According to President Trump, it is a scam. His base has been instructed to move on.
However, some of his followers are still furious with his administration’s choice to keep the files pertaining to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender, and his words don’t seem to have calmed them down.
The New York Times conducted interviews with a number of Trump supporters to find out if they trusted the president’s handling of the issue and whether they believed his denials of any wrongdoing, as the political fervor engulfs Washington and even starts to splinter his staunchly loyal following, according to polling. Prior to a falling out in 2004, Mr. Trump and Mr. Epstein had a well-documented acquaintance. Mr. Trump has said he was unaware of Mr. Epstein’s mistreatment of young women.
While awaiting sex-trafficking charges, Mr. Trump and his supporters spent years promoting conspiracy theories over Mr. Epstein’s 2019 suicide.After making a vow to come clean, Trump officials then changed their minds and said the inquiry was over.
What some Trump fans told us is as follows.
That thing will never see the light of day, and he knew it was never going to see the light of day.
Erwin McKone, 55, Flint, Mich.
Erwin McKone never imagined that Mr. Trump would make the Epstein files public during his campaign. Therefore, he is not shocked that the president is now playing it down.
“That thing will never see the light of day,” Mr. McKone stated, adding that he was aware it would never.
He claimed that he only supported Mr. Trump because he found the Biden administration’s migrant influx intolerable.
Mr. McKone added that he thought there was a reason why the Epstein case files were being kept under strict control.
He said that they would humiliate bankers, corporate executives, and world leaders. Since everyone is involved, no one will ever see it.
Laurel Rosenhall
Let s follow it wherever it takes us.
Tanya Wright, 45, Yuma, Ariz.
Tanya Wright stated that in order to address her unresolved concerns, she believed the Trump administration ought to make the Epstein papers public.
She had followed the case more closely the previous year and was still skeptical of the official version of Mr. Epstein’s death. (In 2023, a lengthy Justice Department inquiry also revealed that he committed suicide.)
However, she added, “I kind of let it go after that.”
She said she still had concerns about whether additional influential people are listed in the files, even though she now believes the government should protect any material that would harm the victims. In the end, she claimed, she believed the public should be aware of what was in them.
“Just let everything out into the light,” she added. Wherever it leads us, let’s go. Who did what is unknown to us.
Healy, Jack
I don t know what s true or not true. The whole thing just makes me want to vomit.
Rachel Uecker, 53, Wickenburg, Ariz.
The owner of a wedding venue, Rachel Uecker, acknowledged seeing the old pictures of Mr. Trump and Mr. Epstein together but refrained from going too further into the case’s news coverage.
She stated that she merely wished to see transparency from the Trump administration and that she did not believe the Epstein files concealed any information about his history.
She said, “I don’t know what’s true or not true.” I feel like throwing up over the whole affair.
She stated that Mr. Trump should not be in charge of our nation if he were somehow connected to any part of the case. The issue, she continued, is that you need evidence and facts.
Healy, Jack
I don t think he had anything to do with Jeffrey Epstein s darkness.
Naomi Villalba, 75, Dallas
Naomi Villalba claimed to have been concerned to discover that Mr. Trump and Mr. Epstein were formerly close friends, even though she was not thinking about the Epstein files when she cast her vote for Mr. Trump.
“To be honest with you, I was sickened,” she remarked.
She expressed her opinion that Mr. Trump had erred by hanging out with Mr. Epstein. However, she stated that in the end, she believes Mr. Trump’s statements regarding the depth of his connections to Mr. Epstein.
She stated, “I don’t believe he was involved in Jeffrey Epstein’s darkness.”
She said that rather than skirting the issue by adjourning early for the summer, the House ought to have had a chance to vote to release files.
Morales, Christina
I m still waiting to see what comes out. I m not going to decide before having definite information.
Edward Padron, 67, Brownsville, Texas
Locksmith Edward Padron believed that the case’s documents ought to be made public. However, he stated that he would not jump to any conclusions regarding Mr. Trump’s connections to Mr. Epstein.
He said, “I’m still waiting to see what comes out.” I won’t make a decision until I have solid knowledge.
Mr. Padron stated that he was dubious of the numerous charges against Mr. Trump over the years, particularly those pertaining to sexual misconduct. According to Mr. Padron, they felt unfounded. (Mr. Trump was found guilty of defaming and sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll, a writer from New York.) He indicated that his relationship with Mr. Epstein might turn out to be just another issue that Mr. Trump gets through.
Regarding earlier charges against Mr. Trump, Mr. Padron remarked, “It’s like crying wolf.” Is this one more?
Sandoval, Edgar
We should be doing and paying attention to a lot more important things.
Brian Kozlowski, 40, Orlando, Fla.
Attorney Brian Kozlowski claimed that although he had received news notifications on his phone regarding Mr. Trump’s connections to Mr. Epstein, he had not read the articles.
He stated that there are far more important things that we ought to be doing and focusing on.
“It’s simply better not to politicize and hyper-politicize every single issue,” he continued. As human beings, we can do better.
Mr. Kozlowski stated that he could not care less when asked if he trusted Mr. Trump’s statements on his relationship with Mr. Epstein, adding that he would not directly respond to the matter.
Mazzei, Patricia
