In recent days, conspiracy theorists have come into direct conflict with Donald Trump. The reason: the existence of information damaging to his presidency related to the case of billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, the tycoon convicted and imprisoned for sex crimes—acts that even involved underage girls. Epstein died in 2019, when he committed suicide while imprisoned in New York.
Trump, ironically, himself played a major role in promoting conspiracy theories in the United States, beginning with his 2011 claims that Barack Obama was born in Kenya, not Hawaii, and was therefore ineligible for the presidency. His use of other conspiracies, such as those embraced by the conspiracy group QAnon, helped build his base of loyal MAGA (Make America Great Again) supporters. Now, the conspiracies may be coming back to haunt him.
During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump promised to release government files related to the grand jury investigation that led to Epstein’s federal indictment for child sex trafficking. After the mogul’s suicide, Trump supporters alleged that he had been murdered by members of the “Deep State” to cover up his involvement in facilitating sexual encounters for high-profile figures, including prominent Democrats. The release of Epstein’s files became a rallying cry in Trump’s victorious campaign for a second term in the White House.
Even Kash Patel, the future FBI director, joined the clamor for the release of the files during the presidential election campaign, stating in a December 2023 podcast that the Biden administration was withholding documents “because of who’s on that list.”
Fulfilling Trump’s campaign promise, on February 27, 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi, in conjunction with the FBI, released a massive cache of declassified documents related to the federal investigation into Epstein’s sexual exploitation of more than 250 underage girls. However, the released material largely contained previously leaked documents, reinforcing allegations by some MAGA supporters that the government was engaged in a cover-up to protect wealthy and well-connected sexual predators.
To appease conspiracy theorists, on March 14, Bondi declared that Epstein’s client list was “on my desk” for review, along with material related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., raising expectations that the names of prominent individuals would soon be revealed.
Speculation intensified when Elon Musk broke with Trump in June, provocatively stating, “Time to drop the really big bombshell… [Trump] is in the Epstein files. That’s the real reason they haven’t been made public.” His statement fueled expectations that the files contained damaging information linking Trump to Epstein and, possibly, to criminal sexual activity.
Then, on July 7, 2025, the Department of Justice and the FBI released an unsigned two-page statement stating that, after “exhaustive review,” they had found no client list that Epstein could have used to blackmail his associates. They also released footage from video cameras outside Epstein’s cell in the hours before his death to prove he had not been murdered as part of a cover-up.
However, soon after, a Wired investigation found that nearly three minutes of the tape had been doctored, despite claims that the FBI had released “raw” footage.
Rather than quelling critics’ claims that the government had engaged in a cover-up, the announcement led to an even more vehement public backlash among MAGA supporters. Far-right politicians, such as Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green, joined the fray, criticizing the government’s actions. Leading conservative commentators began calling for Bondi’s resignation or dismissal for failing to release more documentation. And, in a surprising turn of events, House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has been relentlessly loyal to Trump, added his voice to the call for full release of the documents in the name of transparency.
Seeing a political opening to drive a wedge between Republicans, Democrats joined the demand for more information about the case. An initial vote in Congress on a resolution calling for the release of all files related to the case failed to gain enough votes to pass the House of Representatives. Democrats are now circulating another bipartisan petition, insisting that all relevant documents be released to the public.
In response, Trump launched an attack on his supporters, calling those who continued to insist on a cover-up “idiots” playing into the hands of Democrats, whom the president blamed for the conspiracy. Trump insisted that his supporters should focus on other important issues and forget the Epstein case, which only encouraged skeptics to believe that Trump has something to hide. The president also urged the government to release “credible information” and that “only really bad people, including fake news, want something like this to happen.”
By now, some right-wing extremists have concluded that Trump himself is part of the alleged Deep State. And, try as he might, he hasn’t been able to defuse the story by diverting media attention to other matters. Asked last week if his name appeared in any of the records, he replied, “No, no.” At the same time, he continued to support Attorney General Bondi for her performance in office.
But the controversy simply won’t go away. Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that in 2003, Trump sent Epstein a card to celebrate his fiftieth birthday. The card depicted a woman’s breasts with the signature “Donald” in place of pubic hair, surrounded by a typed text that concluded: “Happy Birthday—and may each day be a wonderful secret.” The press immediately reminded readers that in 2002, Trump told New York magazine that he had known Epstein for fifteen years: “He’s a lot of fun to be with. They even say he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are younger.”
As usual, Trump immediately announced a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and its right-wing owner, Ruport Murdock, alleging, among other things, that the president doesn’t like to draw. However, reporters were quick to point out that over the years, Trump has donated numerous drawings—mostly of buildings—to raise funds for charities.
As the crisis within the Republican Party continues to escalate, public pressure is mounting demanding the release of all documentation contained in the grand jury investigation that led to Epstein’s federal indictment, while leaving out sensitive information about the victims. In response, Trump announced on Truth Social: “I have requested the Department of Justice release all grand jury testimony pertaining to Jeffrey Epstein, subject only to court approval.”
At the same time, he lashed out at his detractors, declaring: “That said, even if the court gives its full and unwavering approval, it will still be no use to the radical left-wing troublemakers and lunatics making the request. It will always be more, more, more.”
Legal experts point out that grand jury material may provide little new documentation, if the court allows it to be released at all, because prosecutors often try to limit the information they present to secure an indictment. And, as Trump has learned over the years, reviewing the material can considerably time, keeping the issue out of the public eye. On the other hand, Trump’s lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal could lead to sweeping new investigations into the relationship between Trump and Epstein and possible evidence of sexual abuse by the president. Furthermore, the trial would keep the media focused on the matter for months.
As protests among his far-right supporters continued, journalists interviewing MAGA supporters found that many were disillusioned with the president’s handling of the matter. After years of hearing that incriminating evidence against Democrats was in Epstein’s files, the insistence that “nothing is wrong” rings hollow. A July 17 Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 69% of respondents believed the federal government was withholding information about Epstein’s clients, compared with 25% who were unsure, 6% who disagreed, and 4% who had no opinion on the matter.
It’s important to remember that, on the eve of the 2016 election, recordings showing Trump bragging about his sexual assault against women by “grabbing” their genitals created a momentary crisis among some of his supporters in Congress, who briefly distanced themselves from the president. When there was no significant backlash among the public backers of the president, politicians quickly returned to Trump. Neither his sexual encounters with porn actress Stormy Daniels nor his sexual assault conviction didn’t cause him to lose many of his followers. But this time may be different, as a notable group of his loyal supporters are beginning to question whether Trump can be trusted.
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