The Epstein files are not a partisan issue

Donald Trump’s recent Truth Social post calling the Epstein files “radical left inspired documents” and telling people not to waste time on “somebody that nobody cares about” is a transparent deflection. The problem is that Trump himself spent years hinting that Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew were involved with Epstein, appointed cabinet members who explicitly promised to release the files, and now—when he actually has the power to do so—is making excuses. The core argument of this episode is that the Epstein story has never been a left-versus-right issue. It is the people versus the elites, and both parties have powerful figures who want the files buried.

The contradiction at the center of Trump’s position

Trump’s current posture is hard to square with his own history. He appointed Pam Bondi, Kash Patel, and Dan Bongino—all of whom said they would release the Epstein files. Vice President JD Vance told Theo Von he would release them, though the full clip showed him immediately backtracking, saying he worried about “phony stuff” ruining innocent people’s lives. Trump himself has given a similar answer: he doesn’t want to destroy people who had lunch with Epstein but had nothing to do with his crimes.