Wall Street Journal confirms that Trump is in Epstein files – and that he lied about it

On July 15, ABC News journalist Katherine Faulders spoke to Donald Trump during a short briefing outside the White House. The briefing followed a meeting between Trump and Pam Bondi in which the Attorney General informed Trump about the contents of files related to sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Faulders asked Trump a single, straightforward question. "Specifically," said the reporter, "did she tell you at all that your name appeared in the files?"

"No, no," Trump replied. "She's–she's given us just a very quick briefing." He then went on to claim that the files had been written by Barack Obama, who had been out of the White House for three years at the time of Epstein's arrest. Or perhaps Hillary Clinton. Or maybe former FBI Director James Comey.

Even before his flight of fantasy about the nature of the files, everything Trump said was a lie. Because, as The Wall Street Journal confirmed on Wednesday, Trump had already been told that his name featured prominently in the Epstein files.

In May, Bondi and her deputy informed the president at a meeting in the White House that his name was in the Epstein files, the officials said. Many other high-profile figures were also named, Trump was told.

But if Trump already knew that he was in the files related to his former best friend, he was also given a message of comfort.

They told the president at the meeting that the files contained what officials felt was unverified hearsay about many people, including Trump, who had socialized with Epstein in the past, some of the officials said. One of the officials familiar with the documents said they contain hundreds of other names.

Those hundreds of names are exactly what those who have followed the Epstein case—a group that includes many members of Trump's base—have been clamoring to see for years. But fear not, Bondi and others told Trump, none of this was going to come out.

They also told Trump that senior Justice Department officials didn’t plan to release any more documents related to the investigation of the convicted sex offender because the material contained child pornography and victims’ personal information, the officials said. Trump said at the meeting he would defer to the Justice Department’s decision to not release any further files.

It's not hard to believe that Trump said he would defer to that decision. It's harder to believe he didn't dance a little jig, bloated ankles and all.

Obviously, the DOJ should not release information on Epstein's victims. Just as obviously, they can release information on Epstein's clients without violating that trust. In fact, the only way to secure justice for the children involved in this story is to pursue all of those who participated, or blithely looked away, from these crimes.

But that's not what Bondi and her cadre of Trump-approved officials did.

In a statement to the Journal on Friday, Bondi and the deputy attorney general, Todd Blanche, said nothing in the files warranted further investigation or prosecution. “As part of our routine briefing, we made the President aware of the findings,” they said.

They have statements naming Trump, along with many other high-profile people, of participating in sex trafficking, rape, and abuse of underage children. But Bondi and Blanche put a nice bow on the whole thing and declared that this didn't even need to be investigated. Not when it could all just be swept under the White House rug.

Everything Trump has said about his knowledge of Epstein, and about the Epstein files, has been a lie. Caught in those lies, he's lashing out to sue the Journal and the man most responsible for giving him an Oval Office to desecrate. Or decorate. It's the same thing when it comes to Trump.

It's not unusual for the FBI to hold back documents containing unsubstantiated accusations, or to release those documents with only "Unnamed co-conspirator" filling in the slots once held by names.

But it's extremely unusual for the Department of Justice to declare that felony accusations don't warrant investigation, and to reassure one of those named in the case that the charges leveled against him are never going to be made public.

What's almost as obvious as Trump's lies is that this isn't over. It may never be over.