The Jeffrey Epstein case has resurfaced in the headlines, and this time, President Donald Trump’s name is once again at the center of attention. Newly released congressional emails reveal that Epstein mentioned Trump several times in messages exchanged with Ghislaine Maxwell, sparking renewed political and public debate.

On Wednesday, Democrats in Congress made public a collection of Epstein’s emails spanning from 2011 to 2019, part of an ongoing investigation by the House Oversight Committee into Epstein and Maxwell’s network. Among them was a 2019 message to author Michael Wolff in which Epstein wrote, “Of course he knew about the girls,” referring to Trump.

In a 2011 exchange, Epstein wrote to Maxwell, “I want you to realize that that dog that hasn’t barked is Trump,” adding that an unnamed victim had “spent hours at my house with him, he has never once been mentioned.” Maxwell’s brief reply read simply: “I have been thinking about that.”

The identity of the “unnamed victim” was not initially disclosed, but the White House later identified her as Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most prominent accusers, who died by suicide earlier this year in Australia. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accused Democrats of manipulating the emails for political purposes, saying, “The Democrats selectively leaked emails to create a fake narrative to smear President Trump.”

Leavitt continued, “The ‘unnamed victim’ referenced in these emails is the late Virginia Giuffre, who repeatedly stated President Trump was not involved in any wrongdoing whatsoever and ‘couldn’t have been friendlier’ in their limited interactions. These stories are nothing more than bad-faith efforts to distract from President Trump’s accomplishments. Any American with common sense sees right through this hoax and distraction from the government reopening.”

Epstein’s associations with powerful figures have long been a matter of public fascination and controversy, spanning politicians, billionaires, and royalty. His 2019 death in a New York jail, ruled a suicide, came just weeks after his arrest on federal sex trafficking charges. Trump has repeatedly maintained that he severed ties with Epstein long ago. “He took people that work for me, and I told him, ‘Don’t do it anymore.’ And he did it. I said, ‘Stay the hell out of here,’” Trump said in a past interview.

However, the emails suggest Epstein still viewed Trump as potentially useful, at least publicly. In a 2015 email to Michael Wolff, Epstein asked how Trump might respond if questioned about their relationship. Wolff advised that if Trump denied ever visiting Epstein’s home or flying on his plane, it could give Epstein “valuable political currency.” Epstein later responded, claiming Trump “knew about the girls” and had once asked Maxwell “to stop.”

These latest revelations have prompted renewed calls from Democrats for more transparency regarding Epstein’s connections to powerful individuals. Representative Robert Garcia of California stated, “These latest emails raise glaring questions about what else the White House is hiding and the nature of the relationship between Epstein and the president.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson has announced that Congress will hold a vote next week on whether to release the full set of Epstein-related documents. Meanwhile, Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate, continues to serve her 20-year federal prison sentence following her 2021 conviction for child sex trafficking and related crimes.

The release of these emails adds another layer to the ongoing effort to uncover the full extent of Epstein’s network — and to determine how far its reach extended into the highest levels of power.