Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche pushed back hard on Sunday against allegations that the Justice Department redacted newly released Jeffrey Epstein documents to protect President Donald Trump or any other politically-connected individual.
During an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” host Kristen Welker asked Blanche whether any of the redactions in the massive file dump — mandated by the Epstein Files Transparency Act — were made for reasons of “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.” Blanche responded firmly: “Absolutely, positively not.”
NBC: Has anything in the Epstein Files been redacted on that basis of ’embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity’?@DAGToddBlanche: “Absolutely, positively not.” pic.twitter.com/DT93hLwUcd
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) December 21, 2025
Blanche said redactions were made exclusively to protect victims and potential victims, many of whom were only identified after the release of new photographs on Friday. “This was about shielding victims, especially minors and those still anonymous — not political figures,” Blanche explained.
Welker also questioned the DOJ’s decision to temporarily remove certain photos from its website after they were posted — including one image showing an open drawer containing photographs of Trump. Blanche explained that the department received new concerns about the women pictured, and whether some of their identities should have been shielded.
“The absurdity of us pulling down a photo — a single photo — because President Trump was in it is laughable,” Blanche said. “The fact that people are trying to make that claim shows what their motivations really are.”
.@DAGToddBlanche: “The absurdity of us pulling down a photo — a single photo — because President Trump was in it is laughable, and the fact that everybody is trying to act like that’s the case is a reflection of their true motivation.” pic.twitter.com/9u7ZjgL4m7
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) December 21, 2025
He emphasized that many photos of Trump with Epstein are already public and that the administration is not hiding anything. Blanche also reiterated that the DOJ’s handling of the file dump, led by Attorney General Pam Bondi and conducted under President Trump’s oversight, was guided by transparency, legality, and a strong commitment to protecting victims.
The first batch of files released Friday included hundreds of thousands of pages, flight logs, redacted massage therapist lists, and evidence from the Ghislaine Maxwell case. More documents are expected to be released in the coming weeks.
The post Deputy AG Blanche: DOJ Did Not Redact Epstein Docs to Shield Trump appeared first on Real News Now.
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