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Los Angeles Times
10 minutes ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Here's why Jeffrey Epstein's tangled web is conspiratorial catnip
These are salad days for the likes of Joseph Uscinski, who spends his time peering down rabbit holes and poking in the dark spaces where weird and woolly things grow. There are loads of conspiracy theories out there, the granddaddy of them all being the conjecture surrounding John F. Kennedy's assassination. But most tend to fade and be forgotten, said Uscinski, who teaches political science at the University of Miami, where he studies public opinion and mass media, with a focus on conspiracies. 'Only a select few will attract a large number of believers, have movies made... get talked about by politicians,' Uscinski said. The Jeffrey Epstein saga has all the elements of one of those top-shelf intrigues, with an added Shakespearean twist — a president whose political rise has been fueled by outlandish conspiracy theories and now faces a backlash from some of his most faithful devotees, as he tries to wriggle free from a deceitful web of his own design. Delicious, especially if you enjoy your schadenfreude served piping hot. The known facts are these: Epstein was an eye-poppingly wealthy financier, luxe man-about-Manhattan and convicted sex offender who sexually trafficked women and girls. In 2008, he agreed to an exceedingly lenient plea deal with federal prosecutors that resulted in a 13-month prison sentence, with freedom granted 12 hours a day, six days a week, under a work-release program. A decade later, an investigative reporter at the Miami Herald identified scores of alleged survivors of sexual abuse by Epstein and some of his associates. In 2019, a new federal criminal case was brought against him. About a month after being arrested, Epstein was found dead in his cell at a jail in New York City. Investigators ruled Epstein's death a suicide. An A-list fixture of the upper-crust social scene, Epstein has been linked in court documents with a galaxy of celebrities from the worlds of Hollywood, business and politics. It's an article of faith among some true believers — particularly within the MAGA movement — that a secret list of those serviced by Epstein's sexual enterprise exists somewhere in the bowels of the federal government, hidden by agents of the hated, anti-Trump 'deep state.' In a Fox News interview in February, Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi said a list of Epstein's clients was 'sitting on my desk right now to review,' with its public release seemingly just a matter of time. Then, like one of Trump's threatened tariffs, the list — or 'list' — abruptly vanished. There was no such thing, the Justice Department announced earlier this month, along with a finding that Epstein had, in fact, killed himself and was not, as some assert, murdered by forces wishing to silence him. A piqued president urged everyone to move on and forget about Epstein. 'Somebody that nobody cares about,' sniffed Trump, who moved in many of the same social circles as Epstein but now downplays their yearslong friendship. All in all, conspiratorial catnip. 'Saying there are files and then saying there aren't files... setting up some expectation for revelations and then insisting that actually there's nothing there' has only deepened the well of suspicion, said Kathryn Olmsted, a UC Davis conspiracy expert who's studied past instances of government deflection and deception involving the CIA and FBI, among others. Unlike some of the crackpot stuff she's heard — like Bill and Hillary Clinton murdering Joan Rivers to cover up Michelle Obama's transgender identity — the conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein have at least some grounding in reality. 'He was very rich and powerful and he associated with some of the most powerful and richest people in the world, including members of both the Democratic and Republican parties,' Olmsted said. 'And he was trafficking girls. There's an actual crime at the heart of this. It's not just something that people have made up out of thin air.' That's the thing that gives the Epstein conspiracy theories their distinctly frothy frisson: a blending of vital ingredients, one very old and the other comparatively new. False allegations of child abuse date back to the blood libel of the Middle Ages and the assertion that Jews tortured and murdered Christian children as part of their ceremonial worship. From there, a through line can be traced all the way to the 2016 'Pizzagate' conspiracy, which claimed that Hillary Clinton and her top aides were running a child-trafficking ring out of a Washington pizza parlor. Truly vile stuff. Take that ancient trope and marry it to a modern lack of faith in the federal government and its institutions and you're gifted with an endless source of lurid speculation. 'The number of threads that you can pull out of [the Epstein] fabric are many,' said retired University of Utah historian Robert Goldberg, another conspiracy expert. 'And they're going to be long.' Democrats, for their part, are eagerly fanning the controversy, as a way to undermine Trump and drive a wedge in his granite-firm base. 'He said he was going to release [the complete Epstein files] and now he's saying there's nothing to see here and appears to be wanting to sweep the whole thing under the rug,' Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, who played a prominent role in the Jan. 6 congressional hearings, taunted on MSNBC. 'There is overwhelming bipartisan, popular demand, congressional demand, to release all of this stuff.' Indeed, Trump need only look in one of his gilded mirrors to see what's driven years of fevered Epstein obsession. 'He built a coalition of people who have these beliefs,' said the University of Miami's Uscinski. 'And I think he's learned that once you build a coalition of conspiracy theorists, you can't get them to [stop believing]. They came to him because he was telling them what they want. He can't turn around and do the opposite now.' Oh, what a tangled web we weave...
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Donald Trump's granddaughter Kai earns five time more than him. How did she become a teen millionaire?
