THE FILES ARE IN THE COMPUTER: Donald Trump’s Jeffrey Epstein problem isn’t going away. In fact, it might be getting worse after his Tuesday remarks admonishing reporters for asking questions about his onetime friend, the notorious pedophile.
“I can’t believe you’re asking a question on Epstein, at a time like this!” Trump said to the press at a cabinet meeting.
The comments set off a frenzy on the right, where folks were already stewing after the Justice Department made the surprise decision to end the Epstein investigation and block any future disclosures. Even some of Trump’s most devoted conservative media allies weren’t buying it. Liz Wheeler, a Republican pundit close enough to the administration to have received one of the infamous “Epstein binders,” complained on X that Trump’s stonewalling “could cost him the midterms.”
On her podcast, Megyn Kelly literally slapped her forehead in dismay, though she appeared to be frustrated as much by Trump’s technique as by his public lack of interest in the alleged pedophile ring. “The dodge should not be obvious!” Kelly said. “It should be subtle.”
Such criticisms of Trump are extremely rare in MAGA media. And they may be driven by the sense that their core audience views Epstein as a key issue, one that may even transcend the need to show loyalty to the president.
But other motivations appear to be at play when it comes to Elon Musk, who, as Bill notes above, may be enjoying the Epstein fallout more than anyone. The erstwhile Trump adviser has claimed Trump himself is in the Epstein files. And he was gleefully posting again on Tuesday.
“How can people be expected to have faith in Trump if he won’t release the Epstein files?” Musk tweeted. He went on to say that releasing Epstein evidence would be a key plank for his new “America Party.”
If Trump is looking for an off-ramp here, there are few available outside of releasing some actual Epstein information. But if a scapegoat is needed, it looks like it’ll be Attorney General Pam Bondi. Ominously for Bondi, right-wing memesters have started to target her. On Tuesday, commentator and binders-recipient Jack Posobiec gave Bondi the MAGA kiss of death: He said her defenses of the decision to close the investigation sounded like Hillary Clinton’s defense of Benghazi. On Wednesday morning came the grim reaper itself: Musk unfollowed Bondi on Twitter.
on July 9, 2025, 2:19 pm