Ever since President Donald Trump made a surprising turn on Sunday, urging Republicans to support the release of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents, it underscored his persistent but unsuccessful efforts to downplay the scandal. Trump had previously dismissed the story as a Democratic “hoax,” but his stance evolved following Epstein’s death in 2019.
Epstein, facing sex trafficking charges involving minors, died by suicide in August 2019 while in jail. Trump, then president, raised questions about Bill Clinton’s potential ties to Epstein, sparking various unfounded conspiracy theories about the circumstances of Epstein’s death. While initial statements by Trump’s attorney general, William Barr, supported the suicide ruling, Trump later cast doubts on it in August 2020 following Ghislaine Maxwell’s arrest.
The narrative surrounding Epstein continued to evolve, with individuals like Dan Bongino and Kash Patel alleging cover-ups and demanding the disclosure of Epstein’s client list. Trump, during his 2024 campaign, expressed hesitancy about releasing the Epstein files to avoid spreading false information.
When Trump resumed the presidency earlier this year, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed the existence of an Epstein client list, though her claim about videos of Epstein with children raised skepticism. Bondi later criticized the Biden administration for withholding evidence, alleging a lack of transparency and honesty.
In a surprising turn of events, the Justice Department under Bondi announced in July that there was no Epstein client list and that no further files would be released. Trump, facing pressure to explain his shifting stance on Epstein, lashed out at conspiracy theorists and criticized former supporters believing in Epstein-related hoaxes.
As questions persisted, Trump and his officials faced increasing scrutiny, culminating in a call for an investigation into Clinton’s ties to Epstein. After initially opposing the release of Epstein documents, Trump urged Republicans to vote in favor, claiming transparency and moving past what he termed a Democratic hoax.