Kai Trump , the eldest grandchildren of US President Donald Trump, is already a teenage millionaire. She is following in her family's business-forward footsteps with multiple name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals amounting to more than $1 million. The 17-year-old has already scored deals with Accelerator Active Energy, Leaf Trading Cards, and TaylorMade Golf before heading to University of Miami to begin playing on the school's golf team. She boasts of more than six million followers on social media. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Design Thinking Digital Marketing Data Science Others others Technology Leadership Cybersecurity Operations Management Healthcare MBA PGDM Public Policy Finance Management Data Science healthcare Degree MCA Artificial Intelligence CXO Product Management Project Management Data Analytics Skills you'll gain: Duration: 25 Weeks IIM Kozhikode CERT-IIMK PCP DTIM Async India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 22 Weeks IIM Indore CERT-IIMI DTAI Async India Starts on undefined Get Details Kai Trump's net worth According to On3, Kai Trump has an NIL valuation of at least $1.2 million. That's among the top female student-athlete NIL earners alongside Louisiana State University gymnast Livvy Dunne, who had an NIL valuation of $4.1 million, and basketball player Flau'jae Johnson, who has an NIL valuation of $1.5 million, according to Sports Illustrated. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cardiologist Reveals: The Simple Morning Habit for a Flatter Belly After 50! Lulutox Undo ALSO READ: Stimulus payments worth $300 to $1,700 to hit bank accounts of Americans in days. Check eligibility and key dates Kai has a net worth of $21 million dollars and makes five times more than her grandfather, US President Donald Trump, reports The Irish Star. She brings an estimated $2.5 million dollars annually through through modeling contracts, social media sponsorships, and brand endorsement deals. And this is in addition to her trust fund of $16 million dollars. On the other hand, Donald Trump makes $400,000 a year as president Live Events She attends The Benjamin School in Palm Beach, Florida, where she's on the golf team, and has plans to play golf in college. Kai Trump has leveraged her personal brand to secure such deals. She has approximately 1.8 million followers on Instagram, 3.2 million on TikTok, and 1.17 million on YouTube. Her latest NIL deal is with Accelerator Active Energy, a sugar-free energy drink that has also partnered with Dunne. Kai is expected to graduate high school in 2026 and has made a verbal commitment to play collegiate golf at the University of Miami, joining the Hurricanes in the 2026 signing class. ALSO READ: Did CBS cancel Stephen Colbert's show over Trump's $16million win over '60 Minutes' lawsuit? Check details Kai Trump has a head for business Kai utilises her social media in the best way possible- she offers her fans behind-the-scenes glimpse into the political landscape in Washington, D.C., and her experiences with golf. Kai is the daughter of President's eldest son Donald Trump Jr. Her public prominence skyrocketed last year after she delivered a speech at the Republican National Convention. She told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that she 'always wanted' to create content on social media and serve as a role model for younger people. But her true passion lies in golf, like Trump. Kai told Fox News Digital that she intends to pursue a professional golf career after college. ALSO READ: Andy Byron video: 'Embarrassed' woman on Coldplay kiss cam was recently promoted as Astronomer VP by Kristin Cabot 'If I have two hours, I'm not going to hit a few balls, go on my phone, scroll. No, I'm going to take full advantage of the time I have on the course. So, I mean, I think that's going to get me onto the next level for sure,' Kai told Fox News. Kai is a senior in high school, making Barron Trump, who is a freshman in college, 19, her uncle. One of Kai's NIL deals is with TaylorMade Golf, a leading manufacturer of golf equipment and apparel. Kai also has access to some of the best golf teachers in the world, including her mother Vanessa Trump's new boyfriend, Tiger Woods.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Kai Trump's endorsements have made her a teenage millionaire
Kai Trump, the eldest of President Donald Trump's grandchildren, is already following in her family's business-forward footsteps with multiple name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals amounting to more than $1 million. Before heading to the University of Miami next fall to begin playing on the school's golf team, Kai, 18, has already scored deals with Accelerator Active Energy, Leaf Trading Cards, and TaylorMade Golf. With more than six million followers on social media, Kai has an NIL valuation of at least $1.2 million, according to On3. That's among the top female student-athlete NIL earners alongside Louisiana State University gymnast Livvy Dunne, who had an NIL valuation of $4.1 million, and basketball player Flau'jae Johnson, who has an NIL valuation of $1.5 million, according to Sports Illustrated. NIL deals enable college athletes to earn money from endorsements, sponsorships, collaborations, and other opportunities based on their personal brand, rather than their athletic performance. Kai Trump has a reported $1.2 million in name, image, and likeness contracts related to her aspiring golf career with several companies (AFP via Getty Images) Trump reportedly intends to sign an executive order establishing national standards for the National Collegiate Athletic Association's NIL program, according to people familiar with the plan, as CBS News reported earlier this week. Kai, who attended The Benjamin School in Palm Beach, Florida, has leveraged her personal brand to secure such deals. She has approximately 1.8 million followers on Instagram, 3.2 million on TikTok, and 1.17 million on YouTube. Her latest NIL deal is with Accelerator Active Energy, a sugar-free energy drink that has also partnered with Dunne. The eldest Trump grandchild utilizes her social media following to offer fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the political landscape in Washington, D.C., and her experiences with golf. While Kai is well-known to fans of Trump, as she is the daughter of the president's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., her public prominence skyrocketed last year after she delivered a speech at the Republican National Convention. She told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that she 'always wanted' to create content on social media and serve as a role model for younger people. Kai Trump, an aspiring professional golfer, says she spends any free time golfing (Getty Images) However, her true passion lies in golf, a game popular with her grandfather. Kai told Fox News Digital that she intends to pursue a professional golf career after college. 