U.S. president Donald Trump said on Tuesday, February 3rd that it was time for Americans to move on from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, as the latest files linked to the late financier were made public—with political consequences beyond the United States, triggering resignations and scrutiny of political figures across Europe.
Speaking at the White House, Trump said the newest trove of Epstein-related documents had cleared him of wrongdoing:
Nothing came out about me other than it was a conspiracy against me, literally, by Epstein and other people.
Adding that the country should focus on other issues—such as healthcare—Trump described the Epstein affair as “not a Republican, it’s a Democrat problem,” directing attention toward the “shame” of the Clintons. Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are scheduled to testify before a U.S. House investigation into Epstein on February 26th and 27th.
The release of millions of Epstein-related documents also had consequences in Britain. Former British ambassador to Washington Lord Peter Mandelson resigned from the upper house of parliament after documents connected to Epstein alleged that the former New Labour Cabinet Minister received payments totaling $75,000 (€69,000) in 2003 and 2004.
