Latest news with #suicide
CNN
an hour ago
- Politics
- CNN
What are your questions about the Epstein files?
President Donald Trump is furious that some of his supporters won't let go of questions about disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's suicide while awaiting trial in 2019 and his ties to rich and powerful Americans. The refusal of Trump's administration to release more information has only fed the flames.
CNN
an hour ago
- Politics
- CNN
What are your questions about the Epstein files?
President Donald Trump is furious that some of his supporters won't let go of questions about disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's suicide while awaiting trial in 2019 and his ties to rich and powerful Americans. The refusal of Trump's administration to release more information has only fed the flames.
Washington Post
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Donald Trump is fighting a conspiracy the only way he knows how
Conspiracy theorists tend to be collectors: One conspiracy is never enough. Our conspiracy theorist in chief has speculated that Barack Obama and Nikki Haley weren't born in the United States, that vaccines cause autism, that voting machines miscounted the results of the 2020 presidential election, and more. Now, President Donald Trump is trying to bury one conspiracy theory under another. The most lurid speculation about Jeffrey Epstein holds that he sexually trafficked girls to many powerful people and blackmailed them, and that his apparent suicide was actually a murder committed at the behest of some of them. Connections to Mossad are hinted at but never substantiated. The president's supporters, including some top officials he has appointed, have kept this controversy alive. Trump himself, even though he was the official ultimately in charge of the federal jail where it happened, cast doubt on whether Epstein had killed himself. But now, Trump is facing accusations of covering up the story himself, along with new attention to his own ties to the deceased sex criminal. It's therefore time, Trump says, to stop talking about Epstein. The lingering questions are a 'scam' and a 'hoax' spread by the president's enemies, who he said 'made up' the so-called Epstein files and then didn't release anything incriminating while they were in power for reasons he hasn't quite yet articulated. Trump's theory has even less evidence going for it than the one he wants us all to forget (although Democrats, overjoyed at the rift in Trump's ranks, are certainly fanning the controversy now). The fact Trump used to exploit, and now frustrates him, is that conspiracy theories are as hard to eradicate as a contagious disease. They offer the allure of secret knowledge — you're not one of the sheeple who accept whatever NASA tells you — and entry into the community that knows the truth. They provide satisfying, if inaccurate, answers to vexing mysteries. (Why does my child have autism? Why do my neighbors support a politician I do not?) It helps that powerful people do, sometimes, conspire, all the more under a relaxed definition of 'powerful' and 'conspire.' Any network of like-minded political activists can be described as a conspiracy. They are people who, to go back to the roots of the word, breathe together. What makes 'conspiracy theory' a pejorative term is the frequent reliance on implausible feats of coordination and secret-keeping by the conspirators, together with the assumption of the worst possible motives for them. Yet even the most far-fetched theories usually have some basis, however tenuous, in fact. Epstein really was a predator who hobnobbed with the rich and famous. Conspiracy obsessives often have a better handle on these facts than normal people. They have more motivation to keep track of them. Every few days, I see left-leaning people posting on Facebook that Trump wasn't shot in Butler, Pennsylvania, last year; I guarantee some of them are more familiar with the forensic reports than most of us. And what the non-conspiracist sees as random and unrelated facts fit, for the conspiracist, into a memorable pattern. New discoveries, or 'discoveries,' can be slotted into the structure of the theory. The well-versed conspiracy theorist can often beat you in a debate. A good conspiracy theory accommodates developments that appear to run counter to it. If authorities investigate and find the theory baseless — even authorities who previously entertained the theory — that just means someone got to them. Too bad, FBI Director Kash Patel. Conspiracy theories are easy to build up and difficult to tear down. Institutions, the other way around. Trump, who uses the former to smash the latter, is upset that his 'PAST supporters' won't take the word of once-vaunted sources such as the Justice Department that he has continuously derided. Trump did not begin this demolition. It is no accident — see how easy it is to slip into the language of conspiracy? — that these theories have gained purchase at the same time that