“Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein?” President Donald Trump asked a reporter on July 8, amid flooding in central Texas. “This guy’s been talked about for years. You’re asking. We have Texas, we have this. We have all of the things. And are people still talking about this guy, this creep? That is unbelievable.”
Rekindled public interest in Epstein, and Trump’s frustration with the topic, followed the July 7 release of a Department of Justice memo announcing that the agency found “no incriminating ‘client list’” among its “more than 300 gigabytes of data and physical evidence,” even after the administration had alluded to the existence of such a list. The memo also, controversially, concluded that Epstein committed suicide in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City, that he did not blackmail prominent individuals, and that evidence was lacking to investigate “uncharged third parties,” further fueling anger among some of Trump’s supporters.
In the days following Trump’s tense exchange with the reporter, the president attacked conservatives who continued to express interest in Epstein. Trump described those skeptics as “selfish people” in a July 12 social media post, called the matter “boring” on July 15, and, on July 16, characterized the situation as the “Jeffrey Epstein Hoax,” implying that the Democratic Party was pushing the issue and saying he doesn’t want the support of individuals who refuse to accept his telling of the Epstein story.
Though some have accused the president of hypocrisy, given the promises by some of his top aides to release records they now say don’t exist, Trump has long resisted delving too deeply into speculation regarding Epstein’s fate.
“Do you think it’s possible that Epstein was killed?” Tucker Carlson asked the president in an August 2023 interview.
“Oh, sure, it’s possible,” Trump said. “I mean, I don’t really believe — I think he probably committed suicide.”
Before taking office, Trump was cautious about overpromising in relation to the Epstein files.
When asked by Fox News’s Rachel Campos-Duffy in June 2024 whether he would release files related to John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and Epstein, for instance, Trump gave a qualified answer.
“I don’t know about Epstein so much as I do the others,” he said. “Certainly about the way he died. It’d be interesting to find out what happened there, because that was a weird situation and the cameras didn’t happen to be working, etc., etc. But yeah, I’d go a long way toward that one.”
In his response to Campos-Duffy, Trump alluded to the then-unreleased surveillance camera footage outside of Epstein’s cell from Aug. 9, 2019, the day he died. The Trump administration released this video, describing it as “raw,” or unedited, alongside its July 7 memo.
However, journalists at Wired discovered that the video uploaded by the DOJ wasn’t unedited. After analyzing metadata associated with the video, they found that “the footage was modified” and ”assembled from at least two source clips, saved multiple times, exported, and then uploaded to the DOJ’s website.” In a follow-up piece, Wired reported that nearly three minutes of footage were cut from the Epstein surveillance video.
Beyond the apparent editing, further confusion could arise from the fact that prosecutors said in 2020 that the surveillance footage from outside Epstein’s cell “no longer exists.”
‘Fox News Barbie’
Attorney General Pam Bondi has been a key figure in the second Trump administration’s messaging surrounding the Epstein case and, by extension, the matter’s renewed public prominence.
On Feb. 21, Bondi went on Fox News to declare that the Epstein client list is “sitting on my desk right now.” She clarified in July, after the release of the memo, that she was referring to the entirety of the DOJ’s materials relating to Epstein, not a client list specifically.
However, Bondi did little to contain the hype surrounding the possibility of revelations from releasing the Epstein files. On Feb. 27, she handed off binders to a collection of conservative social media influencers branded “The Epstein Files: Phase 1,” files that were uploaded online hours later. The influencers appeared to believe they had gotten their hands on brand new information, but independent reporting and the DOJ later confirmed that the bulk of the information was already in the public domain.
The event was widely viewed as an embarrassment for the administration. It also began the investigation that led to the DOJ’s poorly received July memo, as Bondi said she became aware of “thousands of pages of previously undisclosed documents” as a result of preparing to give the binders to the influencers and subsequently ordered an inquiry.
In some cases, the conservative influencers Bondi attempted to court have turned against the attorney general and the administration due to their handling of the Epstein case.
Laura Loomer, an online right-wing personality with a large following, said on July 8 that Bondi would rather be the next “Fox News Barbie” than do her job as attorney general, pointing to her frequent appearances on cable news. Some inside the administration have also privately expressed that Bondi bungled the case by overpromising.
Some Epstein-related feuds have bled into the public eye.
Axios reported on July 11 that FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino clashed with Bondi during a meeting about the rollout of the Epstein files and subsequent investigation and stormed out of the discussion angrily.
This rift has become especially pronounced on social media, with hordes of conservative influencers dividing between those behind the banner of Trump and those of the Epstein narrative skeptics. The former group sees the conversation around Epstein as a diversion from the administration’s priorities on matters such as immigration, whereas the latter perceives Trump’s inaction on the files as a betrayal of his promises to hold the deep state to account.
