President Donald Trump attacked his own supporters while answering a question about their interest in Jeffrey Epstein. MAGA supporters have been increasingly critical of Trump following a review by the FBI and the Department of Justice, which found “no incriminating ‘client list'” in relation to Epstein.
Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting further sex trafficking charges. The disgraced financier had well-documented connections to powerful figures, and his death has long prompted numerous conspiracy theories.
Rumors of a “client list” have long circulated online, and during Trump’s successful bid for re-election in 2024, he suggested that if voters returned him to the White House, he might release a list of individuals associated with Epstein.
Attorney General Pam Bondi later fueled speculation about such a list when announcing the release of records related to the case. Ultimately, much of what was later distributed had been in the public domain for years.
Late on Monday night, a handful of House Republicans blocked a move that would have forced the administration to release files related to the Epstein investigation. The motion was defeated by a vote of 5 to 7 with Republican Ralph Norman voting alongside Democrats in favor of releasing the documents.
In a clip, which has been viewed over 4 million times, Trump is asked by a reporter why he thinks his supporters in particular have been so interested in Epstein, to which he replied: “I don’t understand it. Why they would be so interested, he’s dead for a long time. It was never a big factor in terms of life.”
He added: “I think really only pretty bad people including fake news wanna keep something like that going.”
Trump’s administration has come under increasing pressure over files pertaining to Epstein, and the abrupt walking back on the notion that there exists a client list of elite individuals who participated in Epstein’s trafficking of underage girls.
On Saturday, Trump posted on Truth Social in an unsuccessful attempt to call his supporters off the Epstein trail. However, this did little to mollify many of them, who urged him to release the files or risk losing his base.
While speaking to reporters, Trump referenced Robert Mueller, who was appointed in May 2017 as a special counsel to investigate Russia’s alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. election.
“Don’t forget, we went through years of the Mueller witch hunt and all of the different things,” the president said while speaking to reporters. “All that information was fake.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has previously claimed, amid a high-profile fallout with Trump, that the president’s name appeared in the Epstein files, and called on him to release them “as promised”.
Trump does not stand accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, and there is no evidence that he is mentioned in any unreleased files related to the sex offender.
Epstein is estimated to have abused large numbers of girls, with estimates ranging from a few dozen to over 100.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump, speaking to a reporter: “I don’t understand what the interest or what the fascination is. I really don’t. I don’t understand why the Jeffrey Epstein case would be of interest to anybody. It’s pretty boring stuff, it’s sordid, but it’s boring. And I don’t understand why it keeps going.”
What Happens Next
The conspiracy theories and fascination with Epstein, his death, and his connection to powerful figures have been rampant for years. They show no signs of abating, despite the review and Trump’s attempts to move people on from talking about Epstein, who he claims “nobody cares about.”
Newsweek