U.S. President Donald Trump during an arrival ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 18, 2025. REUTERS
The Trump administration claimed last week that the review of the Jeffrey Epstein case is now "over," but according to a new analysis from The i Paper, the president's handling of the situation means he will be dogged by cover-up allegations "forever."
The Department of Justice on Friday released what it said was the final tranche of files related to the investigation into Epstein and his trafficking network. It had been compelled to disclose the file by an act of Congress, after Donald Trump and his officials insisted there was nothing to see.
According to a piece from veteran political reporter James Ball for The i Paper, the files to date have revealed "nothing too difficult for Trump" to handle, and he seems "confident that the story is swinging his way." However, Ball argued, Trump and his DOJ's contentious and slow handling of the Epstein files situation has created a situation in which he will be dogged by allegations of a cover-up "forever," with few people ever honestly believing that the government did not work to hide revelations that would be genuinely damaging for the president.
"Few trust his Department of Justice to act against Trump’s interests, or to be independent," Ball wrote. "There is ongoing suspicion that Trump’s DOJ would hide documents that might be particularly damaging to the President."
He continued: "That risks backfiring on Trump. If the Epstein Files continue to be published and nothing too damaging to Trump is revealed – even if it genuinely isn’t there – people will always suspect that the DOJ covered it up for him. Questions will continue forever. The DOJ doesn’t have the credibility to end the scandal."
The released files thus far have not spared Trump altogether. CNN on Friday reported that the link to a form containing numerous potentially "damning" and "salacious" accusations of sexual assault against the president was briefly killed, before journalists noticed the dead link and alleged a cover-up. The number of allegations in the form is extensive, but as numerous legal experts have pointed out, there is still no concrete evidence of Trump's alleged wrongdoing.
“Online complainant reported she was a victim and witness to a sex trafficking ring at the Trump Golf Course in Rancho Palos Verdes. CA between 1995- 1996,” the form said of one of the allegations, which was later deemed not credible. “Complainant reported Ghislaine Maxwell as the madam and broker for sex parties, clients of whom included Epstein, Robin Leach, and Donald Trump.”