Welcome back to The Red Letter.
It’s been a hectic day. Jim Acosta and I went live at 4 p.m., not expecting to have to react in real time to the Epstein files and within minutes, the first tranche dropped.
We began where any reporter would: the photos. They’re the fastest way to understand how the Justice Department is framing this release.
The first data set was largely what you’d expect — images of Epstein’s properties, his home, the crime scenes. But the next batch told a different story. It appeared front-loaded with photos of Bill Clinton from trips he took with Epstein.
There were more than a dozen images of the former president: Clinton in a pool, in a hot tub, at various stops along their travels together. Two photos show him posing with women whose faces are redacted — individuals who may be victims.
Clinton’s relationship with Epstein is disturbing and deserves scrutiny. But what’s troubling is how deliberately these images were placed at the forefront of the release. The DOJ isn’t just releasing files, it’s shaping a narrative. And the narrative begins with Trump’s political rival.
Notice who is missing: the sitting president of the United States. He’s rarely mentioned in the files.
That absence isn’t surprising. This is a Justice Department that has already admitted to spending weeks this spring with nearly 1,000 FBI agents working around the clock to redact Donald Trump’s name from the Epstein materials. Their excuse — he was a private person at the time. So trust was already thin. This rollout makes it thinner.
The messaging hasn’t been subtle. Trump’s spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, quickly amplified the framing by retweeting a picture of Clinton in the hot tub. And last night — before the DOJ release — conservative outlets like the New York Post suddenly “discovered” new Clinton photos. GOP talking points circulated shortly earlier that day, instructing allies to focus on Democrats and cite conservative media reporting.
Coincidence?
This is political gamesmanship, and it’s grotesque. It sidelines the survivors at the center of this case and turns their trauma into a partisan weapon.
If this first dump is any indication, the Epstein files are being released not in the service of justice, but of politics — and that should alarm everyone.
Thank you BY GLENN KESSLER, Elise Labott, Mark McInerney, Casey Dienel, Cat, and many others for tuning into my live video with Jim Acosta! Join me for my next live video in the app.
