As the political firestorm surrounding the late Jeffrey Epstein reignites, a recent report by The Washington Post finds that there is "no public evidence of any wrongdoing on [President Donald] Trump's part."
Despite that key finding, questions from lawmakers and media figures have dominated headlines in recent weeks about who was really involved with Epstein, the wealthy financier and convicted sex offender who died in a Manhattan jail in 2019.
The controversy took a new turn earlier this month when Attorney General Pam Bondi's Justice Department issued a statement saying it had completed its review of the Epstein case and had "no further documents to release."
The memo also affirmed that Epstein's 2019 death was a suicide, debunking ongoing conspiracy theories that he was murdered to protect powerful elites.
That announcement has only intensified suspicions among some Trump supporters who once counted on the president to expose what they believe is a shadowy cabal of powerful figures engaged in child abuse and trafficking.
While the Epstein scandal has been with us for almost two decades, the media has sought to fuel renewed interest in the case by magnifying ties between the financier and Trump.
While it's well-known that the two were social acquaintances in the early 2000s, Trump was also the first major figure to sever social ties with Epstein – well before his 2006 arrest.
The newspaper's investigation found no credible allegations tying Trump to any illicit conduct related to Epstein or his trafficking network.
The Post's findings support Trump's own assertions.
He has repeatedly stated that he "had a falling out" with Epstein and "was not a fan."
As far back as 2019, Trump noted that he had banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago after learning of alleged inappropriate behavior, and again before his arrest.
While Trump's name reportedly appears in some of the recently reviewed Justice Department documents — as might be expected given his past acquaintance with Epstein — the Post confirmed that no claims of criminal conduct against him have emerged in any official capacity.
The media whirlwind has been backed by some on the extreme MAGA right.
Commentator Tucker Carlson has publicly expressed disappointment.
"Even people who are fully on board with the MAGA agenda are like, 'This is too much,'" Carlson said recently of the lack of transparency from the Trump DOJ.
Trump has responded with frustration.
"Don't talk about Trump," he urged supporters last week, signaling his irritation with the persistent conspiracy chatter.
Trump has been at the forefront, authorizing the Justice Department review of the matter.
And recently, he authorized a request to unseal grand jury testimony related to Epstein — a move denied by a federal judge.
In the meantime, Congress has launched multiple efforts to obtain documents connected to Epstein and his associates. A bipartisan vote on a House subcommittee last week compelled the Justice Department to hand over thousands of pages of Epstein-related files.
Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., who chairs the subcommittee, predicted that "by September, the president will surely have turned over everything."
In total, three separate House panels have passed resolutions calling for further investigation into the case.
Democrats, seizing on the moment, view the situation as a potential wedge between Trump and his base — and a rare opportunity to cast the Republican leader as evasive or protective of the elite.
The House has also subpoenaed Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former companion who is currently serving a 20-year sentence for aiding Epstein's abuse of underage girls.
Next month, House Republicans are expected to question Maxwell in person at a federal prison in Florida.
The Justice Department has already dispatched Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, formerly Trump's personal attorney, to interview Maxwell for two days earlier this month.
Yet legal experts caution against putting too much weight on what Maxwell might reveal.
"Prosecutors would have fully explored whether she had any valuable information before she went to trial and was sentenced," said Barbara McQuade, a former U.S. attorney. "Anyone who could have been charged would have been charged a long time ago."
The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Trump contributed a cheeky drawing and a cryptic birthday message to a commemorative book for Epstein's 50th birthday — a social gesture made long before Epstein's crimes were widely known.
Trump has fully denied he ever authored the birthday message, calling it "fake news." Trump has also sued The Wall Street Journal for publishing claims about the card.
The matter is far from evaporating any time soon.
According to a CBS News/YouGov survey, 58% of respondents say they are following the Epstein case "somewhat" or "very" closely.
"If you tell the base of people, who support you, of deep state treasonous crimes … then you must take down every enemy of The People," Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., posted last week. "Dangling bits of red meat no longer satisfies. They want the whole steak dinner."
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