institutions, including the media, have lost public confidence. Those institutions require trust, and they build it when they work well. Conspiracy theories reflect the corrosion of that trust and corrode it further. When that trust has declined enough, no elaborate theory is needed. You can just make wild assertions or 'ask questions.' When Trump casually suggested that Justice Antonin Scalia might have been murdered, he did not even bother to fill out the story he was conjuring. Trump's attempt to spin a new conspiracy theory to snuff out an old one might just be a matter of habit. But he might also have made the judgment, at least implicitly, that in a distrustful age the only way to beat a conspiracy theory is with another one. If, that is, it can be beaten at all.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
What Trump has said about Epstein through the years, from 'terrific guy' to 'creep' that 'nobody cares about'
Amid ongoing backlash over his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, President Trump says he can't understand the fascination with the accused sex trafficker, who died by suicide in jail while awaiting trial. 'I don't understand why the Jeffrey Epstein case would be of interest to anybody,' Trump told reporters earlier this week. 'It's pretty boring stuff. It's sordid, but it's boring, and I don't understand why it keeps going.' But the president's own words through the years might help explain the fixation. October 2002: Trump calls Epstein a 'terrific guy' Long before he became president, Trump was friends with Epstein, who, like him, owned homes in New York and Palm Beach, Fla., and liked, as he put it, 'beautiful women.' 'I've known Jeff for 15 years,' Trump told New York Magazine for a 2002 profile of Epstein. 'Terrific guy. He's a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.' July 2019: Trump says he's 'not a fan' In July 2019, during Trump's first term in office, Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges. Asked about his relationship with Epstein, the president distanced himself, saying he was 'not a fan.' 'Well, I knew him like everybody in Palm Beach knew him,' Trump told reporters following Epstein's arrest. 'I mean, people in Palm Beach knew him. He was a fixture in Palm Beach. I had a falling out with him a long time ago. I don't think I've spoken to him for 15 years. I wasn't a fan. I was not, yeah, a long time ago, I'd say maybe 15 years. I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you. I was not a fan of his." August 2019: Trump suggests Bill Clinton may have been involved in Epstein's death A month later, after Epstein died in federal custody while awaiting trial, Trump retweeted a post that claimed without evidence that former President Bill Clinton was somehow involved. Asked about the claim, Trump called for a 'full investigation' into Epstein's death. "What we're saying is we want an investigation,' Trump told reporters. 'I want a full investigation, and that's what I absolutely am demanding." The president directed then-Attorney General William Barr to lead the probe. Barr later said he agreed with the conclusion of the New York City medical examiner, who ruled the death a suicide. August 2020: Trump fuels more conspiracy theories During the 2020 presidential campaign, Trump continued to echo conspiracy theories pushed by some of his supporters who claim that Epstein was murdered to conceal the names of powerful people on a secret 'client list.' 'People are still trying to figure out how did it happen," Trump said in an interview with Axios. "Was it suicide? Was he killed?' August 2023: Trump says 'it's possible' Epstein was killed, but 'probably committed suicide' In an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Trump was asked if it was possible Epstein had been killed. "Oh, sure, it's possible,' Trump replied before quickly adding: 'I mean, I don't really believe — I think he probably committed suicide. He had a life with, you know, beautiful homes and beautiful everything. And he all of a sudden is incarcerated and not doing very well. I would say that he did. But there are those people. There are many people, I think you're one of them, right? But a lot of people think that he was killed. He knew a lot of and a lot of people.' 2024 campaign: Trump says he'd consider releasing Epstein files as president During the 2024 campaign, Trump said he would consider releasing additional government files on Epstein. In an interview with Fox News in June of that year, Trump was asked if he would commit to releasing government files related to the John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. assassinations in addition to Epstein's death. "Would you declassify the Epstein files?" Fox News' Rachel Campos-Duffy asked. "Yeah, yeah, I would,' Trump initially responded. He then clarified: "I don't know about Epstein so much as I do the others. Certainly about the way he died. It'd be interesting to find out what happened there, because that was a weird situation and the cameras didn't happen to be working, etc., etc. But yeah, I'd go a long way toward that one." In a September podcast interview with Lex Fridman, Trump called speculation about an Epstein client list "very interesting" and he'd 'probably' release it. 