Fact Check: Did Todd Blanche say individuals in the Epstein files won’t be prosecuted?

WASHINGTON, DC: Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche drew attention after his appointment following Pam Bondi’s removal. A viral rumor claims that Blanche will not prosecute individuals named in the Epstein files, accompanied by a video appearing to show him stating the claim in a press conference. But is the claim true? Let’s fact-check both the video and the story.

Claim: Todd Blanche says he will not prosecute individuals named in the Epstein files

On April 3, the X user @jvnior shared a post quoting Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche, “BREAKING NEWS: 'We’re not going to prosecute the pre*****s in the Epstein files or release their names to the public.’” 

The post included a video that appeared to show Blanche making the statement during a press conference. The caption suggested Blanche made the claim shortly after being appointed acting attorney general following Pam Bondi’s removal.

In the video, Blanche allegedly said the Department of Justice would prosecute if there was evidence against individuals named in the Epstein files, but claimed he did not know any hidden prosecutable information or cover-ups.

Blanche, formerly Trump’s defense attorney, was appointed acting AG on April 2, 2026, amid ongoing controversy surrounding the Epstein files and the release of millions of pages, including videos and images.

Within hours, the post went viral, receiving over 1.4 million views and 1.7K comments, with many users believing the video and attributing the quote to Blanche. Numerous commenters also mocked and criticized him for the alleged claim.

Fact Check: False, Todd Blanche didn’t say he wouldn’t prosecute anyone in Epstein files

The alleged video and quote of Todd Blanche circulating online are false. Blanche did not make the claim attributed to him at any press conference. In fact, he had no press conferences after being appointed acting attorney general following Pam Bondi’s removal. His first public appearance after the appointment was on Fox News’ Jesse Watters Primetime.

The X user who shared the quote actually pulled it from Blanche’s January 30, 2026, press conference, where he announced the release of more than 3 million pages of Epstein-related files. In that briefing, Blanche responded to questions about revealing the names of men in the Epstein files. He said the DOJ would prosecute anyone if there was evidence, but there was no secret list being hidden.

On Fox News on April 2, Blanche said, “The Department of Justice has now released all of the files with respect to the Epstein saga. The attorney general and I appeared in front of Congress voluntarily a couple of weeks ago to answer any questions they had.” 

He added, “And so I think that to the extent that the Epstein files were a part of the past year of this Justice Department, it should not be a part of anything going forward. There's only one president that's held Mr. Epstein accountable, and that's Donald J Trump during his first administration. That was the administration that prosecuted him."

He continued, "It’s this administration, it's the administration that's been totally transparent and released all the files." Based on both the previous and recent public appearances, he never said that he would refuse to prosecute individuals named in the Epstein files.