‘Time to drop the really big bomb’
The public relations fallout surrounding the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein case reached a head on June 5 when Elon Musk, formerly a key ally of Trump, took to his social media platform to accuse the president of appearing in the Epstein files.
“Time to drop the really big bomb,” Musk posted. “@realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day DJT!”
While Musk has since deleted that post, saying he “went too far,” he has not let up on pressuring the administration over its handling of the Epstein files. In his most recent outburst, Musk asked Grok, the X chatbot that recently caused controversy by dubbing itself “MechaHitler” and threatening to sexually assault a male liberal activist, questions about whether the government had an Epstein client list. The bot responded that such a list likely exists.
Trump’s association with Epstein has long been known. Some speculate that this association may be the cause of the president’s visible frustration with the matter’s persistence. Trump, of course, disagrees.
‘Not a fan’
In a 2002 interview with New York Magazine, Trump said he had known Epstein for 15 years, meaning their relationship dates back to the late 1980s. At the time, Trump had flattering things to say about Epstein, a well-connected socialite who had amassed a mysterious fortune through his financial management venture.
“I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years … Terrific guy,” Trump said. “He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it — Jeffrey enjoys his social life.”
Trump and Epstein were photographed together multiple times during the late ’90s and early 2000s, with the former inviting the latter to attend events at his members-only club hosted at Mar-a-Lago, including a 1992 “calendar girl” competition. Trump also appears in Epstein’s flight logs, though there is no evidence he ever visited Epstein’s private island.
“They knew each other a long time,” Sam Nunberg, a former Trump aide, told the Washington Post. “Bottom line, Donald would hang out with Epstein because he was rich.”
The relationship between Trump and Epstein reportedly began to fray in 2004 as the two feuded in a bidding war over a massive oceanfront mansion in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump ultimately outbid Epstein, spending north of $40 million on the property. A 2020 book reported that Trump banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago in 2007, with one club member saying he had “harassed the daughter of a member.”
The Trump Organization and the president have repeatedly denied having a friendship with Epstein.
Trump, speaking about his Epstein relationship in 2019, said he “knew him like everybody in Palm Beach knew him.”
“I had a falling out with him,” Trump continued. “I haven’t spoken to him in 15 years. I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you.”
On Thursday night, the Wall Street Journal ran a story alleging that Trump had written a note to Epstein for his 50th birthday chock-full of sexual innuendo and containing the drawn likeness of a nude woman. However, the note was not published by the Wall Street Journal and Trump has denied its authenticity. Conservative influencers, including those who have been critical of the administration’s handling of the Epstein case, have largely rallied around the president in the story’s wake.
For instance, Loomer, one of the chief critics, said the story was “bulls—,” arguing that it doesn’t match Trump’s typical messaging style.
‘International moneyman of mystery’
Epstein was born in 1953 to working-class Jewish parents in Brooklyn and grew up in Sea Gate, a working-class neighborhood on Coney Island. As a boy, he was gifted in mathematics and excelled in public school. He attended Cooper Union for college, later transferring to New York University but leaving without obtaining a degree in 1974.
At 21 years old, Epstein started working as a teacher in Manhattan’s wealthy Upper East Side, where he became acquainted with Bear Stearns CEO Alan Greenberg, whose children attended the school where he taught. After Epstein was fired from his teaching position, Greenberg offered him a role at Bear Stearns as a junior assistant to a floor trader, where he excelled, quickly rising through the ranks, becoming a limited partner after just four years.
In 1981, Epstein founded a consulting firm where he served powerful clients such as Spanish actress and heiress Ana Obregón and Saudi Arabian businessman Adnan Khashoggi, who was a key player in the Iran-Contra affair. Epstein at the time reportedly made claims about being an intelligence asset.
Seven years later, Epstein founded a financial management firm that served a similarly elite clientele.
The 2002 New York Magazine profile of Epstein described him as an “international moneyman of mystery,” intensely secretive, a fan of “beautiful women,” and deeply interwoven with New York City high society.
‘Sweetheart deal’
Epstein’s first criminal investigation came in 2005, when the Palm Beach Police Department and the FBI began a joint investigation into allegations that Epstein sexually abused a minor. Law enforcement uncovered evidence that Epstein sexually abused over 30 minors, with the youngest being 14 years old. Later reports identified 80 total victims. A search of Epstein’s residence by Palm Beach Police detective Joseph Recarey turned up an Amazon receipt for books titled SlaveCraft: Roadmaps for Erotic Servitude and A Workbook for Erotic Slaves and Their Owners.
Epstein’s legal team managed to secure what was later described as a “sweetheart” deal” with federal prosecutors where, in exchange for pleading guilty in Florida state court felony minor prostitution charges, he would only have to serve 18 months in prison, register as a sex offender, and pay reparations to 36 of victims identified by the FBI.
