Justice Department releases missing Epstein files related to Trump

March 6, 2026·31 min·2 clips

Senator John Kennedy presses Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on her $220 million ad campaign that boosted her name recognition.

Tamara Keith opens with personnel turmoil. Ximena Bustillo explains that Kristi Noem had taken tough questions from Democrats and Republicans after months of scandal and controversy. Then the episode turns sharply to the Epstein files. The panel discusses 53 pages that appeared to be missing from the public database, all tied to an allegation involving Trump. The reporting stays cautious. A correspondent says the missing material was traced through references in a Justice Department PowerPoint and an FBI email. The allegation itself is grave: a woman's claim that Trump sexually abused her as a minor in the early 1980s. Reporters do not treat that as settled fact. They note that the FBI interviewed the woman as an adult four times in 2019, during Trump's first term. Only one interview appeared at first. The pages discussed later included three other interviews and a two-page sheet about the initial tip. The White House response gets its own careful handling. The episode says Trump denies wrongdoing related to Epstein and has not been charged with a crime. The White House position, as described here, is that Trump was totally exonerated by the Epstein files. The correspondent adds that NPR has not verified claims meant to discredit the woman. Then the tone snaps back to radio life, with a lighter closing exchange about Trump holding and explaining a burger before the producer credits.

As heard by us

A careful, brisk look at the Epstein files release, White House denials, and a Homeland Security shakeup.

The NPR Politics Podcast takes up a Justice Department release tied to the Epstein files, focusing on missing pages, FBI interview records, and allegations involving President Trump.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want the Epstein Files update and the White House response, without slogging through legal jargon.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from The NPR Politics Podcast