Epstein case pits Trump against some in MAGA movement
The president this week has grown increasingly frustrated with all the attention on documents connected to Epstein, the disgraced financier and sex predator.
But his calls for others to move on have put him at odds with a number of staunch allies who have pressed for the government to share more information about the Epstein case or appoint a special prosecutor to review the matter.
Trump's allies have been divided at times over policy, including last month's operation to strike Iranian nuclear facilities. But the Epstein issue is setting up to be a bigger test for Trump's political coalition, because the president himself is admonishing some of his supporters.
'This is not a kitchen table issue in the 2026 midterms,' said one Trump ally. 'Within the MAGA base it is certainly an issue.'
Trump's tone toward the Epstein case has shifted in recent days from mild annoyance to outright aggravation, some of it targeting supporters who have continued to beat the drum seeking more information.
He has started calling the Epstein case a 'hoax' and suggested it was a controversy started by Democrats, even though Epstein was arrested and died in jail in 2019, during Trump's first term.
'Some stupid Republicans and foolish Republicans fall into the net, and so they try and do the Democrats' work,' Trump said Wednesday.
'I call it the 'Epstein hoax.' Takes a lot of time and effort. Instead of talking about the great achievements we've had … they're wasting their time with a guy who obviously had some very serious problems, who died three, four years ago. I'd rather talk about the success we have with the economy,' Trump added.
Many Trump supporters have pushed for additional disclosures after the FBI and Justice Department last week stated Epstein did not have a 'client list' and that his 2019 death at his New York City jail cell was a suicide. Some prominent Trump allies have for years pushed conspiracy theories about Epstein's death and claims that a client list would reveal ties between Epstein and prominent Democrats.
Epstein, accused in several cases of sex trafficking young girls, ran in high-powered circles with figures that included Trump, former President Clinton, Britain's Prince Andrew and a number of other celebrities and ultrawealthy people. Epstein's associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, has been convicted of sex trafficking.
Trump's supporters are typically exceedingly deferential to the president. But in the Epstein case, many allies have pressed for more information rather than turn the page.
'It's a very delicate subject, but you should put everything out there, let the people decide it,' Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said on conservative commentator Benny Johnson's podcast. 'Pam Bondi needs to come forward and explain it to the American people. Let's get this thing resolved.'
Johnson later argued he was in alignment with Trump on the issue given the president's comments that the attorney general should release 'credible' evidence.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) has called for a special counsel to review the handling of Epstein documents, something the White House said Trump does not support. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is backing a discharge petition in the House to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files.
The pushback also has come from outside of the Capitol.
Lara Trump, the president's daughter-in-law and a Fox News host, said in a podcast interview with Benny Johnson that 'there needs to be more transparency' around the Epstein documents.
Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who served a brief stint as President Trump's national security adviser in 2017, took to social media on Wednesday to argue the Epstein case was not a 'hoax' as the president had claimed.
'With my strongest recommendation, please gather your team and figure out a way to move past this,' Flynn posted on the social platform X. 'The roll out of this was terrible, no way around that. Americans want America to be successful, therefore, WE NEED YOU TO BE SUCCESSFUL.'
Mike Cernovich, who was among the right-wing influencers who visited the White House in March and were given binders that purported to contain information about Epstein, has been one of multiple outspoken MAGA figures pushing back on efforts by the administration to move on from the Epstein case.
'Fact check. Almost of all of Trump's big wins in 2025 are policies the base fought for HIS FIRST TERM. He is still years behind,' Cernovich posted on X. 'He made several devastating mistakes when he didn't listen to the base. So too now with Epstein.'
A CNN poll found 40 percent of Republicans said they were dissatisfied with the amount of information the government has released in the Epstein case, compared with 4 percent who said they were satisfied.
But it's not clear that frustration is translating to displeasure with the president himself. The same CNN poll found 88 percent of Republicans approved of Trump's job performance, up slightly from 86 percent in the network's previous poll.
Asked Thursday if Trump and the White House had been in touch with MAGA voices who were still unsatisfied with the administration's approach on the Epstein issue, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president and his team 'are always in contact with the president's supporters, with voices of many kinds on both sides of the aisle.'
Trump has throughout his political career faced political and personal controversies that have generated headlines about whether GOP voters would peel away from him, ranging from strikes against Iran to his criminal indictments. But in each case, Trump has proven to possess an enduring appeal among his supporters and has been able to weather practically any news cycle.
'As the leader and the creator of the MAGA movement, he has led through these perilous times for our country based on instinct and in the best interest of the country,' Leavitt said. 'And as I always say, the American people should trust in President Trump.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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