If the Epstein files come out heavily redacted, it could actually hurt Trump more, not protect him. [View all]

At this point the public is in a full-blown “something is going on” mode, and dropping a document full of black boxes is only going to pour gasoline on that fire. It creates the impression that something big is being hidden. And when institutions look like they’re hiding something, people don’t calm down, they get louder.

A redacted release would immediately raise new questions: What was removed? Why? Who ordered it? That kind of vacuum invites leaks, whistleblowers, and anonymous insiders who’ve already seen the unredacted files. Judges, staffers, lawyers, and investigators who know what’s missing would almost certainly face pressure to speak publicly and some of them will. Once that starts, you can’t put it back in the bottle.

The timing matters too. We’re in a moment where both the public and the media are already circling this story like sharks smelling blood. A halfway release won’t satisfy anyone. Instead of ending the controversy, it prolongs it, keeps the focus on Trump, and guarantees weeks maybe months of follow-up stories. Every new leak becomes its own news cycle.

And if the files are redacted in a way that seems designed to protect Trump, that’s even worse. It feeds the exact narrative his critics already believe: that he’s using government power to shield himself. Whether that’s true or not, the perception alone is politically damaging.