Overview
- Tucker Carlson told Vanity Fair in an interview published Wednesday that he was told directly by President Trump to throttle release of federal files about Jeffrey Epstein and that Trump framed the matter as a plot against him.
- The White House disputed Carlson’s account and said the president has been “totally exonerated” on anything relating to Epstein while noting the administration has released thousands of pages of documents.
- A federal judge earlier this year found Justice Department conduct at odds with the Epstein Files Transparency Act for some withheld material, and the department has signaled it will appeal and has not produced certain handwritten FBI interview notes.
- Internal White House debates over the files go back to summer 2025, when Vice President JD Vance and others urged voluntary disclosure and Carlson says he personally pressed Trump to release the documents.
- The new public allegation heightens pressure from journalists, victims’ advocates, and lawmakers seeking fuller records and could increase judicial demands for unredacted materials and direct inspection of withheld notes.