'I'd certainly take a look at it,' Trump said, before comparing the Epstein case to the Kennedy assassination. 'Now, Kennedy's interesting because it's so many years ago," Trump said. "They [classify] that for danger too, because it endangers certain people, etc., etc. So Kennedy is very different from the Epstein thing, but I'd be inclined to do the Epstein. I'd have no problem with it." 2025: Trump fumes over focus on 'the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax' After Trump took office, he directed the Justice Department to conduct an exhaustive review of the evidence collected on Epstein. Appearing on Fox News in February, Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Epstein client list was 'sitting on my desk right now to review.' 'That's been a directive by President Trump,' she added. But Trump himself didn't say much about the Epstein probe until last week, when the DOJ and FBI released a two-page memo concluding Epstein had no 'client list' and that he 'committed suicide in his cell.' 'One of our highest priorities is combating child exploitation and bringing justice to victims,' the FBI and DOJ said. 'Perpetuating unfounded theories about Epstein serves neither of those ends.' The memo triggered the recent backlash among Trump's longtime supporters. During a Cabinet meeting on July 8, Trump bristled at a reporter's question about the Epstein memo. "Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein?" Trump said. "This guy's been talked about for years. You're asking. We have Texas [flooding], we have this. We have all of the things. And are people still talking about this guy, this creep? That is unbelievable." On Saturday, Trump released a lengthy statement expressing his frustration over the Epstein saga. 'We're on one Team, MAGA, and I don't like what's happening,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and 'selfish people' are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein. For years, it's Epstein, over and over again. 'One year ago our Country was DEAD, now it's the 'HOTTEST' Country anywhere in the World,' he added. 'Let's keep it that way, and not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about.' Then on Wednesday, Trump lashed out at his supporters while repeatedly referring to the case as 'the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax.' 'My PAST supporters have bought into this 'bullshit,' hook, line, and sinker,' the president fumed on a Truth Social post. 'All these people want to talk about, with strong prodding by the Fake News and the success starved Dems, is the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax.'
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
What Trump has said about Epstein through the years, from 'terrific guy' to 'creep' that 'nobody cares about'
Amid ongoing backlash over his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, President Trump says he can't understand the fascination with the accused sex trafficker, who died by suicide in jail while awaiting trial. 'I don't understand why the Jeffrey Epstein case would be of interest to anybody,' Trump told reporters earlier this week. 'It's pretty boring stuff. It's sordid, but it's boring, and I don't understand why it keeps going.' But the president's own words through the years might help explain the fixation. October 2002: Trump calls Epstein a 'terrific guy' Long before he became president, Trump was friends with Epstein, who, like him, owned homes in New York and Palm Beach, Fla., and liked, as he put it, 'beautiful women.' 'I've known Jeff for 15 years,' Trump told New York Magazine for a 2002 profile of Epstein. 'Terrific guy. He's a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.' July 2019: Trump says he's 'not a fan' In July 2019, during Trump's first term in office, Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges. Asked about his relationship with Epstein, the president distanced himself, saying he was 'not a fan.' 'Well, I knew him like everybody in Palm Beach knew him,' Trump told reporters following Epstein's arrest. 'I mean, people in Palm Beach knew him. He was a fixture in Palm Beach. I had a falling out with him a long time ago. I don't think I've spoken to him for 15 years. I wasn't a fan. I was not, yeah, a long time ago, I'd say maybe 15 years. I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you. I was not a fan of his." August 2019: Trump suggests Bill Clinton may have been involved in Epstein's death A month later, after Epstein died in federal custody while awaiting trial, Trump retweeted a post that claimed without evidence that former President Bill Clinton was somehow involved. Asked about the claim, Trump called for a 'full investigation' into Epstein's death. "What we're saying is we want an investigation,' Trump told reporters. 