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Conservative reactions to the limited disclosure of files related to the Epstein case have been sharply divided, with some backers of the former Trump administration pointing out the noticeable appearance of Bill Clinton and other Democratic figures in photographs, while others lamented how heavy redactions cast Donald Trump and GOP members in a negative manner.

Administration Defends Censorship with Fervent Hyperbole

Justice Department representatives defended the redactions with fervent exaggerated language. “Never in U.S. history has a President or the Department of Justice been this open with the American people about such a delicate legal issue,” declared a senior Justice official Todd Blanche, who issued a six-page letter describing the redaction procedure.

Questions Raised by Redactions

While Trump's name and likeness appear in some of the documents, the extensive redactions prompt serious questions about what may be concealed beneath them. A number of conservative lawmakers swiftly demanded greater openness.

“The public are furious and disengaging,” posted Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.

In a online statement, Republican Kentucky Thomas Massie asserted the redactions break the law, and suggested that a subsequent Congress may attempt to remove the top law enforcement official, Pam Bondi, for that offense. “Regrettably, this file dump grossly does not comply with both the intent and the wording of the act,” he continued.

Some Rightwing Commentators Swing Behind the Release

However, a segment of rightwing pundits and Trump allies swung firmly in support of the administration.

The release—from a DOJ led by close Trump ally Pam Bondi—includes hundreds of documents that are entirely censored, and many of the men depicted in pictures have their identities obscured.

Yet a few do not, including high-profile individuals like Clinton, entertainer Michael Jackson, and academic Noam Chomsky. The inclusion of the former president, in particular, enabled certain conservative voices to go on the offensive.

“This is quite rich how the political left falsely claimed President Trump of associating with a pedophile, only for the Trump DOJ to unveil documents that show Bill Clinton skinny dipping with a convicted sex offender,” wrote right-wing activist Laura Loomer.

“Recently released Epstein Files show Bill Clinton without a shirt in a hot tub with a female that is other than his wife Hillary Clinton,” posted lawyer Rogan O’Handley. “There is only one reason Epstein would take pictures of a US President with a young woman in a jacuzzi: Blackmail.”

Clinton Campaign Issues Response

Bill Clinton has repeatedly stated he was aware of no criminal activity by Epstein and has not been accused to have engaged in any misconduct. “The White House hasn’t been concealing these documents for an extended period only to release them at the last minute on a Friday to protect Bill Clinton,” Clinton’s representative Angel Ureña stated in a statement.

“This is about shielding themselves from future revelations, or from what they will try and hide forever. Therefore they can release as many low-quality decades-old photographs as they want, but it is not about Bill Clinton. Not previously, not ever be,” the statement concluded.

Broader Conservative Comment Remains Subdued

Nonetheless, broader comment on the political right was comparatively subdued after the disclosure, particularly when juxtaposed against the loud calls for transparency that preceded the congressional approval to pass a bill mandating the files' release.

Loomer, who recently secured media access at the Pentagon, had been among the loudest advocates for a full disclosure. In February, she criticized the Justice Department generally and Bondi in particular after a group of rightwing personalities were given physical folders of files that contained little new information.