Trump Dismisses Epstein Photo Dump as ‘No Big Deal’ But Americans Aren’t Buying It

President Donald Trump brushed off growing outrage Friday night after new photographs surfaced showing him with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — part of a massive trove now in the hands of House Democrats.

“I haven’t seen them,” Trump said curtly from the Oval Office when asked about the images. “Everybody knew this man. He has photos with everybody. So that’s no big deal.”

The president’s comments came during what was supposed to be a lighthearted ceremony honoring the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, but the mood quickly turned tense as reporters pressed him about the growing Epstein scandal shadowing his second term.

“She’s very aggressive,” Trump muttered when NBC’s Yamiche Alcindor asked whether the photos showed a closer connection to Epstein than he’s admitted. The president refused to answer further, echoing a pattern of hostility toward women journalists who’ve challenged him on the subject.

House Democrats on the Oversight Committee confirmed they’ve received nearly 95,000 photos from Epstein’s estate — documenting years of the late financier’s connections to some of the most powerful men in the world.

On Friday, lawmakers released just over 90 of them, showing Trump alongside Epstein and a series of unidentified women whose faces were blurred. Others captured Bill Clinton, MAGA strategist Steve Bannon, billionaire Richard Branson, and the scandal-stained Prince Andrew.

“These disturbing images raise new questions about Epstein’s network and the powerful men who surrounded him,” Oversight Democrats said in a statement accompanying the release.

The committee says more images will be published in the coming weeks as part of what they call a “transparency drive” to expose Epstein’s “ecosystem of privilege and protection.”

Though Trump has repeatedly insisted he “barely knew” Epstein, the president’s name has surfaced in flight logs, party photos, and sworn depositions dating back decades. His administration’s refusal to release all unclassified Epstein documents — despite bipartisan pressure — has only deepened public suspicion.

In November, Congress passed the Epstein Full Disclosure Act, requiring the Department of Justice to release all non-classified records related to the case. Trump signed the bill with little comment, claiming he has “nothing to hide.”

But the public isn’t convinced. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released this week found that 70 percent of Americans — including 62 percent of Republicans — believe Trump is concealing information about his relationship with Epstein.

“People are tired of evasions,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD). “If the president has nothing to hide, he should welcome transparency, not mock it.”

Friday’s confrontation unfolded during a bill-signing ceremony where Trump presented Congressional Gold Medals to the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” hockey team. The players gifted him a white cowboy hat — a nostalgic nod to their Olympic uniforms — which Trump eagerly donned for photos.

The moment, meant to evoke patriotism and nostalgia, was instantly overshadowed by the Epstein questions. Within hours, the image of Trump in a cowboy hat was circulating online beside the newly released Epstein photos — fueling fresh memes and mounting criticism.

“This isn’t a photo-op problem,” MSNBC analyst Claire McCaskill said. “It’s a credibility problem. Every time new evidence emerges, Trump waves it away as ‘no big deal.’ But for the American public, this is a very big deal.”

Democratic lawmakers say Friday’s batch is just the beginning. They plan to release more images and correspondence from Epstein’s private archive before year’s end, including communications with “sitting and former heads of state.”

“The truth will come out,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). “Every image, every record, every connection deserves scrutiny. The American people have waited long enough.”

For now, Trump seems determined to ride out the storm — even as the walls close in around an old friendship he insists never mattered.

Source: House Oversight Committee, Reuters/Ipsos Poll, NBC News, AFP/Getty Images.