Seven in 10 Americans think government is hiding Epstein details
Epstein, a wealthy financier and convicted sex offender, was facing federal charges of sex-trafficking minors when he died by suicide in jail in 2019. He had pleaded not guilty, and the case was dismissed after his death.
The case has captivated swathes of Mr Trump's political base who were expecting lurid details after some of Mr Trump's top law enforcement officials said they would be releasing documents that would lead to major revelations about Epstein and his alleged clientele.
The Trump administration last week reversed course on its pledge, enraging some of the president's followers. Close to two-thirds of Republicans think the administration is hiding details on Epstein's business, the Reuters/Ipsos poll found.
Just 17pc of Americans approve of Mr Trump's handling of the case, a weaker rating than the president received on any other issue in the poll. Among Republicans, 35pc approved, compared to 29pc who disapproved and the rest who said they weren't sure or didn't answer the question.
Reuters reported on Wednesday that Mr Trump and White House officials were weighing a range of options including unsealing new documents, appointing a special prosecutor and drafting executive actions on issues such as paedophilia. Mr Trump, however, has been defiant, describing supporters hung up on the issue as 'weaklings' who were helping Democrats. 'I don't want their support anymore!' Mr Trump said in a social media post.
The beliefs following Epstein's death were part of a range of conspiracies that have taken hold in US politics, including 'QAnon', a far-right fringe belief that a cabal of cannibalistic child molesters inside the US government have conspired against Mr Trump.
Behind the scenes Mr Trump and aides have also reached out to key MAGA-aligned influencers, urging them to dial down their criticism of the administration's handling of the Epstein investigation and shift focus to broader priorities for the America First movement.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
‘Daleks' brought in to beef up security at Donald Trump's Scottish golf courses ahead of his visit
IT looks like Daleks have been brought in to beef up security at Donald Trump's Scottish golf courses ahead of his visit next week. The US President is due at Turnberry and Aberdeen from Friday to Tuesday. 5 US President Donald Trump is due at Turnberry and Aberdeen Credit: Tom Farmer 5 What look like Daleks have appeared to help beef up security at Donald Trump's Scottish golf courses Credit: John Kirkby 5 The security devices resemble Doctor Who's croaky-voiced enemies Credit: Stuart Patterson The 'Daleks' — security devices that resemble Doctor Who's croaky-voiced enemies — have been set up to deter intruders. Once their motion sensors detect intruders, they record video and alert cops. The security boost has been put in place months after activists from Palestine Action Eight people have been charged in relation to the incident on March 8 after A source said: 'Trump could arrive any day so the staff need to be constantly on their toes. "There has to be a state of readiness.' It comes as Trump filed a lawsuit after denying a report in the Wall Street Journal linking him to a lewd message sent for the 50th birthday of paedo financier Jeffrey Epstein. Most read in The Sun Donald Trump swings club in frustration as he misses putt at Turnberry 5 An actual Dalek from hit show Doctor Who Credit: Getty - Contributor 5 Trump is opening a links course in Menie Credit: PA
Irish Examiner
3 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Was axing of Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show' part of culture war or ratings decline?
