President Donald Trump’s administration has responded to Reacher star Alan Ritchson’s viral criticism over the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Entertainment Weekly that Trump has been “totally exonerated” in relation to Epstein and argued that his administration has done more for victims than any previous administration. Jackson pointed to the release of thousands of pages of documents, cooperation with the House Oversight Committee, the signing of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and calls for further investigations into Epstein’s associates as evidence of the administration’s efforts.
The response came after Ritchson, 43, sharply criticized Trump during an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, where he condemned the administration’s handling of the Epstein files and referenced Trump’s past friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. The controversy has also centered on former Attorney General Pam Bondi, who previously claimed she had Epstein’s alleged “client list” on her desk before later stating that no such list existed. Bondi eventually resigned in April 2026 following ongoing criticism over both the Epstein files and other controversies surrounding her tenure.
Following the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the Department of Justice released approximately 3.5 million pages of investigative records, videos, and images related to Epstein. However, critics argued the release lacked full transparency because many names of alleged associates remained redacted while victims’ identities were insufficiently protected. Trump’s name reportedly appeared thousands of times throughout the documents, and the release of an alleged birthday card from Trump to Epstein further fueled bipartisan scrutiny. Trump has consistently denied wrongdoing, stating he was unaware of Epstein’s criminal conduct during the time they knew each other.
Trump has also faced numerous allegations of sexual misconduct over the years, all of which he has denied, while continuing to reject any connection to Epstein’s crimes. Meanwhile, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that no additional Epstein files would be released. Blanche later met with Epstein survivor Danielle Bensky, who criticized the meeting as lacking sincerity and accused the Justice Department of failing to demonstrate a genuine commitment to transparency, accountability, and restoring trust following the controversial release of the investigation files.
