'Worst scum on earth': Trump says his name was planted in Epstein files by Merrick Garland and James Comey

(To watch President Trump question who handled the Epstein files and mention Garland and Comey, go to 1:01:25)

TURNBERRY, SCOTLAND: President Donald Trump on Monday, July 28, claimed that his name was deliberately inserted into the Jeffrey Epstein files as part of a political scheme orchestrated by his longtime adversaries, including Merrick Garland and James Comey.

During a visit to his Turnberry golf course in Scotland, Trump alleged that top officials “ran the files” and manipulated them to smear him.

Trump, whose name appears in Epstein’s flight logs and contacts, dismissed the case as a “hoax” and claimed it was handled by “the worst scum on earth.” He denied any wrongdoing and likened the situation to the discredited Steele dossier from the Russia investigation.

Trump blames Merrick Garland, James Comey for alleged political setup

In a striking accusation, Trump directly blamed former Attorney General Merrick Garland, former FBI Director James Comey, and former President Joe Biden for allegedly overseeing a politically motivated operation involving the Epstein files.

“Those files were run by the worst scum on earth,” Trump said. “They were run by Comey, they were run by Garland, they were run by Biden. Those files were run for four years by those people.”

He questioned the authenticity of the documents and said officials could have planted false evidence.

“Now, they can easily put something in the files that’s a phony,” Trump said, citing the Steele dossier. “The whole thing was a fake. They can put things in the file that was a fake. Those files were run by sick, sick people.”

Trump dismisses Epstein ties, explains ban

Asked whether he had been briefed about his name in the Epstein records, Trump said he wasn’t paying much attention.

“Well, I haven’t been overly interested in it. It’s a hoax that’s been built up… way beyond proportion,” he said. “If they had something, they would have released [it].”

He added that Epstein had been banned from Mar-a-Lago after violating Trump’s trust.

“He did something that was inappropriate,” Trump said. “He hired help, and I said don’t ever do that again. He stole people that worked for me. And he did it again, and I threw him out of the place.”

Trump's remarks on Ghislaine Maxwell pardon

Trump was also asked if he would consider pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s convicted associate. While he said he had the authority, he made clear that no request had been made.

“Well, I’m allowed to give her a pardon, but nobody’s approached me with it, nobody’s asked me about it,” he said. “It would be inappropriate to talk about it.”

He had given a similar response days earlier, telling reporters: “It’s something I haven’t thought about… I’m allowed to do it, but it’s something I have not thought about.”

Trump’s comments come as questions continue about Epstein’s death and growing calls for more information. Epstein died in jail in 2019 while waiting for a trial related to serious criminal charges.

The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Trump was briefed about his name appearing in the Epstein files during a May 2025 meeting with AG Pam Bondi.