US late-night television had been fighting for its survival even before The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was cancelled on Friday. The announced end of one of the most popular broadcast late-night shows, days after host Stephen Colbert accused the network owner of bribing US president Donald Trump to approve a merger, drew cries of political foul play from liberal politicians, artists and entertainers. "Stephen Colbert, an extraordinary talent and the most popular late-night host, slams the deal. Days later, he's fired. Do I think this is a coincidence? NO," Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent, wrote on X. CBS executives said in a statement that dropping the show was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount." Whether or not politics were at play, the late-night format has been struggling for years, as viewers increasingly cut the cable TV cord and migrate to streaming. Younger viewers, in particular, are more apt to find amusement on YouTube or TikTok, leaving smaller, aging TV audiences and declining ad revenues. Americans used to religiously turn on Johnny Carson or Jay Leno before bed, but nowadays many fans prefer to watch quick clips on social media at their convenience. Advertising revenue for Colbert's show has dropped 40% since 2018 - the financial reality that CBS said prompted the decision to end 'The Late Show' in May 2026. One former TV network executive said the programme was a casualty of the fading economics of broadcast television. Fifteen years ago, a popular late-night show like The Tonight Show could earn $100m (€86m) a year, the executive said. Recently, though, The Late Show has been losing $40m (€34m) a year, said a person briefed on the matter. The show's ad revenue plummeted to $70.2m (€60.4m) last year from $121.1m (€104.1m) in 2018, according to ad tracking firm Guideline. Ratings for Colbert's show peaked at 3.1m viewers on average during the 2017-18 season, according to Nielsen data. For the season that ended in May, the show's audience averaged 1.9m. Comedians like Colbert followed their younger audiences online, with the network releasing clips to YouTube or TikTok. But digital advertising did not make up for the lost TV ad revenue, the source with knowledge of the matter said. The TV executive said reruns of a hit prime-time show like Tracker would leave CBS with 'limited costs, and the ratings could even go up". The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is just the latest casualty of the collapse of one of television's most durable formats. When America's The Late Late Show host James Corden left in 2023, CBS opted not to hire a replacement. The network also canceled After Midnight this year, after host Taylor Tomlinson chose to return to full-time stand-up comedy. But the end came at a politically sensitive time. Paramount Global PARA.O, the parent company of CBS, is seeking approval from the Federal Communications Commission for an $8.4bn (€7.2bn) merger with Skydance Media. This month, Paramount agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by Trump over a 60 Minutes interview with his 2024 Democratic challenger, Kamala Harris. Colbert called the payment 'a big fat bribe' two days before he was told his show was cancelled. Many in the entertainment industry and Democratic politicians have called for probes into the decision, including the Writers Guild of America and Senator Edward Markey, who asked Paramount chair Shari Redstone whether the Trump administration had pressured the company. Paramount has the right to fire Colbert, including for his political positions, Markey said, but 'if the Trump administration is using its regulatory authority to influence or otherwise pressure your company's editorial decisions, the public deserves to know'. A spokesperson for Redstone declined comment. "It's a completely new world that artists and writers and journalists are living in, and it's scary," said Tom Nunan, a veteran film and TV producer who is co-head of the producers programme at UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television. "When the news came in about Colbert, we were shocked but not surprised." Reuters
Irish Times
5 hours ago
- Irish Times
Volodymyr Zelenskiy offers Russia more peace talks next week
Ukraine 's president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that Kyiv has sent Moscow an offer to hold another round of peace talks next week, and that he wanted to speed up negotiations for a ceasefire. Ukraine and Russia have held two rounds of talks in Istanbul over the past five months. They have agreed to swap prisoners but made no breakthroughs in ending almost 3½ years of conflict that started with Russia's 2022 invasion. 'Everything should be done to achieve a ceasefire,' Zelenskiy said in his evening address to the nation. 'The Russian side should stop hiding from decisions,' he added. The president said Rustem Umerov, who headed the Ukrainian delegation at both talks in Istanbul, had sent the Russian side the offer to hold the meeting next week, but gave no more details. READ MORE Umerov, a former defence minister, was appointed last week as the head of the National Security and Defence Council and tasked with adding more momentum to the negotiations. Russia has been pressing a grinding offensive along the eastern front in Ukraine's Donetsk region. It has repeatedly said it is ready for a new round of talks but has not backed down from what Kyiv and its allies describe as its maximalist war aims. [ Lara Marlowe: Trump's threats against Russia are a charade meant to buy Putin time Opens in new window ] US president Donald Trump, who has sharpened his tone against Russia in recent weeks amid worsening air strikes on Ukrainian cities, threatened harsher sanctions on Russia earlier this month if a peace deal was not reached within 50 days. - Reuters
