The image shows Trump with Melania Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, and Ghislaine Maxwell, and was reinstated after authorities said no victims were depicted.
BY PC Bureau
December 22: The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has restored a photograph featuring President Donald Trump that appeared in the latest batch of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents, days after its temporary removal triggered backlash and accusations of selective redaction.
The image, part of a set of photographs released by the DoJ, shows a document displaying Epstein’s desk or credenza, on which two photographs of Trump are visible. One photograph shows Trump standing with a group of women, while another shows him alongside his wife, Melania Trump, Epstein, and Epstein’s longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who has since been convicted on sex trafficking charges.
The document also contains photographs of Epstein with former US President Bill Clinton and Pope John Paul II.
Temporary removal and restoration
The DoJ said the image was briefly taken down after the Southern District of New York flagged it for review, citing concerns over the possible identification of Epstein’s victims.
“Out of an abundance of caution, the Department of Justice temporarily removed the image for further review,” the DoJ said in a post on X. “After the review, it was determined there is no evidence that any Epstein victims are depicted in the photograph, and it has been reposted without any alteration or redaction.”
🇺🇸 DOJ BACKPEDALS: RESTORES TRUMP PHOTO TO EPSTEIN FILES, BUT THE TRAIN ALREADY LEFT THE STATION
The DOJ just quietly slipped that Trump desk-drawer photo back into the public Epstein files database after a quick review confirmed no victims were in it.
They were initially… pic.twitter.com/tp14kZ8Lkj
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) December 22, 2025
Political backlash
The temporary removal drew criticism from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, who accused the Trump administration of undermining the spirit of a law mandating the release of Epstein-related records.
Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin alleged that the redactions were aimed at concealing information damaging to Trump or his associates. “It’s all about covering up things that, for whatever reason, Donald Trump doesn’t want to go public,” Raskin said on CNN’s State of the Union.
Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, who has consistently pushed for the full disclosure of Epstein files, echoed the criticism. “They’re flouting the spirit and the letter of the law,” Massie said on CBS’s Face the Nation, adding that survivors’ interests must remain paramount.
Massie also claimed that a 60-count indictment involving well-known individuals had not been released, calling the process one of “selective concealment.”
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Justice Department clarification
Responding to the criticism, the DoJ reiterated that redactions in the released documents are strictly limited to protecting victims’ identities, as required by law.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said, “The only redactions being applied to the documents are those required by law — full stop. We are not redacting the names of individuals or politicians unless they are a victim.”
The department reinforced the statement in a separate post on X, insisting that no political figures’ names were being withheld.
Scope of document release
At least 16 files were reportedly removed from the public database in the latest tranche, most of which depicted explicit artwork, images of mail slots filled with envelopes, interior photographs of Epstein’s properties, and handwritten notes listing names and apartment numbers.
The release follows federal judges’ approval to unseal grand jury materials related to cases against Epstein and Maxwell, enabling the DoJ to publish long-awaited records. However, the department has acknowledged that the release remains partial, citing the extensive review required to safeguard victims.
A preliminary scan by The New York Times found that Trump’s name appears infrequently in the documents released so far. The paper previously reported that Trump and Epstein were close for several years, and Trump’s earlier reluctance to release federal Epstein files had fuelled speculation over the extent of his presence in the records.
