Under increasing pressure from his loyal base, President Donald Trump on Tuesday demanded the release of all "credible" evidence from the Justice Department's probe of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump's comment is coming at a time when there is a deepening rift between the ex-president and parts of his conservative base, who hold that the government is willfully hiding explosive information about Epstein's relationships with influential and powerful people.
In speaking with reporters at the White House, Trump came to the defense of the Justice Department's response to the situation, singling out Attorney General Pam Bondi for particular praise for her management of the investigation.
"The attorney general has handled that very well," Trump replied when questioned about the ongoing case.
Even as he kept mentioning during his previous presidential campaign that he would "probably" release the Epstein files, Trump once again played down their contents on Tuesday by reaffirming his impression that the documents were created under the previous Democratic administrations.
"She's done it very well, and it's going to be up to her," he added, referring to Bondi. "Whatever she finds credible, she should release."
Trump's remarks seemed intended to placate mounting skepticism among his political base, which has been vociferous in recent times regarding perceived inaction and potential cover-ups of Epstein-related evidence during his tenure.
Read also| Bangladesh Pauses Demolition of Satyajit Ray’s Family Home
Read also| 'Army chief Asim Munir responsible if anything happens to me', says Imran Khan
