President Trump’s inner circle is supposed to be on the same page.
But family members don’t always follow the script.
And Lara Trump made one daring move that has the Trump administration scrambling.
Lara Trump breaks ranks on explosive Epstein files controversy
The Trump administration has been trying to put the Jeffrey Epstein files controversy to rest.
The Department of Justice and FBI issued a joint memo stating that no client list exists and "no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted."¹
President Trump himself told supporters over the weekend to "not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about."²
But Lara Trump, the President’s daughter-in-law and Fox News host, just threw a wrench into that messaging strategy.
During an interview with MAGA influencer Benny Johnson on Monday, Lara Trump promised that more "transparency" on the Epstein files was coming soon.
"Well, I do think that there needs to be more transparency on this. And I think that that will happen," Lara Trump told Johnson.³
She directly contradicted the official administration position that the matter was closed.
"I mean, look, I don’t know what truly exists there, but I know that this is something that’s important to the president as well," she continued.⁴
Family member goes off-script at worst possible time
Lara Trump’s comments came at a particularly sensitive moment for the administration.
The MAGA base has been furious about the DOJ’s position that no Epstein client list exists.
Trump supporters flooded social media demanding the release of any files related to the disgraced financier who died in federal custody in 2019.
The controversy dominated conversations at the recent Turning Point USA conference in Tampa, Florida.
Johnson specifically asked Lara Trump about how to "take the temperature down on this issue from within the administration."⁵
Instead of backing the official line, she poured gasoline on the fire.
"He does want transparency on all these fronts that everything we’re talking about, because it’s frustrated him as well," Lara Trump said, referring to President Trump.⁶
She claimed the President sat "for four years like the rest of us did and saw lie after lie" during the Biden administration.
Trump family member makes administration look divided
Lara Trump’s freelancing creates a messaging nightmare for the White House.
Her comments suggest that President Trump isn’t being truthful when he says people should move on from Epstein.
"And I do believe that you will see that [transparency]. Now, as it relates to the president, I know that this is probably not his number one thing he’s focused on," she explained.⁷
But then she doubled down on promising more information would be released.
"So I believe that there will probably be more coming on this, and I believe anything that they are able to release that doesn’t damage any witnesses or anyone underage or anything like that, I believe they’ll probably try to get out sooner rather than later," Lara Trump stated.⁸
She even offered advice to angry Trump supporters who want the files released.
"To everybody out there who’s all worked up about it, there’s no great plot to keep this information away that I’m aware of," she said.⁹
What this means for Trump’s messaging strategy
Lara Trump’s comments expose a rift between what the administration is saying publicly and what Trump family members believe privately.
The DOJ’s position that no client list exists has been met with skepticism from the MAGA base.
Many Trump supporters believe there’s a cover-up to protect powerful people who might be implicated.
Lara Trump seemed to validate those concerns by promising more transparency was coming.
Her prediction that information would be released "sooner rather than later" directly contradicts the DOJ’s determination that no further disclosure is warranted.
This isn’t the first time a Trump family member has gone off-message.
But it comes at a particularly awkward time when the administration is trying to focus on other priorities like Middle East peace and border security.
Lara Trump tried to pivot to those accomplishments, claiming that there were "zero illegal border crossings in the month of June."¹⁰
However, that claim appears to be inaccurate based on available border data, which shows zero releases but thousands of encounters.
But her Epstein comments overshadowed everything else.
The controversy puts President Trump in a difficult position with his base, who clearly want more information about Epstein’s connections.
Trump’s Saturday Truth Social post defending Bondi marked the first time he has ever been "ratioed" on his own platform – receiving more critical replies than supportive likes.
This represents an unprecedented rebellion within the MAGA movement against Trump himself.
Either Trump will have to deliver on his daughter-in-law’s promise of transparency or explain why she was wrong.
Neither option looks particularly appealing for an administration trying to stay focused on governing.
¹ Alex Griffing, "Lara Trump Totally Counters Trump Admin Message On Epstein, Vows There Will Be ‘More Transparency’ On DOJ Files," Mediaite, July 14, 2025. ² Ibid. ³ Ibid. ⁴ Ibid. ⁵ Ibid. ⁶ Ibid. ⁷ Ibid. ⁸ Ibid. ⁹ Ibid. ¹⁰ Ibid.
