Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson has claimed that former President Donald Trump directly ordered the government to cover up documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. Carlson stated in an interview with Vanity Fair that he discussed the matter with Trump in the summer of 2025, warning him about the political risks of withholding the files.
"My position from the beginning with Trump, I said it to Trump, was, 'I don't understand why you would ever keep any of this stuff secret,'" Carlson told the outlet. He added that Trump provided a "long, very emotional explanation that this was all a plot against him, like Russiagate." Carlson asserted, "In the end, it came from Trump directly."
While reports have detailed the White House's response to the Epstein fallout, Carlson's claim is the first to directly attribute the order to suppress the files to Trump himself. In response to Carlson's allegations, the White House did not issue a direct denial but stated that Trump has been "totally exonerated on anything relating to Epstein" and has aided the victims more than any previous administration.
Carlson's public stance on Trump has shifted over the past year. He has criticized the former president regarding the Epstein case, the Iran war, and perceived deviations from an "America First" conservative agenda. He has also expressed regret for supporting Trump, stating in a podcast that he would "be tormented by it for a long time" and apologizing to his viewers for "misleading people."
Carlson has indicated he has left the Republican Party, citing disillusionment with Trump and the party's direction. He reportedly attended a retreat with other former MAGA figures, including Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie, where discussions allegedly included forming a new political party, with some attendees suggesting Carlson could lead it.
Carlson's efforts to encourage the release of the Epstein files were not solitary. Vice President JD Vance reportedly argued in a Situation Room meeting in the summer of 2025 that the administration should release all its Epstein-related files before Congress could force their publication, according to The New York Times.