Tucker Carlson has claimed in an interview with Vanity Fair that President Donald Trump personally ordered a cover-up of government files relating to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The former Fox News host said he told Trump directly that withholding the material was a mistake, but Trump gave him "a bunch of different answers" before Carlson concluded "the order to cover it up came from Trump." This is notable as the first claim from someone close to Trump that he personally directed the suppression, rather than it being an internal administration decision.

Carlson said Trump explained his reluctance by framing the Epstein files saga as "a plot against him," comparable to the Russiagate affair. The White House did not deny the claim but said Trump has "been totally exonerated" over Epstein and has supported victims more than any predecessor. Carlson, who has broken sharply with Trump over the past year — also criticising the Iran war and questioning his "America first" credentials — has previously apologised to his audience for backing the president and reportedly discussed forming a new political party at a Maine retreat with figures including Marjorie Taylor Greene. Vice President JD Vance had separately urged releasing the files pre-emptively during a summer 2025 Situation Room meeting, according to the New York Times.