'I want a full investigation, and that's what I absolutely am demanding." The president directed then-Attorney General William Barr to lead the probe. Barr later said he agreed with the conclusion of the New York City medical examiner, who ruled the death a suicide. August 2020: Trump fuels more conspiracy theories During the 2020 presidential campaign, Trump continued to echo conspiracy theories pushed by some of his supporters who claim that Epstein was murdered to conceal the names of powerful people on a secret 'client list.' 'People are still trying to figure out how did it happen," Trump said in an interview with Axios. "Was it suicide? Was he killed?' August 2023: Trump says 'it's possible' Epstein was killed, but 'probably committed suicide' In an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Trump was asked if it was possible Epstein had been killed. "Oh, sure, it's possible,' Trump replied before quickly adding: 'I mean, I don't really believe — I think he probably committed suicide. He had a life with, you know, beautiful homes and beautiful everything. And he all of a sudden is incarcerated and not doing very well. I would say that he did. But there are those people. There are many people, I think you're one of them, right? But a lot of people think that he was killed. He knew a lot of and a lot of people.' 2024 campaign: Trump says he'd consider releasing Epstein files as president During the 2024 campaign, Trump said he would consider releasing additional government files on Epstein. In an interview with Fox News in June of that year, Trump was asked if he would commit to releasing government files related to the John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. assassinations in addition to Epstein's death. "Would you declassify the Epstein files?" Fox News' Rachel Campos-Duffy asked. "Yeah, yeah, I would,' Trump initially responded. He then clarified: "I don't know about Epstein so much as I do the others. Certainly about the way he died. It'd be interesting to find out what happened there, because that was a weird situation and the cameras didn't happen to be working, etc., etc. But yeah, I'd go a long way toward that one." In a September podcast interview with Lex Fridman, Trump called speculation about an Epstein client list "very interesting" and he'd 'probably' release it. 'I'd certainly take a look at it,' Trump said, before comparing the Epstein case to the Kennedy assassination. 'Now, Kennedy's interesting because it's so many years ago," Trump said. "They [classify] that for danger too, because it endangers certain people, etc., etc. So Kennedy is very different from the Epstein thing, but I'd be inclined to do the Epstein. I'd have no problem with it." 2025: Trump fumes over focus on 'the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax' After Trump took office, he directed the Justice Department to conduct an exhaustive review of the evidence collected on Epstein. Appearing on Fox News in February, Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Epstein client list was 'sitting on my desk right now to review.' 'That's been a directive by President Trump,' she added. But Trump himself didn't say much about the Epstein probe until last week, when the DOJ and FBI released a two-page memo concluding Epstein had no 'client list' and that he 'committed suicide in his cell.' 'One of our highest priorities is combating child exploitation and bringing justice to victims,' the FBI and DOJ said. 'Perpetuating unfounded theories about Epstein serves neither of those ends.' The memo triggered the recent backlash among Trump's longtime supporters. During a Cabinet meeting on July 8, Trump bristled at a reporter's question about the Epstein memo. "Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein?" Trump said. "This guy's been talked about for years. You're asking. We have Texas [flooding], we have this. We have all of the things. And are people still talking about this guy, this creep? That is unbelievable." On Saturday, Trump released a lengthy statement expressing his frustration over the Epstein saga. 'We're on one Team, MAGA, and I don't like what's happening,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and 'selfish people' are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein. For years, it's Epstein, over and over again. 'One year ago our Country was DEAD, now it's the 'HOTTEST' Country anywhere in the World,' he added. 'Let's keep it that way, and not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about.' Then on Wednesday, Trump lashed out at his supporters while repeatedly referring to the case as 'the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax.' 'My PAST supporters have bought into this 'bullshit,' hook, line, and sinker,' the president fumed on a Truth Social post. 'All these people want to talk about, with strong prodding by the Fake News and the success starved Dems, is the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax.'
