President Donald Trump Poses in Large White Cowboy Hat as Epstein Photos Spark New Questions

President Donald Trump wore a large white cowboy hat at a White House ceremony on Friday, then smiled for photos as if nothing else was happening. The hat was a gift from members of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, who were in the Oval Office to be honored for their win.

The timing made the moment loud. On the same day, House Democrats released new photos from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate that showed many famous people. The images have stirred fresh questions about who knew whom and why.

When asked about the photos in the Oval Office, Trump tried to put the matter aside. “Well, I haven’t seen them,” he said. “But, I mean, everybody knew this man. He was all over Palm Beach; he has photos with everybody. Hundreds and hundreds of people have photos with him, so that’s no big deal.”

That answer did not calm critics. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee say they have been given tens of thousands of files from Epstein’s estate and have begun to publish selections. The newly released images include photos of Trump, Bill Clinton, Steve Bannon, Prince Andrew, Bill Gates and others.

Rep. Robert Garcia, top Democrat on the Oversight panel, tweeted: “These photos reveal more of what we know to be true: that Epstein had a circle of the world’s wealthiest and most powerful men around him at all times. No more coverup. No more delays. Release the files — NOW.”

The committee says the trove holds roughly 95,000 images and that investigators have reviewed only a portion so far. What lawmakers released on Friday was a small slice meant to show the scope of who spent time with Epstein. Officials say they are trying to protect victims while pushing for transparency.

Online reaction was swift and not always polite. Videos of Trump grinning in the oversized hat quickly became a steady stream of memes and jokes.

White House allies called the photo release a political move. They said the committee was cherry picking images to create a story. Democrats said they were answering calls for more information and for a fuller release of records that could help investigators. Both sides stood firm on Friday.

Victims groups and some lawmakers said the focus must stay on survivors and justice. Committee members say they plan to keep reviewing and, where appropriate, sharing material so the public and investigators can see what the files show. That work will continue even as the hat pictures keep making people scroll their feeds.

At the ceremony, the mood stayed part proud and part performative. Trump praised the hockey team and joked about the moment. He said the win was a great time in sports history and then put the hat back on for one more photo op. For some viewers that was an odd contrast to the images now spreading across the internet.

Featured image via YouTube screengrab