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Conservative reactions to the partial release of files involving the Epstein case have been mixed, with certain backers of the former Trump administration pointing out the prominent appearance of former President Clinton and other Democrats in images, while others expressed frustration over how heavy redactions cast former President Trump and Republicans in a negative manner.

Administration Defends Censorship with Strong Hyperbole

Justice Department officials defended the heavily censored sections with fervent hyperbole. “Never in U.S. history has a President or the Justice Department been this open with the American people about such a sensitive legal issue,” declared a senior Justice official Todd Blanche, who issued a six-page memo describing the redaction procedure.

Concerns Raised by Blacked-Out Sections

While the former president's identity and image are visible in some of the materials, the widespread black blocks raise serious concerns about the information may be concealed behind them. A number of Republicans swiftly called for greater openness.

“People are furious and walking away,” wrote Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Via a online statement, GOP Congressman Thomas Massie asserted the censorship violate the law, and implied that a future legislature may attempt to remove the top law enforcement official, Pam Bondi, for that violation. “Regrettably, today’s document release egregiously does not comply with both the spirit and the wording of the act,” he added.

Some Conservative Commentators Swing Behind the Disclosure

However, some conservative commentators and former President loyalists came out strongly behind the administration.

The disclosed materials—originating from a justice department led by close Trump ally Pam Bondi—includes hundreds of documents that are entirely redacted, and many of the individuals depicted in pictures have their identities obscured.

Yet a few do not, including prominent individuals like Bill Clinton, pop singer Michael Jackson, and academic Noam Chomsky. The inclusion of Clinton, in particular, enabled certain conservative figures to launch the offensive.

“This is pretty ironic how the Democrats wrongly accused Donald Trump of being a sex offender, only for the Trump DOJ to unveil Epstein files that depict Bill Clinton skinny dipping with a pedophile,” wrote right-wing activist Laura Loomer.

“New Epstein Files show Bill Clinton without a shirt in a hot tub with a female that is other than his wife Hillary Clinton,” posted attorney Rogan O’Handley. “There is only one reason Epstein would take pictures of a US President with a girl in a hot tub: Leverage.”

Former President Campaign Releases Statement

Clinton has consistently said he was aware of no illegal activity by Epstein and has not been accused to have engaged in any wrongdoing. “The White House has not been concealing these files for an extended period only to dump them late on a Friday to protect Bill Clinton,” his representative Angel Ureña said in a statement.

“The release is about protecting themselves from what comes next, or from what they will try and hide forever. So they can release as many grainy 20-plus-year-old photographs as they desire, but it is not about Bill Clinton. Not previously, not ever be,” the statement concluded.

Overall Conservative Comment Seems Muted

However, overall comment on the right was relatively subdued following the release, especially when juxtaposed against the vociferous demands for transparency that preceded the legislative vote to enact a bill mandating the files' release.

The commentator, who recently secured press credentials at the Pentagon, had been one of the most vocal proponents for a full disclosure. In February, she criticized the administration generally and Bondi specifically after a group of conservative personalities were provided hard-copy folders of files that contained no previously unseen information.