'Nothing To Hide, Totally Exonerated': Trump Again Denies Links To Epstein

US President Donald Trump has again denied any links to Jeffrey Epstein, saying he has "nothing to hide" and has been "totally exonerated" as new attention falls on the recently released Epstein files.

Speaking to reporters during a press gaggle on Air Force One, Trump repeated his stance and said, "I have nothing to hide. I've been exonerated. I have nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein."

He added, "They went in hoping that they'd find it and found just the opposite. I've been totally exonerated." 

The Justice Department last month released the latest cache of so-called Epstein files — more than three million documents, photos and videos related to its investigation into sex criminal Epstein, who died from what was determined to be suicide while in custody in 2019. The Department of Justice has said it has no more files to release, though lawmakers have criticized it for not publishing internal government memos, notes and emails on Epstein.

Trump-Epstein Social Connection

Jeffrey Epstein's connection with Donald Trump seems to have begun in the late 1980s. In a 2002 interview with New York Magazine, Trump said he had known Epstein for about 15 years, suggesting they first met around 1987.

There are several photos and videos showing Trump and Epstein together at different events in the early 1990s. Images obtained by CNN show Epstein attended Trump's 1993 wedding to Marla Maples, and the two were also seen together that same year at the opening of the Harley Davidson Cafe in New York.

In 1999, they were recorded speaking with each other at a Victoria's Secret fashion event in New York. Photos published by the Palm Beach Post show Trump, Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Prince Andrew at a charity event at Mar-a-Lago in 2000.

Two years later, in New York Magazine, Trump described Epstein as a "terrific guy" and said that "it is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side."

Calls For The Nation To Move On

Earlier this month, Trump urged Americans to stop focusing on the Epstein scandal. While facing fresh questions at the White House, he claimed the newest files only showed an effort against him.

"Nothing came out about me other than it was a conspiracy against me, literally, by Epstein and other people. But I think it's time now for the country to maybe get on to something else like health care or something that people care about," he said.

Trump added that it was "not a Republican, it's a Democrat problem," in a bid to turn the issue back to the Clintons, and away from the mention in the files of allies including his Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and billionaire Elon Musk.

Hillary Clinton Accuses Trump Of "Cover-Up" Over Epstein Files

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has alleged that Trump is orchestrating a "cover-up" involving files connected to Jeffrey Epstein, according to an interview she gave to the BBC that was published on Monday.

Speaking to the broadcaster in Berlin, Clinton said, "Get the files out. They are slow-walking it," and noted that she is set to testify before a Congressional committee examining the matter.

Although her husband, former President Bill Clinton, is mentioned frequently in the documents, no evidence has emerged indicating that either Clinton engaged in criminal behavior.

"We will show up but we think it would be better to have it in public," Hillary Clinton told the BBC.

She added, "I just want it to be fair," and "I want everybody treated the same way."

Clinton also emphasised that she and her husband "have nothing to hide. We have called for the full release of these files repeatedly."

(With inputs from agencies)