American media close in on Trump’s relationship with Epstein

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), The New York Times (NYT), and CNN have broken stories in recent days concerning the relationship of Donald Trump with pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The news comes after weeks of speculation over Trump’s decades-long association with Epstein. The Independent reported that:

Sources from the Trump administration told The Wall Street Journal that Attorney General Pam Bondi and her deputy, Todd Blanche, informed the president during a May meeting at the White House that his name was mentioned after they sifted through a “truckload” of documents related to Epstein.

A White House spokesperson has called the WSJ report a “fake news story.” However, earlier this month when Trump was directly asked by a reporter if Bondi had told him that he appeared in the so-called Epstein files, he replied “no, no.”

Trump can’t shake off Epstein

Just days ago, the NYT ran a report diving into what it called “the long friendship between Trump and Epstein.” Now, CNN have uncovered archive footage of Epstein and Trump chatting at Trump’s wedding  to Marla Maples in 1993. And, as CNN’s Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck wrote:

The Justice Department’s recent decision not to release long-promised files related to Epstein has spurred outrage in some corners of Trump’s MAGA movement, where people developed an expectation for bombshell revelations into Epstein’s alleged co-conspirators.

All three outlets are careful to note that police have never accused Trump of any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein. However, the association alone has caused waves amongst Trump’s fanbase. Right-wing commenter Tucker Carlson gave a speech at Turning Point USA – a far-right conference – that the Trump administration was silencing MAGA supporters in the same manner as “the left”:

And I think that’s really at the heart of why the Epstein thing is so distressing, the fact that the US government, the one that I voted for, refused to take my question seriously, and instead said: ‘Case closed; shut up, conspiracy theorist,’ was too much for me. And I don’t think the rest of us should be satisfied with that.

Trump notoriously made a campaign promise to release the Epstein files. But, over the past few months, he has changed his tune. Instead, he’s called the reporting on Epstein:

a witch hunt.

‘Massive cover up’

The Lincoln Project, a group of Republicans who oppose Trump, called the developments “a massive cover up”:

To be clear, this now a massive cover up involving the President, the Attorney General, the FBI Director, and the GOP Congress. Full story here: https://t.co/kz8rKl6jRA pic.twitter.com/FtOnWAszKA

— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) July 23, 2025

Democrat Adam Schiff called for the files to be released:

Trump told the press he was not informed that his name was in the Epstein files.

Now we learn that this was a lie. He was told by Bondi, his former criminal defense lawyer and now the AG.

Time to end the Trump/Epstein cover-up. Release the files. pic.twitter.com/pDyjt27i96

— Adam Schiff (@SenAdamSchiff) July 23, 2025

Florida congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost joked about the Trump administration running out of distractions from Epstein:

The White House is about to drop proof of aliens https://t.co/LeO2G7Lrii

— Maxwell Alejandro Frost (@MaxwellFrostFL) July 23, 2025

The WSJ article in particular appears to have struck a chord with Democrats. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said:

Release the files. https://t.co/iyK90FejLu

— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) July 23, 2025

Colorado congressman Jason Crow called Trump a “swamp monster”:

Donald Trump is the biggest swamp monster of them all right now.

Release the Epstein files. pic.twitter.com/VQpInfNKQy

— Rep. Jason Crow (@RepJasonCrow) July 23, 2025

Forcing the conversation over Trump and Epstein

Democrats have further been attempting to force votes on the Epstein issue, as Politico reported:

In committee markups, hearings and in procedural motions on the House floor, Democrats have sought to force votes that would force Republicans to take positions on whether to release the Epstein files — slowing down legislative business and, in some cases, grinding it to a halt.

Such a move forces Republicans to confront their public positions on Trump’s relationship to Epstein, and the release of the files. NBC reported:

It did not matter the focus of the panel, from oversight issues to financial services, Democrats forced the issue.

Speaker Mike Johnson ended up cancelling the final day of votes before the summer break, such was the disruption from Democrats. Ted Lieu, vice-chair of the House Democratic caucus said:

They are actually ending this week early because they’re afraid to cast votes on the Jeffrey Epstein issue.

Democrat Ro Khanna also decried the decision to end voting early, claiming Johnson has only done so because:

He knows he would lose the vote.

Betrayal of trust

Khanna also argued that Trump’s refusal to engage with the question of Epstein has put him on a crash course with his own fanbase:

They said they were going to get rid of the corruption. They said they were going to expose the Epstein files. They said they weren’t going to protect the rich and powerful. They said they were going to be on the side of the people

And, Khanna concluded that even if the Epstein files don’t reveal any new information, releasing them would still be important:

Just the release is the best-case scenario, because it’s a step to restore trust of the American public, even if there’s nothing in there. But right now the government has lost trust. If there are powerful and rich men who did engage in sex trafficking or were on Epstein’s plane, went to Epstein’s island, that information should come out, and people should be held accountable.

By this stage, with speculation rife and MAGA supporters suspicious, Trump may well have already lost the PR war. His fanbase have stuck by him through his own sexual assault trial, his rabid deportations, and countless scandals. But, it was Trump himself who based both his campaigns and presidential terms on ‘draining the swamp.’ Even if he has done nothing illegal in relation to Epstein, the damage to his image and fanbase could be irreversible.

Featured image via YouTube screenshot/CNN