NEED TO KNOW

• Trump told reporters it’s “really time” for the country to move on from the Epstein files while his DOJ pulled thousands of documents back
• Days later, he directed the Pentagon and other agencies to release government records on UFOs, aliens and unidentified aerial phenomena
• Congress and Epstein survivors say millions of documents remain withheld, while European governments are actively opening investigations based on the same files

WASHINGTON, DC (TDR) — President Donald Trump wants the country to stop looking at the Jeffrey Epstein files — and start looking at the stars.

Within the span of weeks, the president urged Americans to move past the largest release of sex trafficking documents in federal history, then directed the Department of Defense and other agencies to begin releasing government records on UFOs and extraterrestrial life — raising a pointed question about how this White House decides which government secrets the public deserves to see.

‘Get On to Something Else’

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On Feb. 3, Trump addressed the Epstein document release from the Oval Office following the Justice Department’s Jan. 30 dump of approximately three million documents under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which Congress passed and Trump signed into law last November.

“I think it’s really time for the country to maybe get onto something else, now that nothing came out about me.” — Donald Trump

Trump said he had not read the newly released files. The documents include thousands of photographs, emails, FBI tips and flight logs tied to the convicted sex trafficker. His name, his Mar-a-Lago resort and related references appeared more than 38,000 times across 5,300 files, though many were duplicates, according to USA Today’s analysis. Other prominent figures named include former President Bill Clinton, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Elon Musk. None have been charged with crimes related to Epstein.

The president also defended the Clintons during the same press conference, saying he “always liked” the former president.

“She’s a very capable woman. She was better in debating than some of the other people. She was smarter. She’s a smart woman.” — Donald Trump, on Hillary Clinton

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When CNN’s Kaitlan Collins pressed him about what justice would look like for Epstein’s victims, Trump attacked her personally, calling her “the worst reporter” and telling her she should smile more.

What Stays Hidden

The administration’s push to close the book on Epstein ran into immediate resistance from both parties and survivors.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche declared the DOJ review complete, saying the department had examined over six million pieces of paper and thousands of videos and images. But the department is still withholding approximately 2.5 million documents, citing victim privacy, active investigations and legal privileges.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), who co-authored the transparency law, argued the department had not fully complied with its requirements.

“You have some of the most wealthy individuals, tech leaders, finance leaders, politicians, all implicated in some way, having emails about wanting to go to Epstein’s island, knowing that Epstein was a pedophile.” — Ro Khanna

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), one of the most aggressive Republican advocates for full transparency, viewed unredacted files and told CNN the documents raised questions about whether FBI Director Kash Patel gave false testimony when he said there was no credible information that Epstein had trafficked victims to others.

Meanwhile, the DOJ quietly pulled thousands of documents back from public access, citing technical errors that may have inadvertently included victim-identifying information.

The contrast with Europe was stark. British police arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, on suspicion of misconduct in public office. France opened two new investigations into potential sex abuse and financial crimes linked to the files. Latvia launched a human trafficking investigation. Norway’s prosecutors also took action.

“Americans are not ready to move on from the Epstein story because there remain unanswered questions. The big issue is culpability for bad behavior.” — Darrell West, Brookings Institution

From Epstein to E.T.

On Feb. 20 — less than three weeks after calling for closure on Epstein — Trump announced on Truth Social that he would direct the Pentagon to release government files on aliens, UFOs and unidentified aerial phenomena.

“Based on the tremendous interest shown, I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files.” — Donald Trump

The directive came hours after Trump accused former President Barack Obama of disclosing classified information about extraterrestrials during a podcast interview in which Obama said aliens were “real” before later clarifying he meant the statistical probability of life existing elsewhere in the universe.

Trump himself was noncommittal about whether aliens exist, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that he had no opinion on the subject. His daughter-in-law Lara Trump had suggested earlier in the week that the president had a speech on aliens prepared for the “right time” — a claim White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt laughed off, saying it would be “news to me.”

The Pentagon said in 2024 that no government investigation had confirmed the existence of extraterrestrial life. Its All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office has received more than 1,600 UAP reports, the vast majority of which went unsolved but none of which were attributed to alien technology.

Rare Bipartisan Agreement — On UFOs

The UFO directive generated something the Epstein files have not: bipartisan enthusiasm.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who has championed UAP transparency legislation for years, found rare common ground with the president. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), who chairs a congressional task force on unidentified aerial phenomena, thanked Trump and predicted a new wave of congressional hearings.

Even Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) praised the move, calling it a potential bipartisan opportunity.

“If he’s going to release all of the X-Files, I think that could be a bipartisan thing.” — John Fetterman

Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Christopher Mellon urged caution, telling DefenseScoop that the impact would depend entirely on follow-through — a concern with direct parallels to the Epstein transparency effort.

The juxtaposition remains difficult to ignore. On one set of government files — involving documented sex trafficking by a convicted offender with ties to global elites — the administration argues it is time to move on. On another set — involving phenomena the Pentagon itself says lack evidence of extraterrestrial origin — the administration orders full transparency.

When a president decides which government secrets to open and which to close, what determines the difference — public interest, political exposure, or something else entirely?

Sources

This report was compiled using information from The Hill, NPR, CNN, CNBC, Salon, CBS News, PBS, NBC News, Fox News, Al Jazeera, Axios, DefenseScoop, and China Daily.

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