Joe Scarborough criticized the White House and Justice Department for a slow, staggered release of Jeffrey Epstein files, saying it fuels speculation despite reporting that the documents do not prove Donald Trump broke the law. Scarborough and contributor Sam Stein argued the piecemeal approach — at odds with the Epstein Files Transparency Act deadline — only deepens public suspicion. A later DOJ release included claims from an Epstein letter and an email alleging additional flights on Epstein’s plane; the DOJ called those allegations "sensationalist" and "untrue."
Morning Joe Slams White House Over Staggered Epstein File Releases — Questions Linger
On Monday, Donald Trump bemoaned people getting photographed with Epstein and having their reputations ruined. / Davidoff Studios Photography / Davidoff Studios/Getty Images
Joe Scarborough sharply criticized the Trump administration on Tuesday for what he described as a deliberate, piecemeal release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein — a strategy he said only fuels speculation and keeps questions alive about the files’ contents and the motives behind their timing.
Scarborough, host of Morning Joe, said the slow rollout made little sense, noting that multiple news outlets have reported there is no evidence in the released material proving former President Donald Trump broke the law. "There has been reporting from this network and others that there's nothing in the files that proves Donald Trump broke the law. Nothing," he said. "So the question is, why does the White House continue to drag its feet and keep this story alive?"
Image from the Epstein Files released December 19, 2025. Bill Clinton is shown with young woman. / Department of Justice
Introducing a clip of Trump speaking about the matter at Mar-a-Lago, Scarborough expressed incredulity and frustration. In the clip, Trump called the Epstein controversy "a way of trying to deflect from the tremendous success that the Republican Party" has achieved and suggested that publishing photos of people seen with Epstein could unfairly damage reputations.
"A lot of people are very angry that pictures are being released of other people that really had nothing to do with Epstein," Trump said. "But they're in a picture with him because he was at a party and you ruin a reputation of somebody."
Scarborough mocked that defense, pointing out that a recent Justice Department photo release included images of former President Bill Clinton with Epstein but did not show Trump in similar photos. "I'd just like to add, 'We tried to ruin Bill Clinton's reputation, but nobody bought it,'" he quipped.
The Epstein estate gave House Oversight Democrats a photograph of Trump with five women whose faces are blocked out. / House Oversight Democrats
MSNBC contributor Sam Stein joined Scarborough in criticizing how the Justice Department and the White House handled the documents. Stein argued the staggered release — which critics say conflicts with the Epstein Files Transparency Act that required full disclosure by Dec. 19 — encourages conspiracy theories that some people are receiving preferential treatment.
"When you ask, 'why aren't they just putting it all out there?', the only logical explanation for that is that they're trying to protect their client, Donald Trump," Stein said. "Either you put everything out at once, when you're ready and when you've redacted it, or you don't. The way they are handling this is not going to ultimately benefit them."
Epstein's letter to Larry Nassar / Supplied
The segment aired before a subsequent DOJ release that included a letter by Epstein to Larry Nassar in which Epstein reportedly wrote that Trump "loved" "nubile young girls," and an email from a Southern District of New York attorney asserting that Trump flew on Epstein's plane, the so-called "Lolita Express," "many more times than previously reported." The Justice Department responded on X, calling the claims in those files "sensationalist" and "untrue."
Why This Matters
The debate centers on transparency and process. Critics say an orderly, complete release (with appropriate redactions) would undercut suspicion and conspiracy narratives; staggered releases, they argue, keep the story alive and raise questions about whether some individuals are being shielded. Supporters of the administration have pushed back, saying some media coverage is speculative and that the DOJ is responding to legal and privacy constraints.