Alexander Acosta, the U.S. Attorney who offered the plea deal, later said he did so because he was told that Epstein “belonged to intelligence” and to “leave it alone.”
While Epstein got off relatively scot-free in 2009, he was arrested again a decade later by the FBI-NYPD Crimes Against Children Task Force on sex trafficking charges. Authorities uncovered evidence that Epstein had trafficked “dozens” of underage girls for sex and found troves of child sexual abuse material.
Epstein was arrested on July 6, 2019, and was found dead in his cell on Aug. 10 of that same year. However, much of the American public didn’t buy that Epstein committed suicide.
‘Epstein didn’t kill himself’
In the immediate aftermath of Epstein’s death, a movement formed. Malfunctioning surveillance equipment, conveniently incompetent jail staff, and statements from individuals such as the mayor of New York and Epstein’s brother played roles in fomenting this coalition.
Conspiracy theorists, internet comedians, elected officials, and concerned citizens alike proclaimed in unity that “Epstein didn’t kill himself.” The implication was that some powerful figure, or perhaps a cabal of them, secretly killed Epstein to prevent damaging information about themselves from entering the public domain. Some individuals had serious concerns, while others were mostly joking around.
Prominent figures played into the skepticism. In December 2021, Vice President JD Vance, who was angling for a Republican Senate seat at the time, questioned, “What possible interest would the US government have in keeping Epstein’s clients secret?”
“One glaring issue in the conviction is that [Ghislaine] Maxwell conspired to transport girls for sex but, beyond Epstein, none of the men who allegedly had sex with these girls have been prosecuted,” George Washington University Law School professor Jonathan Turley observed on Dec. 29, 2021, referring to Epstein’s close confidant, who is currently serving her sentence for a conviction related to Epstein’s sex trafficking operation.
In the aftermath of Epstein’s death, social media influencers and public figures posted photos of Epstein surrounded by prominent individuals, fueling theories that his death could be linked to elite interests.
“The takeaway of the Epstein story from start to finish is simple,” Blaze Editor-in-Chief Matthew Peterson wrote shortly after Epstein’s death. “There is no rule of law for our ruling class, and the society you live in is far more corrupt and incompetent than you have been taught to think.”
These concerns translated into a mass online movement. Memes flooded Instagram and X, formerly Twitter; people wrote “Epstein didn’t kill himself” on their dating app profiles, and popular podcasters, such as Joe Rogan, discussed the New York financier’s death at length.
While skepticism surrounding the nature of Epstein’s death largely transcended ideological lines, Democrats were more willing to dismiss such claims as conspiratorial than their Republican colleagues. For example, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Beto O’Rourke condemned Trump in August 2019 for pushing “conspiracy theories” about Epstein’s death. The legacy media, similarly, was quick to dismiss dissent from the official narrative as conspiratorial.
That may be no more.
For instance, Booker is now agitating for greater transparency regarding the Epstein case. Meanwhile, congressional Democrats are demanding the release of more Epstein files than the DOJ has approved — files Bondi said contain child sexual abuse material. The word “conspiracy,” while not totally absent, appears more scant among mainstream headlines.
What comes next?
Combined pressure from conservative allies, online activists, and Democrats appears to have triggered a response from the president. On Thursday night, Trump ordered Bondi to seek the public release of grand jury testimony from Epstein’s prosecution. These documents, which would only represent a fraction of the total evidence against Epstein, may not be enough to satiate elements of Trump’s base.
Critics have wondered whether continued pressure over Epstein could further sink Trump’s approval ratings.
Indeed, some large conservative social media accounts have signaled that they are dropping support for the president in the wake of the Epstein controversy, or at the very least signaled an unwillingness to drop the matter.
Meanwhile, others remain loyal to the president. Large pro-Trump accounts are amplifying Trump’s critiques of media coverage, providing apologia for his “hoax” statement, and pointing out that no incriminating links between Trump and Epstein have surfaced over the past six years.
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT STILL WON’T REVEAL ABOUT JEFFREY EPSTEIN
“After years spent spreading spidery conspiracy theories for his own political gain, President Trump has found himself wrapped up in the stickiest one of them all,” Shawn McCreesh wrote for the New York Times on Monday. “It was like a Möbius strip of paranoia and distrust: A political movement that galvanized and exploded around a conspiracy theory — lies about Barack Obama’s birthplace were central to Mr. Trump’s political rise — cannibalizing itself over the mother of all modern conspiracy theories. And in a twist, Mr. Trump’s usual playbook for getting himself out of trouble seemed not to be working this time — in fact, it was only making his predicament worse. In his social media post on Saturday, he tried to cast the blame for any unresolved Epstein mysteries on Mr. Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Joseph R. Biden Jr.”
“But the base wasn’t buying it,” he added.