Billionaire Elon Musk last month accused former US President Donald Trump of being named in the "Epstein files," referring to documents related to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died in prison 6 years ago.

"Time to release the real bombshell: Trump is in the Epstein files. This is why they won't release it. Have a nice day, DJT!", Musk tweeted on 5/6. DJT is an abbreviation of Trump's name.

Musk's post reignited public interest in Epstein. Disturbing facts and unverified suspicions have transformed the sex offender's scandal into a major political obsession in the US.

Former US President Donald Trump at an airport in Morristown, New Jersey on 7/7. Photo: AP

Former US President Donald Trump at an airport in Morristown, New Jersey on 7/7. Photo: AP

The Jeffrey Epstein scandal

Born in 1953, Epstein was an American financier. He was accused of soliciting underage girls for prostitution from 2002 to 2005 at his mansions in Manhattan, New York, and Florida. Epstein had his former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, recruit and manage the young girls to satisfy his sexual demands.

He was indicted in 2006 after an investigation by the FBI and Florida police. Two years later, he reached a plea deal with the state court to avoid federal charges that could have led to a more severe prison sentence. Epstein pleaded guilty to two felony counts, including soliciting a minor for prostitution, and served 13 months in jail.

However, in the following years, the Miami Herald published a series of articles revealing how the criminal justice system had favored Epstein, despite overwhelming evidence against him.

In July 2019, he was arrested by federal agents in New York on charges of trafficking dozens of underage girls, some as young as 14, and engaging in sexual acts with them. He faced 45 years in prison if convicted. Epstein denied all charges and was held at the Manhattan jail in New York.

However, while awaiting trial, Epstein died by suicide in his cell in August 2019. The charges against Epstein were dropped, but the investigation and prosecution continued with Maxwell as an accomplice.

In 2021, Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison for helping the sex offender carry out his crimes for nearly a decade.

In early 2024, a federal court released over 900 pages of documents in a 2015 defamation lawsuit against Maxwell. Trump, former President Bill Clinton, and Prince Andrew were named in the documents, known as the "Epstein files." However, this does not necessarily imply wrongdoing, as the list includes victims, witnesses, and associates of Epstein.

The relationship between Trump and Epstein

Trump and Epstein were reportedly friends for years, frequently meeting at high-profile parties in New York and Florida. In a 2002 interview with New York magazine, Trump described Epstein as a "terrific guy" whom he had known for 15 years.

"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," Trump said at the time.

Trump and Epstein at a party in Mar-a-Lago, Florida in November 1992. Photo: NBC News

Trump and Epstein at a party in Mar-a-Lago, Florida in November 1992. Photo: NBC News

However, two years later, in November 2004, the two competed to purchase a Florida property. Trump ultimately won with a higher bid.

After that, little information surfaced about their relationship. Trump sold the property 4 years later to a Russian businessman, doubling his initial investment.

Shortly after the auction, Palm Beach police received a report of young girls entering and exiting Epstein's home, according to the testimony of a local police officer.

4 months later, police received a more serious complaint when a woman stated her underage daughter was paid to massage Epstein while he was naked, according to police records. The complaint led to an extensive police investigation into Epstein.

When Epstein was arrested in 2019, Trump was serving his first term as president. "I knew him like everybody in Palm Beach knew him," Trump said at the time. "I haven't spoken to him in 15 years. I was not a fan of his."

During his 2024 campaign, Trump declared that if he won, he would release more documents related to the Epstein case, including the so-called "client list," alluding to those who visited the billionaire's island.

This promise led his Make America Great Again (MAGA) supporters to believe that upon returning to the White House, he would expose the "heinous crimes" of Washington elites against children.

MAGA's anger

The Epstein case has long been fertile ground for conspiracy theories in the US, particularly among the right wing and the MAGA movement. They sought to point fingers at the Democratic Party, citing former President Bill Clinton's acquaintance with Epstein.

Meanwhile, liberals focused on the sex offender's long-standing friendship with Trump, as well as Epstein's suicide in prison during Trump's first term.

After taking office as Attorney General in early February, Pam Bondi frequently mentioned the Justice Department's investigation into the Epstein case. She accused the previous administration of concealing relevant information and pledged to release everything, as promised by President Trump during his campaign.

Trump's most ardent MAGA supporters praised Bondi's efforts. But they were soon disappointed when the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released about 100 pages of "Epstein Files: Phase 1" that same month, with most of the content mirroring what the court had already declassified in 2024.

Sources said Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel had appointed dozens of agents and prosecutors to prepare "Epstein Files: Phase 2," but it remains unclear when the next document release will occur. Democrats quickly seized the opportunity to pressure the Trump administration to release all the documents.

The Justice Department's failure to release more on the Epstein files and Musk's June comment drew strong reactions from many Trump supporters. Some believe something shady is being covered up.

"Epstein Files: Phase 1" released in February. Photo: AFP

"Epstein Files: Phase 1" released in February. Photo: AFP

Trump urged his supporters to stop focusing on the files, calling it a "boring" matter. "I don’t understand why people are so interested in it or so fascinated by it," he said.

The MAGA movement's reaction intensified when the Justice Department and the FBI released a memo on 7/7, concluding there was no evidence that Epstein "kept a client list" as rumored.

The two-page memo confirmed Epstein's suicide in the Manhattan jail in August 2019, consistent with the medical examiner's findings, and found no evidence of foul play.

They stated the "Epstein files" contained no evidence sufficient to warrant further investigation into other suspects. The videos of child sexual abuse evidence found by investigators were not videos Epstein made of his own crimes or those of his friends, but rather downloaded materials, according to Bondi.

"I was very angry, disappointed, and felt used after coming to the White House and being presented with a file of previously released information, touted as 'new Epstein documents'," said far-right activist and MAGA member Jack Posobiec. "They said there was going to be more. And there was nothing."

Facing a backlash from within MAGA, the Trump administration partially relented. The Justice Department last week asked a federal judge in New York to unseal grand jury testimony from the Epstein prosecution. The request came after Trump authorized Bondi to "provide all relevant testimony."

Experts believe Trump created this problem for himself. "Trump and others have made this false assumption that they can promote conspiracy theories without any blowback. The Epstein case is a demonstration that it's very difficult to reverse course once you unleash conspiracy theories," said Matt Dallek, a political scientist at George Washington University.

Conspiracy theory researchers warn that even if the Trump administration releases more information about Epstein, it is unlikely to quell the baseless rumors.

"For people who believe in conspiracy theories, no amount of evidence is ever enough," said Josephine Lukito, who studies conspiracy theorists at the University of Texas at Austin.

Thuy Lam (According to AP, Washington Post, Al Jazeera)