The Department of Justice just labeled itself the ‘Trump Department of Justice’ on an official document
In a fact sheet selling “transparency,” the DoJ accidentally confirmed that they no longer belong to the public. We all had our doubts, but they just confirmed whose pleasure they’re serving.
On Sunday, Dec. 21, the official X account of the DoJ posted a polished “Fact Sheet” explaining its latest release of Jeffrey Epstein–related documents. The goal, according to the document, was to address growing criticism over redactions and delays. But what it ended up doing was far more revealing and concerning.
In the middle of the document, the department referred to itself as the “Trump Department of Justice.” Mind you, this was not in a tweet or in an offhand remark, but in an official public document. And they didn’t do it rhetorically or sarcastically. It was as if that is now the agency’s proper name. The phrase was used in response to why the material is being released now:
“Prior to President Trump’s enactment of the Epstein Transparency Act, various judges had declined the Trump Department of Justice’s requests to unseal Epstein-related material. The enactment of the new Law gave the judges a legal predicate they found sufficient for granting the Trump Administration’s standing requests before the Courts to unseal the files.”
For decades, the DoJ has insisted that it operates with independence and impartiality. Or, at least they say that on paper and on their website. Administrations change, but the institution’s legitimacy has always rested on the premise that it is not owned by the president. But the document and that phrasing tossed that premise into the corner.
The DoJ answered the most-asked questions about the newly released Epstein documents
The fact sheet also frames the entire Epstein release as a personal accomplishment of Trump’s presidency. And that’s partly acceptable. However, it went a step further by blaming the Obama and Biden administrations for allegedly doing nothing. Whatever happened to “impartiality”? On top of it, the document almost suggests that Trump is not a temporary officeholder, but the animating force behind federal justice itself.
And then there’s the actual substance of the sheet. The department claims it is releasing “thousands of pages” while admitting that hundreds of thousands more remain under review. It boasts of 200 lawyers working “around the clock.” Meanwhile, much of what has been released so far is already public. Or even worse, it is so heavily redacted that it holds no meaning.
The DoJ also insists that no redactions protect “famous individuals or politically exposed persons.” But again, it does not explain why entire sections of supposedly new material are blacked out beyond recognition. Even the explanation for why photos briefly appeared and then vanished reads like damage control written in a hurry. According to them, unnamed individuals claimed victim status, and they received legal requests to remove certain information.
But we all already knew they would play a cheap move like such. What we did not expect was an outright declaration of slavery to Trump.
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