'Bill Clinton's a big boy, I think he'll handle it': Trump says Epstein Files damaging to people who had nothing to do with him

US President Donald Trump has expressed discontent regarding the circulation of photographs contained within the recently released Jeffrey Epstein files by the US Department of Justice.

Trump notably commented on images featuring former President Bill Clinton, stating, "No, I don't like the pictures of Bill Clinton being shown. I don't like the pictures of other people being shown. I think it's a terrible thing. I think Bill Clinton's a big boy, he can handle it." He added that he's always gotten along with Bill Clinton. 

"I've always gotten along with Bill Clinton; I've been nice to him, he's been nice to me... I hate to see photos come out of him, but this is what the Democrats - mostly Democrats and a couple of bad Republicans - are asking for, so they're giving their photos of me too."

The dispute escalated following the Department of Justice's release of thousands of pages associated with the convicted sex offender Epstein, attracting bipartisan criticism over their heavily redacted nature. Lawmakers noted that the disclosure did not comply with the congressional deadline.

Furthermore, he said that "everybody was friendly with this guy", adding he does not like the pictures of Clinton or the others being shown. 

He further criticised the lack of context in circulating photographs, asserting that many of the individuals captured had no direct involvement with Epstein.

Trump remarked that a "lot of people are very angry that pictures are being released of other people that really had nothing to do with Epstein. But they're in a picture with him because he was at a party and you ruin a reputation of somebody."

Within his ranks, Trump observed a rift, accusing that the matter was politically motivated. "A lot of Republicans are angry because of the fact that it's just used to deflect against tremendous success," he claimed.

His criticism extended to Republican Congressman Thomas Massie for collaborating with Democrats on the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Yet, Massie defended the need for transparency, indicating that Attorney General Pam Bondi might face contempt of Congress for her alleged non-compliance.

"The quickest way, and I think most expeditious way to get justice for these victims is to bring inherent contempt against Pam Bondi," Massie said. Bill Clinton's spokesperson, Angel Urena, dismissed suggestions that the release was delayed to protect Clinton, attributing the actions to other motivations.

Urena noted, "The White House hasn't been hiding these files for months only to dump them late on a Friday to protect Bill Clinton. This is about shielding themselves from what comes next, or from what they'll try and hide forever." Urena criticised the Justice Department's approach for fostering insinuation rather than clear, transparent revelation.