Why is Trump facing a MAGA revolt over the Jeffrey Epstein files?
The Republican President urged his followers 'not to waste time and energy' on the Epstein case, but it appears the damage has already been done.
So what happened and why has it caused such a stir in MAGA [Make America Great Again] circles.
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Epstein's client list – does it exist?
Last week, the US Department of Justice released an unsigned memorandum declaring that there was no evidence Epstein maintained a client list and there was no 'credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals.'
Epstein was arrested and charged with sex trafficking minors in 2019, before committing suicide in jail. The memorandum also stated that he had died by suicide, contrary to many prominent conspiracy theories.
The news exploded in the MAGA universe – for years they had been told there was a client list.
Trump's attorney general, Pam Bondi, said the client list was 'sitting on my desk' in February, but later claimed she was referencing the Epstein case file.
(Image: Getty Images) Numerous high-profile Trump allies, such as vice president JD Vance (above) and Kash Patel, have said the list should be released.
But now, Trump and his officials are rolling back and insisting the client list does not exist.
In his social media post Trump claimed the files were written by 'Obama and Crooked Hilary' and 'the Losers and Criminals of the Biden Administration'.
'They created the Epstein Files, just like they created the FAKE Hillary Clinton/Christopher Steele Dossier that they used on me, and now my so-called "friends" are playing right into their hands,' Trump wrote.
'Why didn't these Radical Left Lunatics release the Epstein Files? If there was ANYTHING in there that could have hurt the MAGA Movement, why didn't they use it?'
Why does it matter?
The row over the Epstein client list plays into a conspiracy theory, much like Q Anon, that believes the elite in society are involved in systemic sexual abuse of children, and covering it up.
The Epstein client list was seen as a lightning rod for this, that would expose those elites who had been involved with the billionaire and his enabler and co-conspirator Ghislane Maxwell.
Epstein and Maxwell groomed and sexually abused hundreds of young women and girls, and they had seemingly unlimited connections to powerful people across the country.
One of Epstein's powerful friends was Trump, and they made no secret of partying together.
Epstein and Trump in 1997 (Image: Getty Images) In 2002, Trump told New York Magazine: 'It is even said that he [Epstein] likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.'
It has also created a rift between the DOJ, headed by Bondi, and the FBI.
What have right-wing influencers been saying about it?
Well, they are furious.
'The whole thing that this tape shows that he didn't kill himself is, like, a joke, but worse than that, it's a joke that we all get. I feel like we're at a dangerous point now,' Tucker Carlson said.
'RELEASE THE EPSTEIN CLIENT LIST!!!!' Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote on X, while Alex Jones said the Trump administration was now 'part of the cover up'.
At a student conference hosted by right-wing group Turning Point USA this weekend, the conversation was dominated by the rift over the Epstein files.
'Epstein is a key that picks the lock on so many things, not just individuals, but also institutions, intelligence institutions, foreign governments, and who's work and who was working with him on our intelligence apparatus and in our government,' Steve Bannon told the summit.
He also said he is advocating for the Trump administration to appoint a special counsel to tackle the issue.
And Elon Musk, who had a very public break up with the President not long ago, said: 'Seriously. He said 'Epstein' half a dozen times while telling everyone to stop talking about Epstein. Just release the files as promised.'
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