The pressure has been building for weeks, and now the Justice Department is finally making a move.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has filed a formal request to release long-hidden grand jury testimony from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation — a move that comes squarely in response to growing demands from Donald Trump’s own supporters.
MAGA World Demands Action — and Trump Responds
For nearly two weeks, Trump’s MAGA base has been loudly calling for the release of all records tied to Epstein and his longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
On Thursday night, Trump caved to the pressure, posting on Truth Social that he had instructed Bondi to begin the process of unsealing grand jury materials — subject, of course, to court approval.
“Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein,” Trump wrote, “I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony.”
Bondi Makes the First Legal Move — But It’s Just a Start
The very next day, Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche submitted the first motion to the Southern District of New York.
They argued that the Epstein and Maxwell cases are of major public interest and urged the court to release the grand jury transcripts and remove any existing protective orders.
A similar motion was filed in Maxwell’s case as well.
She’s currently behind bars for her role in Epstein’s sex trafficking operation but is appealing her conviction to the Supreme Court.
Still, even though the filing has been submitted, that doesn’t mean any documents are coming out tomorrow — or even this year.
What’s Actually Being Unsealed — And What’s Not
So far, the DOJ is only targeting the grand jury testimony — not the search warrants or any additional sealed documents that might provide a broader picture of the Epstein investigation.
DOJ insiders told Daily Mail that those search warrants might actually hold more of the answers the public is demanding, including why certain pieces of evidence were missed, lost, or never gathered at all.
Critics are pointing out that if Trump truly wanted transparency, this push to unseal could’ve started months ago.
The fact that Bondi needed an order from Trump just to start the process suggests she didn’t have prior clearance to go to court on this.
Will the Public Actually See Anything Soon?
Unfortunately for those eager to dig into the Epstein files, unsealing grand jury testimony isn’t a simple process.
Courts are notoriously cautious when it comes to lifting those secrecy rules, and even with Trump’s order, the legal hurdles are significant.
It could be months — or even years — before anything meaningful is released, if ever.
WSJ Report Sparks Trump’s Outrage Over Birthday Card Allegation
All of this comes in the wake of a new Wall Street Journal report that claimed Trump once sent Epstein a 50th birthday card back in 2003.
The alleged card reportedly included a typewritten message that said, “Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret,” and was signed “Donald” alongside a hand-drawn sketch of a naked woman.
Trump flat-out denied the claim and lashed out online, calling it a fabrication.
“The Wall Street Journal printed a fake letter, supposedly to Epstein.
These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don’t draw pictures,” he posted on Truth Social.
He also said he confronted Rupert Murdoch and is now threatening to sue the paper: “I’m going to sue his a** off.”
Trump’s Mixed Messages on Epstein Conspiracies
What makes all this even more complicated is Trump’s shifting tone.
Earlier this month, he was telling his supporters to move on from what he’s now calling the “Jeffrey Epstein hoax.”
He claimed repeatedly that conspiracies about a supposed Epstein “client list” are being pushed by Democrats to divide MAGA supporters.
But with mounting pressure from his base — especially after the WSJ story — Trump’s now reversing course and giving the public a taste of the documents they’ve been demanding.
What’s Next for the Epstein Files?
For now, the DOJ’s request sits with the court.
Whether the judge agrees to lift secrecy around the grand jury materials remains to be seen.
But unless Trump orders a deeper release — including those elusive search warrants — many Americans may still be left with more questions than answers.
The Epstein story isn’t going anywhere, and the tug-of-war over transparency is far from over.