Trump disavows "PAST supporters" who believed "Jeffrey Epstein Hoax"
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President Trump answers questions while departing the White House on July 11 in Washington, D.C. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images
President Trump on Wednesday bashed "PAST supporters" for their focus on what he called the "Jeffrey Epstein Hoax" amid ongoing scrutiny of his administration's handling of evidence in the notorious Epstein's case.
The big picture: Trump has urged his supporters, many of whom were rocked by his administration's conclusion that there was no evidence the disgraced financier was murdered or kept a "client list," to walk away from the controversy.
- But even staunch Trump loyalists have split with the president, urging more transparency from his administration on an issue that's long been important to his base.
- Hill Democrats have seized on that rift, squeezing their colleagues on the issue that's divided the president's faithful.
Driving the news: Trump claimed in a lengthy Wednesday Truth Social post that Democrats' "new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax," which he said his "PAST supporters have bought" in on "hook, line, and sinker."
- The president claimed "all these people want to talk about, with strong prodding by the Fake News and the success starved Dems, is the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax."
- He added, "Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work, don't even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I don't want their support anymore!"
The latest: Trump, speaking from the Oval Office Wednesday, characterized those still talking about the "Epstein hoax" as "stupid people" who are "really doing the Democrats work."
Reality check: In 2019, Trump promoted a baseless conspiracy theory insinuating the Clinton family was connected to Epstein's death, according to multiple reports from the time, retweeting a post that said the sex offender "had information on Bill Clinton & now he's dead."
Friction point: The anger that has simmered among Trump's grassroots supporters and MAGA influencers has rippled through Washington, with Attorney General Pam Bondi emerging as angry loyalists' top target.
- And on the Hill, Democrats have attempted to force their Republican colleagues to choose between their loyalty to Trump and his base.
- Some Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), have encouraged transparency in the case, while the administration seeks ways to mitigate the messy fallout.
Catch up quick: Trump has sought to quell the conversations, urging his Truth Social followers to "not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about."
- On Tuesday, he told reporters he didn't understand his supporters' fixation on the "pretty boring" case.
- But the fallout is continuing to haunt Trump's team, Axios' Marc Caputo reported.
Go deeper: How the DOJ's Epstein memo led to a Dan Bongino White House blowup
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional context and Trump's Oval Office remarks.
