Trump on defensive over Epstein case following report he sent ‘bawdy’ letter

Trump has been under scrutiny from his base over failure to release further Epstein documents

US president Donald Trump. File picture: Alex Brandon/AP

Donald Trump on Friday morning launched a fresh defense of his conduct in the Jeffrey Epstein case after the scandal deepened on Thursday following a Wall Street Journal report that he had written the sex offender a bawdy note with a sketch of a naked woman.

“If there was a ‘smoking gun’ on Epstein, why didn’t the Dems, who controlled the ‘files’ for four years, and had Garland and Comey in charge, use it? BECAUSE THEY HAD NOTHING!!!” Trump said in a Truth Social post early on Friday.