The Justice Department began publishing the long-awaited Epstein files on December 19, 2025, putting a massive trove of court records, photographs, interview transcripts, and disclosures into a public “Epstein Library” after Congress forced the issue. Americans finally got a look at materials that have been the subject of rumor and political theater for years, and the timing and handling of the rollout have only deepened suspicions about who wanted these files hidden and why.
Almost immediately the release was messy: the site was overwhelmed, files were briefly removed, and at least one photo that included an image of President Trump sitting in a desk drawer was pulled for review before being reposted. Those glitches exposed an obvious problem — the Department of Justice was forced to rush because of a congressional deadline, and sloppy rollout only fuels the media’s appetite for sensational leaks rather than sober fact-finding.
Veteran attorney Alan Dershowitz, who represented Epstein years ago, was blunt on Newsmax: he said there is nothing in the files that incriminates President Trump and reiterated there was no “client list” to begin with. Dershowitz’s point is a crucial guardrail against the fevered rush to judgment we see in the mainstream press — photos or associations do not equal criminal conduct, and men like Trump have not been charged in connection with Epstein’s crimes.
Conservatives should not be naive about the spectacle, however; Dershowitz warned that the fallout looks like a new McCarthyism, where mere mention in a file becomes public execution by rumor. That warning matters because selective leaks and half-truths are being weaponized against political figures while the real victims get lost in the noise — prosecutorial fairness and the presumption of innocence are not partisan conveniences, they are constitutional protections.
At the same time, Dershowitz has said loudly and clearly that real victims deserve justice, and anyone who committed abuse must be held accountable with evidence that meets our legal standards. Conservatives can both defend due process and demand that victims be treated with dignity, but we must oppose the left’s habit of converting allegations into convictions in the court of public opinion without corroboration.
It’s also fair to ask why Democrats and the media didn’t push for transparency earlier if they truly wanted accountability, and why so many outlets leapt into character assassination instead of sober reporting once the files dropped. The American people are rightly distrustful when political operatives and curious journalists pretend to discover explosive smoking guns that turn out to be a photograph on a shelf or a name in a guest log.
What we need now is common-sense: full, careful transparency that protects victims, a sober review of evidence rather than a media feeding frenzy, and respect for due process. Patriots should demand that the DOJ finish its work without partisan interference, that victims get real justice instead of being used as political fodder, and that the country reject the cheap rush to ruin reputations on the basis of innuendo.
