe his claims of “total innocence”:
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