Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday defended the Justice Department’s decision to release only a fraction of the Jeffrey Epstein files by the congressional deadline, citing the need to protect survivors of sexual abuse.

Blanche said the Trump administration remained committed to meeting its legal obligations but stressed that caution was required when handling thousands of documents containing potentially sensitive information.

The partial release on Friday has reignited criticism from Democrats, who accuse the Republican administration of withholding key details. Blanche rejected the claims, noting that calls for transparency have persisted across political lines, including from Trump’s own supporters, in relation to investigations involving Epstein, who had ties to the former president as well as other political and business figures.

“The rationale behind our ongoing document review and the continuation of our process is solely to safeguard victims,” Blanche told NBC’s Meet the Press.