'If I have two hours, I'm not going to hit a few balls, go on my phone, scroll. No, I'm going to take full advantage of the time I have on the course. So, I mean, I think that's going to get me onto the next level for sure,' Kai told Fox News. One of Kai's NIL deals is with TaylorMade Golf, a leading manufacturer of golf equipment and apparel. Kai also has access to some of the best golf teachers in the world, including her mother Vanessa Trump's new boyfriend, Tiger Woods.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Kai Trump near top of leaderboard at South Florida junior golf tournament
Kai Trump is in contention this week at a South Florida PGA junior golf tournament in Palm Beach County. Trump, the eldest grandchild of U.S. President Donald J. Trump and a rising senior at the Benjamin School, shot 76 (5-over) and is tied for second place after the first round of an SFPGA Medalist Tour event on July 16 at Lost City Golf Club in Atlantis, Florida. Starting on No. 10, Trump birdied two of her first five holes to rise into first place. She faltered late in the round with four consecutive bogeys. Boca Raton's Jayden Loyacona, an All-County selection and district champion last fall with Spanish River High School, shot 75 (4-over) to hold a solo lead after the first round. Trump will tee off in the second round at 10:06 a.m. on July 17 in a group with Loyacona and Port St. Lucie's Abigail Smith. Trump, a University of Miami golf commit, is seeking her first Medalist Tour victory. Her previous best finish was tied for seventh at Martin Downs Golf Club in Palm City. Kai Trump hole-by-hole scorecard Lost City Golf Club July 16, 2025 Hole — Score (Strokes) Final: In 37, Out 39, Total 76 (5-over) Kai Trump energy drink Trump, a University of Miami commit, announced her latest NIL deal on July 15. She joined Accelerator Active Energy as an equity partner alongside former LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne and NFL star Travis Kelce. Trump made an appearance on Fox News' "Fox & Friends" morning show on July 15 to promote the NIL deal and discuss her golf game. In February, Trump signed an endorsement deal with TaylorMade. Eric J. Wallace is deputy sports editor for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at ejwallace@
Fox News
3 days ago
- Sport
- Fox News
Kai Trump, granddaughter of Donald Trump, reveals she '100%' wants to be a pro golfer
In August 2024, Kai Trump, the granddaughter of President Donald Trump, made the announcement that she verbally committed to play college golf at the University of Miami. Trump will enroll in 2026 to continue her golf career, something that has been a passion for her ever since she picked up a club at two years old. But while Trump has many different hats she wears, including content creation for her millions of followers on social media, make no mistake: The goal is to be a professional golfer. "Yeah, it is. 100%," she told Fox News Digital, while also discussing her NIL partnership with Accelerator Active Energy on Tuesday. Trump still has one year of high school left before she can get to Miami to help the Hurricanes on the course. And she knows what she needs to do to prepare for that. "Just playing a lot of events, just gaining experience," Trump explained. "But also practice. If I have two hours, I'm not gonna hit a few balls, go on my phone and scroll. No, I'm going to take full-on advantage with the time I have on the course. "I think that's going to get me to the next level for sure, as well as just training in the gym, getting stronger and playing more rounds." In turn, Trump chose Miami because she believes it will help her reach that ultimate goal of playing on a professional tour. "The more golf I play, the better I'll do. Getting experience. Miami gave me a great opportunity, and I'm really looking forward to that," she said. Trump also understands how much of a balance being a student-athlete will be at that level, especially when it comes to her other passions. But she says golf is the top priority the second she steps on campus. And when she's on the course, Trump gets into this competitive state that she feels "you can't really teach." "I don't know, it might just be a family gene or something," she said, smiling. "Yeah, on the course, that's something you can't really teach. But I just have a very competitive side to me, especially having brothers and a big family. You have to be competitive sometimes." If Trump wishes to see those pro dreams fulfilled, being competitive is a necessity as she looks ahead to that next step in a golf career she hopes will be on a tour one day. PARTNERING WITH ACCELERATOR Being a college athlete in today's NCAA means having the ability to profit off your brand, and Kai has already developed quite the following through her social media and content creation passions. In turn, she struck an NIL partnership with Accelerator Active Energy, becoming the brand's first golf NIL partner, while also being an equity partner. Accelerator Active Energy is the brand that earned acclaim for launching "The Livvy Fund" with former college gymnastics champion Livvy Dunne to support women's college athletes. And while Dunne is an equity partner, so is Kansas City Chiefs superstar Travis Kelce. A presidential-themed video, in which Kai addresses "fellow Americans and content creators," announced the move, which she could not be more excited for. "It's pretty cool, especially being partners with such great athletes and being up there too with them," she said. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
