Timeline: Trump administration responses in Epstein files release saga

On the run trail, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance promised their supporters that they would merchandise the Justice Department files related to convicted enactment offender Jeffrey Epstein if elected.

Donald Trump listens arsenic archetypal woman Melania Trump speaks astatine a signing ceremonial for the "Fostering the Future" enforcement bid successful the East Room of the White House connected November 13, 2025 successful Washington, DC.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Since then, however, the medication has been reluctant to divulge much details astir the probe oregon merchandise each of the files, angering immoderate Republicans and Democrats and raising questions astir Trump's past connections to Epstein.

Here is simply a timeline of the large events surrounding the Epstein files saga since Trump returned to office.

Feb. 21, 2025

In an interrogation with Fox News, Attorney General Pam Bondi was asked astir the database of Jeffrey Epstein’s clients and if the Justice Department was readying to merchandise them.

Bondi responded, "It’s sitting connected my table close present to review."

In this Aug. 25, 2025, record photo, Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks during a quality league successful New York.

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images, FILE

The lawyer wide clarified successful July that she was referring to the Epstein lawsuit files, and not an alleged lawsuit list.

Feb. 27, 2025

The Justice Department invites blimpish bloggers and influencers and shares with them binders labeled "The Epstein Files: Phase 1." Most of the grounds had already been released to the public.

In this Feb. 27, 2025, record photo, governmental commentator Rogan O'Handley, aka DC Draino, TikToker Chaya Raichik, blimpish activistic Scott Presler, commentator Liz Wheeler and blimpish governmental commentator Chad Prather transportation binders bearing the seal of the US Justice Department speechmaking "The Epstein Files: Phase 1" arsenic they locomotion retired of the West Wing of the White House successful Washington, D.C.

Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images, FILE

Bondi and her squad did not pass White House officials successful beforehand that she planned to administer the binders, sources with accusation astir the lawsuit told ABC News.

May 8, 2025

The House's Task Force connected the Declassification of Federal Secrets demanded the merchandise of the Epstein files successful a missive to Bondi.

Bondi did not respond to the petition earlier the May 16 deadline.

July 7, 2025

The DOJ and FBI released a associated statement that stated a reappraisal of its holdings uncovered nary grounds of immoderate lawsuit database kept by Epstein oregon different grounds that would predicate a transgression probe of immoderate uncharged parties. 

The section besides released hours of purported footage arsenic portion of its review, which officials accidental further confirmed Epstein died by termination portion successful custody successful his jailhouse compartment successful Manhattan successful 2019.

The video from the Bureau of Prisons showing the moments earlier Epstein's decease was aboriginal determined to person been missing footage. Several blimpish influencers slam Bondi and the Justice Department implicit the memo.

July 12, 2025

Trump defended Bondi successful a societal media station amid the pushback from immoderate successful his MAGA basal implicit the handling of the Epstein probe.

Trump praised Bondi for doing a "fantastic job" and urged his "boys" and "gals" to halt criticizing her.

July 15, 2025

Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna seek a House ballot for a discharge petition to merchandise the Epstein files.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson walks from the enclosure to talk with reporters aft the last ballot to bring the longest authorities shutdown successful past to an end, astatine the Capitol successful Washington, D.C., Nov. 12, 2025.

J. Scott Applewhite/AP

The aforesaid day, House Speaker Mike Johnson called connected Bondi to "come guardant and explain" her handling of the probe.

Signatures for the petition proceed to grow, however, bash not scope the 218 needed to determination forward.

Asked what Bondi told him astir the reappraisal of the Epstein files and if his sanction appeared astatine all, Trump responded, "No, no, she's fixed america conscionable a precise speedy briefing," earlier making baseless claims that the files were created by immoderate of his governmental foes.

"Whatever she thinks is credible, she should release," Trump said.

July 24-25, 2025

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump's erstwhile idiosyncratic attorney, interviewed Epstein subordinate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year condemnation for her 2021 condemnation connected enactment trafficking and different charges related to Epstein's illicit activities.

Family members of Virginia Giuffre talk during a rally successful enactment of the victims of disgraced financier and enactment trafficker Jeffrey Epstein extracurricular the U.S. Capitol, connected Sept. 3, 2025, successful Washington, D.C.

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images, FILE

Maxwell initiated the meeting, aggregate sources told ABC News.

A period later, the Justice Department released a transcript of the interview, which was not nether oath, wherever she claimed determination was nary lawsuit list.

Aug. 1, 2025

Maxwell was transferred from a national situation successful Florida, which is labeled "low security" to a national situation campy successful Texas, which is labeled "minimum security," the Justice Department announced.

Sept. 8, 2025

Democrats connected the House Oversight Committee released a 238-page PDF papers of the 50^th day book to Epstein that includes a prologue by Maxwell and a leafage allegedly written by Trump.

In this Sept. 17, 2025, record photo, Rep. Jamie Raskin references an alleged drafting by Donald Trump made for Jeffrey Epstein's 50th birthday, arsenic FBI Director Kash Patel testified during the House Judiciary Committee proceeding titled "Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation," successful Rayburn gathering successful Washington, D.C.

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images, FILE

Trump's leafage features a typed missive written wrong a doodle of a woman's body, with his signature located successful a provocative spot connected the body.

The president denied that helium wrote and signed the letter.

Nov. 12, 2025

Democrats connected the House Oversight Committee released emails that were portion of much than 20,000 from the Epstein estate.

Some of the messages amusement Epstein talking astir Trump, including 1 wherever helium claimed Trump "spent hours astatine my house" with 1 of the sex-trafficked victims.

In this Sept. 8, 2004, record photo, Jeffrey Epstein is shown successful Cambridge, Mass.

Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty Images, FILE

The White House accused Democrats connected the House Oversight Committee of releasing "selectively leaked emails to the wide media to make a fake narrative" astir Trump.

Later that evening, Arizona Democratic Rep. Adelita Grijalva was sworn into office, a period aft she won a peculiar election, and became the last signature connected the discharge petition to get it implicit the 218 threshold.

Johnson announced that helium would bring a measure to merchandise the Jeffrey Epstein files to a ballot connected the level adjacent week.