Numerous photos of Epstein and Trump from the 90s and 2000s have emerged over the years(Image: Getty Images)

Donald Trump is facing accusations of a sweeping cover-up after images allegedly linking him to Jeffrey Epstein were quietly removed from a Justice Department document release, sparking outrage among victims and lawmakers.

At the centre of the controversy is Image 468, a photograph included in the Justice Department’s recent release of Epstein-related files. The image, which later vanished from the public archive, showed a wall of framed photographs inside Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse. Among them was a picture of Epstein alongside his close associate Ghislaine Maxwell and Prince Andrew at Royal Ascot.

The photograph of Trump was seen in a drawer at Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse

Also visible in the image was an open drawer containing several loose photographs, including one showing Mr Trump with his arms around a group of young women. Another image reportedly depicted the former president with his wife Melania, Epstein and Maxwell together.

Following the image’s disappearance, an Epstein survivor told the Mirror that the removal was no coincidence. “This is the biggest cover-up in American history,” the victim said. “That photo didn’t disappear by accident. None of us believe Trump wasn’t behind it.”

One of the photos showed a younger Trump with his arms around a group of women

The survivor added that the removal appeared to shield powerful figures connected to Epstein, including Prince Andrew and others in his social circle. “It sends a clear message that power outweighs truth,” they said. “The evidence was there for everyone to see, and then it was quietly erased. That’s how people at the top avoid accountability—and it feels like survivors are being silenced all over again.”

Image 468 was reportedly taken down as part of a broader removal of material, with at least 16 files disappearing from the Justice Department’s public website less than 24 hours after they were posted.

In response to mounting criticism, Justice Department officials said the removals were made to protect Epstein’s victims. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said several images were withdrawn after a New York judge instructed the department to consult victims or advocacy groups if concerns were raised.

Blanche explained that objections were raised after the release of certain photographs featuring women, prompting officials to take them down. “It has nothing to do with President Trump,” he said.

Despite those assurances, the unexplained disappearance of the files fuelled anger and suspicion online. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee highlighted the missing image in a post on X, asking: “What else is being covered up? The American public deserves transparency.”

The incident added to broader disappointment surrounding the long-anticipated document release, which spanned tens of thousands of pages but offered little new information about Epstein’s crimes or how he avoided justice for so long.

Notably missing were FBI interviews with survivors and internal Justice Department analyses of key charging decisions. While some documents shed light on why a federal investigation into Epstein was abandoned in the mid-2000s—allowing him to plead guilty to a minor state charge in 2008—many observers said critical evidence was still absent.

Lawyers representing one of Epstein’s earliest accusers, Maria Farmer, argue that more than 1,000 victims could have been spared had authorities taken her allegations seriously in 1996. Farmer’s complaint alleged that Epstein stole photographs of her sisters, aged 12 and 16.

One document revealed in the release states that Epstein had asked an unnamed individual to photograph young girls at swimming pools, later threatening to burn her house down if she spoke out.

Brad Edwards, a lawyer for Epstein victims, said: “If the FBI had listened and acted when Maria came forward, over a thousand people might have been spared decades of trauma.”

The newly released material included previously unseen images of former president Bill Clinton, while containing relatively few photographs of Mr Trump. Both men have acknowledged knowing Epstein but deny any involvement in criminal activity.

Marina Lacerda, who alleges Epstein abused her at his New York mansion when she was 14, said the episode reinforced her belief that the justice system continues to fail survivors. “Once again,” she said, “it feels like justice is slipping through our fingers.”