Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche pushed back on claims that any information had been redacted from the most recently-released trove of Epstein documents in order to protect certain politically-connected people — particularly President Donald Trump.

NBC anchor Kristen Welker posed the question directly during Blanche’s Sunday morning appearance on “Meet the Press,” asking whether anything in the massive trove of documents — released on Friday pursuant to the Epstein Transparency Act — had been redacted because of “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.”

WATCH:

NBC: Has anything in the Epstein Files been redacted on that basis of ’embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity’?@DAGToddBlanche: “Absolutely, positively not.” pic.twitter.com/DT93hLwUcd

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) December 21, 2025

“Absolutely, positively not,” Blanche declared, adding that the only redactions made had been to protect known and potential victims, some of which only became known after some of the photos in the most recent batch were made public.

WATCH:

.@DAGToddBlanche: “The absurdity of us pulling down a photo — a single photo — because President Trump was in it is laughable, and the fact that everybody is trying to act like that’s the case is a reflection of their true motivation.” pic.twitter.com/9u7ZjgL4m7

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) December 21, 2025

Welker asked then about a number of photos that were pulled down from the Justice Department website after the release on Friday, specifically referencing one that appeared to show a desk with a drawer open to reveal several photos — some of which featured President Trump — and asking why those photos had been removed.

Blanche once again stated that concerns were raised — after the photos were made public — about the women in the photos and whether or not their identities should have been protected. He went on to note that photos were not being redacted simply because Trump was in them — especially considering the fact that so many photos already existed of Trump in Epstein’s circles and no one was trying to hide those.

“The absurdity of us pulling down a photo — a single photo — because President Trump was in it is laughable, and the fact that everybody is trying to act like that’s the case is a reflection of their true motivation,” he said.

Sony Pictures Entertainment announced they will be acquiring majority ownership of the iconic Peanuts IP, including the beloved characters Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the gang created by Charles M. Schulz. 

The purchase price was around $457 million for the 41% stake held by WildBrain in Peanuts Holdings LLC, bringing Sony’s total stake to 80%. The Schulz family continues to have a 20% stake, per Variety.

“Since 2018, SMEJ has been proud to be part of the partnership behind ‘Peanuts,’ an iconic global entertainment brand with a 75-year legacy of delighting audiences worldwide,” Shunsuke Muramatsu, president and group CEO, Sony Music Entertainment (Japan), said in a statement. “With this additional ownership stake, we are thrilled to be able to further elevate the value of the ‘Peanuts’ brand by drawing on the Sony Group’s extensive global network and collective expertise.”

“We are deeply committed to carrying forward the legacy of Charles Schulz and the Schulz family,” he added. “Together with SPE, and backed by WildBrain’s continued partnership, we will continue to embrace new opportunities to ensure that ‘Peanuts’ remains a relevant and beloved presence across generations—reaching new audiences and sharing the timeless charm of the ‘Peanuts’ gang for years ahead.”

Sony said they planned to keep the characters in the spotlight.

“With our combined strengths, we have the unique capability and extraordinary opportunity to protect and shape the future of these beloved characters for generations to come,” Sony Pictures President and CEO Ravi Ahuja said of the acquisition.

Peanuts began as a syndicated daily and Sunday comic strip featuring the misadventures of Charlie Brown and his friends. The comic strip originally ran from 1950 to 2000 and is considered one of the most popular and influential comic strips in history, with 17,897 strips published in all.

Some of the most popular Peanuts projects include the animated holiday specials “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.” In 2015, 20th Century Fox Animation and Blue Sky Studios released “The Peanuts Movie.”