Why the Epstein Case Is Not Going Away

When the cover-up becomes the conspiracy.

Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump pose together at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, 1997. Photograph: Davidoff Studios Photography/Getty Images

The Jeffrey Epstein case has become the ultimate test of MAGA loyalty, and it's tearing the movement apart from within. What we're witnessing isn't just a conspiracy theory gone wrong; it's a full-scale civil war within Trump's own political coalition, with former allies now at each other's throats over the very files they once promised to release.

This explosive issue is not going to go away, and I’d like to explain why.

The most stunning reversal comes from three of MAGA world's most trusted figures: Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino. All three were once fierce advocates for releasing the Epstein files, stoking the conspiracy flames that helped galvanize Trump's base. Now, they've become the primary defenders of keeping those same files sealed.

Bondi promised in February that an Epstein "client list" was "sitting on my desk" awaiting release, only to have the Justice Department conclude this week that no such client list exists. Patel and Bongino, who previously raised questions about Epstein's suicide as influencers, now insist he killed himself after reviewing the evidence as government officials.

This dramatic about-face has sent shockwaves through the MAGA faithful. "Pam Bondi looked the American people in the eye and said she had Jeffrey Epstein's list. Now she says there never was a list," conservative radio host Erick Erickson posted on X. "Pam Bondi should be fired for lying to the American public repeatedly."

The conspiracy theory machine that Trump's movement built has now turned its weapons on Trump himself. When conspiracy-minded supporters see their most trusted voices suddenly changing their tune about Epstein, they don't conclude they were wrong; they conclude those voices have been compromised.

Trump's own reaction during a recent cabinet meeting revealed just how uncomfortable this topic makes him. When a reporter asked about Epstein, Trump erupted: "Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This guy's been talked about for years… Are people still talking about this guy, this creep? That is unbelievable." His visible agitation and attempts to shut down the questioning only fuel more speculation about what he might be hiding.

The reason for Trump's discomfort isn't hard to discern. Trump and Epstein were photographed together numerous times from the 1990s to the 2000s, and in a 2002 interview, Trump called Epstein a "terrific guy" who "likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side." In a 2017 interview, Epstein even claimed he was Trump's "closest friend" at one point, though Trump later distanced himself.

What makes this civil war particularly explosive is Elon Musk's role as chief instigator. During his public feud with Trump in June, Musk posted without evidence: "Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public."

Musk's accusations carry unique weight because of his platform control. He continues to amplify Epstein-related content on X, recently posting "The Official Jeffrey Epstein Pedophile Arrest Counter" set to "0000" and writing "What's the time? Oh look, it's no-one-has-been-arrested-o'clock again." His ability to manipulate X's algorithm ensures these messages reach millions of users, keeping the controversy front and center. Musk has absolutely every incentive to keep this part of the daily discussion and has both the platform and the means to do so.

Musk has also expanded his accusations beyond Trump, alleging that former Trump adviser Steve Bannon "is in the Epstein files" without providing evidence. This broadening of claims suggests he's weaponizing the Epstein conspiracy to damage multiple Trump allies.

The fundamental problem facing Trump and his administration is that they've spent years using Epstein conspiracy theories as a weapon against Democrats, particularly around Hillary Clinton and other political opponents. They've conditioned their base to believe that anyone connected to Epstein is irredeemably corrupt and that any attempt to suppress Epstein information is evidence of a cover-up.

Now that same logic is being applied to Trump himself. MAGA influencers like Laura Loomer are calling for Bondi to resign, while conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has accused the Trump administration of being part of a "cover-up." The very conspiracy theories they weaponized have become weapons pointed at their own heads.

This isn't the first time Trump has faced this political Frankenstein's monster. During the 2023 primaries, Trump tried to simultaneously take credit for COVID vaccines while downplaying the pandemic's severity. The anti-vaccine movement he had helped nurture turned on him with ferocity, choosing their conspiracy theories over their loyalty to Trump. At rallies, his own supporters booed him when he promoted vaccines. The rage machine he built had learned to operate independently of its creator.

Trump now risks the same political cannibalization. The Epstein conspiracy community has become so invested in the idea of a cover-up that they're willing to sacrifice Trump himself to maintain their worldview.

The reason the Epstein case won't go away isn't necessarily because there's more evidence to uncover, despite the DOJ finding no evidence of a client list or murder conspiracy. It won't go away because Trump's movement created an unfalsifiable conspiracy theory where any denial becomes evidence of guilt, any delay becomes proof of a cover-up, and any attempt to move on becomes suspicious behavior.

But there's a darker possibility that could explain the administration's defensive posture: intelligence agency involvement. If U.S. or foreign intelligence services were connected to Epstein's operations, whether as handlers, clients, or assets, releasing files could expose ongoing national security operations or diplomatic relationships. The reporter's question during Trump's cabinet meeting about whether Epstein "worked for an American or foreign intelligence agency" clearly struck a nerve, with Trump's explosive reaction suggesting this angle makes the administration particularly uncomfortable.

If intelligence connections exist, the administration faces an impossible choice.

Continued stonewalling feeds conspiracy theories and internal revolt. But disclosure could expose sensitive operations, compromise assets, or reveal uncomfortable truths about how intelligence agencies operate. As public outrage continues to fester, it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain silence about intelligence connections without triggering a complete breakdown of trust within Trump's own coalition.

Trump may have won the 2024 election, but he's losing control of the very narrative machinery that helped put him there. The Epstein files have become a political virus that Trump's own movement created, and now it's spreading beyond his ability to contain it. In politics, as in life, sometimes the weapons you forge to destroy your enemies have a way of cutting both ways.

The civil war over Epstein isn't really about Jeffrey Epstein at all; it's about the cost of building a political movement on conspiracy theories. Like a snake that eats itself, once you teach your followers that everything is a cover-up, don't be surprised when they start believing you're covering something up too.