Fact-check analysisVerified as of July 18, 2025Curated by FactVerify
Mostly True

The Trump administration ordered FBI agents investigating the Epstein files to "flag" any mentions of Trump, according to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Senator Dick Durbin, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, stated that FBI agents were instructed to flag any Epstein-related files mentioning Donald Trump, reportedly under pressure from then-Attorney General Pam Bondi during the Trump administration.

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Source: factverify.com

At a glance

Key Evidence

Verified July 18, 2025
The reporting

What the Evidence Shows

The claim can be broken down into several components: 1) The Trump administration ordered FBI agents to flag mentions of Trump in Epstein files; 2) This directive was communicated or influenced by Attorney General Pam Bondi; 3) The information comes from the Senate Judiciary Committee, specifically Senator Dick Durbin. Multiple reputable news sources report that Senator Durbin publicly alleged that Attorney General Pam Bondi pressured FBI agents to flag any documents related to Jeffrey Epstein that mentioned President Trump.

These reports are consistent across several independent outlets including CNBC, The Hill, Forbes, and NBC Washington. However, the claim is based on statements from a senator and has not been independently confirmed by official DOJ or FBI statements. There is no direct public evidence such as internal FBI memos or official orders released to corroborate the exact nature or scope of the directive.

The context includes political tensions surrounding the Epstein investigation and efforts to unseal related documents. While the senator’s statement is credible and widely reported, it remains an allegation rather than a fully verified fact.

Therefore, the claim is mostly true in that a credible senator alleges this occurred and multiple media outlets report it, but it lacks direct documentary proof publicly available at this time.

Primary trail

Verified Sources4

FBI agents were told to 'flag' any Epstein records that mentioned Trump, Sen....

cnbc.com
Open source

Durbin: FBI agents were told to ‘flag’ Epstein records that mentioned Trump

thehill.com
Open source

FBI Agents Told To ‘Flag’ Epstein Files Mentioning Trump, Senator Claims

forbes.com
Open source
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