Newly released documents show Jeffrey Epstein repeatedly asserted he possessed information that could have been politically damaging to Donald Trump, even claiming he was “the one able to take him down.” The trove of emails, shared with Congress by Epstein’s estate and subsequently released by both House Democrats and Republicans, details Epstein’s assessment of Trump as “dirty” and “crazy,” and reveals concerns about the then-candidate and later President’s character and behavior.
The emails, dating from 2011 to 2019, do not contain any direct correspondence from Trump himself. However, they reveal Epstein’s belief that he held compromising information. In one message, released by House Democrats in November 2025, Epstein wrote that Trump “spent hours at my house” with a victim of sex trafficking and “knew about the girls.” These claims have prompted renewed scrutiny of Trump’s long-standing relationship with the convicted sex offender.
A USA Today review of the documents found Epstein described Trump as a “Mafia don” with the “great dangerous power” of the presidency. The White House, at the time of the initial release, dismissed the emails as proving “absolutely nothing other than the fact that President Trump did nothing wrong,” according to Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Further documents released in January 2026 contained a list of unverified sexual assault allegations against Trump compiled by FBI officials. CNN reported that Trump is mentioned more than 1,000 times within the 3 million documents released, despite his initial resistance to their publication. The Justice Department stated the allegations contained within the documents were false.
The newly released materials build upon a history of connections between Trump and Epstein. Forbes reported in July 2025 that Trump had flown on Epstein’s private jet seven times prior to allegedly writing Epstein a 50th birthday message. The Independent noted that the emails included correspondence from Epstein’s associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted on sex trafficking charges in 2021.
The release of the “Epstein files” followed a discharge petition, signed by 218 members of the House, forcing a vote on their release from the Department of Justice. The timing of the release coincided with the swearing-in of Arizona Democratic Rep. Adelita Grijalva, after weeks of delays.
Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while in federal custody, awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. The circumstances surrounding his death continue to be investigated, with a prison guard recently called to testify regarding their actions on the night of Epstein’s death, as reported on March 14, 2026.
