Khaberni - US President Donald Trump said he has not seen the photos taken at the estate of the late businessman and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which were released by the Democrats on the House Oversight Committee on Friday.
Trump said, "I haven't seen them, but I mean everybody knew this man." He added that Epstein was "all over Palm Beach" and had "pictures with everybody."
He continued, "It's not a big deal. I don’t know anything about it."
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released 19 new photos on Friday, obtained from the executors of the late businessman Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, including photos of the current President Donald Trump.
According to Reuters news agency, Trump appears in three of the 19 photos released by the Democratic committee members, who said they are reviewing over 95,000 photos issued by Epstein's estate.
In one of the black and white photos, Trump is seen smiling with several women on either side, whose faces have been obscured.
The US President is shown standing next to Epstein in a second photo, and sitting next to another woman, whose face has also been obscured, in a third less clear photo where his tie was loose. It is unclear when and where the photos were taken.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson stated that the Trump administration "has provided to Epstein’s victims what the Democrats never did."
She added: "It’s time for the media to stop echoing the messages promoted by the Democrats, and start asking them why they want to delve into Epstein even after his conviction."
The former President Bill Clinton, Trump's former aide Steve Bannon, businessman Bill Gates, and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers appear in the group of photos.
The spokesperson for the committee, chaired by Republican Representative James Comer from Kentucky, said that the Democrats are politicizing the investigation by "picking photos and making edits to target President Trump and fabricate a false narrative about him."
Photos "raise more questions"
The Democrats said there are "photos of wealthy and powerful men who spent time with Jeffrey Epstein" and "photos of women and properties owned by Epstein" among tens of thousands of photos that will be released in the coming days.
Representative Robert Garcia from California, the senior Democratic member on the Oversight Committee, said in a statement: "These disturbing photos raise more questions about Epstein and his relationships with some of the world’s most powerful men." He added: "We will not rest until the American people know the truth. The Justice Department should release all files now."
The Democrats in Congress said they obscured the faces of the women to protect their identities and privacy.
The committee continues to obtain and publish documents, although the US Department of Justice is expected to release Epstein's non-classified files resulting from its Federal investigation by the end of next week.
Trump signed a bill last month requiring the Justice Department to release Epstein's files within 30 days, ending on December 19.
Trump and Epstein were friends during the 1990s and early 21st century, but Trump said he severed ties with him before Epstein pleaded guilty to prostitution charges. Trump has consistently denied knowing that Epstein was sexually exploiting and trafficking underage girls.
