The resurgence of the Epstein scandal is causing turmoil for both Donald Trump and his associates, who are desperately trying to quell conspiracy theories—which they themselves had fueled before the 2024 elections—regarding Jeffrey Epstein’s death in prison and an alleged “list of celebrity clients.”
According to CNN, despite efforts to muddy the waters, the scandal’s resurgence was further fueled after the American president’s post, in which he stated that “nothing will be enough” to satisfy the “left-wing lunatics.”
Donald Trump’s post not only failed to quell discussions around the scandal but created new questions. Will the case be accelerated by new revelations, such as curiosity about Trump’s past relationships with Epstein, who was charged with human trafficking? Or, after two weeks of internal finger-pointing, will the MAGA movement unite to protect their political benefactor, especially after the Wall Street Journal report on Thursday?
CNN: Trump’s attempts to “extinguish” the Epstein issue
According to CNN, the US president did everything he could on Sunday to ignite new political fronts and divert attention from the Epstein scandal. He demanded to restore the name of the NFL team Washington Commanders to Redskins and attacked Obama administration officials for intelligence services that confirmed Russian interference in the 2016 elections in his favor. He also shared an AI-generated video showing Obama being arrested by the FBI.
However, as CNN reports, the Epstein issue appears to have its own momentum and resists Trump’s attempts to extinguish it. It’s particularly strange, as it probably has less significance for the lives of millions of Americans compared to Trump’s policy decisions that challenged the Constitution and endangered the economy. But scandals that don’t deflate easily are always dangerous for the White House—even when it comes to a president like Trump.
One reason this case persists is that it’s based on ideological elements of MAGA: the belief that secret elites in intelligence services and government run a “deep state” that conceals the truth about issues like child trafficking. Official denials from the Trump administration have reinforced these theories among movement fanatics.
The turmoil showed no signs of subsiding over the weekend, disappointing Trump who wanted to showcase the successes of his first six months, during which he has dismantled parts of the federal government and triggered radical social changes.
USA: Declining popularity for Trump
In this context, Democrats found an opportunity to pressure Trump, adopting the transparency demand for the Epstein case, as some MAGA activists are also demanding.
Senator Amy Klobuchar told CNN: “Blaming Democrats for this chaos… is like the CEO blaming Coldplay. He was president when Epstein was charged and put in prison. He was president then. We all believe they know what they have in their hands. They’ve been saying for a long time that everything should be made public.“
Government mistakes may give Democrats an opportunity, especially as Trump’s popularity drops to the low 40s, and harsh deportation policies are causing backlash—55% of Americans, according to a new CNN poll, believe it has gone to extremes.
However, despite internal MAGA conflict, the Epstein case is unlikely to dissolve support for Trump. A CBS poll shows Republican voters are divided on handling the case. Only 36% of total voters, and just 11% of Republicans, consider the issue highly important for their judgment of Trump’s presidency.
Trump’s letter to Epstein for his birthday
Republican officials continue to struggle when asked about Epstein—showing that perhaps the political consequences are more serious than expected. They’re already trying to transform the confrontation into a classic Republican-Democrat divide to polarize the public.
Trump’s hope of calming the storm may depend on factors beyond his control, according to CNN. But if he simply stopped talking about the issue, it might help, the report notes. His frequent outbursts and insistence that “nobody cares” about Epstein, instead of extinguishing the issue, give it new fuel. There are no official charges against Trump related to Epstein. However, new revelations about their contacts could strengthen public interest and prevent Trump from changing the agenda.
Meanwhile, a Wall Street Journal report revealed that Epstein allegedly received letters for his birthday in 2003, including a note signed by Trump. Trump and his lawyers deny the letter’s authenticity and filed a defamatory lawsuit for $20 billion against the newspaper. Such a lawsuit between Trump and WSJ owner Rupert Murdoch, two pillars of the conservative space, is certain to attract attention.
Some MAGA influencers, like Steve Bannon, believe the Trump-WSJ conflict could heal internal rifts. Trump, after all, is an expert at turning attacks against him into weapons in his favor.
