In his first major television appearance as Acting Attorney General, Todd Blanche sat down with Fox News and delivered a message that has already sparked outrage online: the American public should simply trust him not to shield powerful elites implicated in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking network.
While defending the Department of Justice’s controversial handling of the Epstein files — which remain riddled with heavy redactions despite millions of pages being released — Blanche pushed back against accusations of a cover-up.
“The public should trust me,” Blanche signaled during the interview, insisting the DOJ has released everything relevant and that no credible evidence exists to pursue additional high-profile prosecutions from the files.
“But as you know, it’s not a crime to party with Mr. Epstein. So as horrible as it — it’s not a crime to email with Mr. Epstein.” He doubled down shortly after: “It isn’t a crime to party with Mr. Epstein… It isn’t a crime.”
Critics were quick to pounce. “How can we trust you when the files are still blacked out?” one viral reaction read. “Names missing. Photos gone. Victims demanding answers. And the Acting AG’s response is ‘trust me bro’?”
Blanche appeared on Fox News shortly after President Trump removed former Attorney General Pam Bondi, a move many linked — fairly or not — to dissatisfaction with the slow and redacted rollout of Epstein documents.
In the interview, Blanche defended the redactions, arguing they protect victims and that every member of Congress has been invited to review unredacted materials.
Yet skeptics point out that ordinary Americans — the ones whose daughters and sons were preyed upon in Epstein’s web — are still left in the dark about key names and details.
During the appearance, Blanche reiterated that the DOJ found “no evidence” Epstein was a spy and suggested that simply “partying” with a convicted pedophile while minors were present isn’t itself a crime, comments that have resurfaced and fueled accusations that the administration is downplaying the scandal.
Melania Trump’s recent call for public congressional hearings for Epstein survivors has only intensified the pressure on Blanche.
While some see her remarks as supportive of transparency, others interpret the growing demands as a direct challenge to the Acting AG and the DOJ’s “we’ve released enough — now move on” posture.