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Conservative reactions to the partial disclosure of documents involving the Jeffrey Epstein case have been mixed, with certain backers of the previous administration pointing out the prominent presence of former President Clinton and additional Democrats in photographs, while different voices lamented how heavy censorship portray former President Trump and GOP members in a unfavorable light.

Justice Department Justifies Censorship with Fervent Hyperbole

Justice Department representatives defended the redactions with fervent exaggerated language. “At no point in American the nation's history has a Commander-in-Chief or the Justice Department been this transparent with the public about such a sensitive law enforcement issue,” declared a senior Justice official Todd Blanche, who issued a six-page memo outlining the censorship process.

Concerns Prompted by Blacked-Out Sections

While Trump's identity and image appear in portions of the documents, the extensive redactions prompt serious concerns about the information may be hidden behind them. A number of conservative lawmakers swiftly called for greater openness.

“The public are raging and walking away,” posted Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Via a online statement, GOP Congressman Thomas Massie said the redactions violate the law, and implied that a subsequent Congress may attempt to remove the top law enforcement official, Pam Bondi, for that violation. “Unfortunately, this document release grossly fails to adhere to both the spirit and the letter of the act,” he added.

A Faction of Conservative Figures Rally In Support of the Release

However, some conservative pundits and Trump loyalists came out strongly in support of the administration.

The release—from a DOJ led by close Trump associate Pam Bondi—includes scores of pages that are completely redacted, and many of the individuals shown in photographs have their faces blacked out.

Yet a few do not, featuring high-profile figures like Bill Clinton, entertainer Michael Jackson, and scholar Noam Chomsky. The presence of Clinton, especially, allowed some rightwing figures to go on the attack.

“It’s quite ironic how the Democrats wrongly accused President Trump of associating with a pedophile, only for the Trump DOJ to unveil Epstein files that show Bill Clinton swimming nude with a pedophile,” wrote conservative commentator Laura Loomer.

“New Epstein Files reveal Bill Clinton without a shirt in a hot tub with a female that is not his spouse Hillary Clinton,” wrote lawyer Rogan O’Handley. “There’s only one explanation Epstein would take pictures of a US President with a girl in a hot tub: Leverage.”

Clinton Spokesperson Releases Statement

Bill Clinton has consistently stated he was aware of no illegal actions by Epstein and has not been accused to have participated in any wrongdoing. “The administration hasn’t been hiding these documents for months only to dump them at the last minute on a Friday to shield Bill Clinton,” Clinton’s spokesperson Angel Ureña said in a comment.

“The release is about protecting officials from what comes next, or from what they will try and conceal permanently. So they can release as many grainy 20-plus-year-old photos as they want, but it isn’t about Bill Clinton. Not previously, not ever be,” the response concluded.

Broader Conservative Commentary Seems Muted

However, overall comment on the political right was relatively muted following the release, particularly when juxtaposed against the loud demands for action that came before the congressional vote to pass a bill requiring the files' publication.

Loomer, who recently secured press credentials at the Pentagon, had been among the loudest proponents for a full disclosure. In February, she criticized the administration generally and Bondi in particular after a set of conservative influencers were given hard-copy binders of materials that included little previously unseen data.