Donald Trump has reacted after Tesla CEO Elon Musk claimed the president’s name appears in the files related to Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier and convicted sex offender.
Musk wrote in a post Thursday on X, formerly Twitter: “Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!” He added: “Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.”
Why It Matters
There has been a high-profile fallout between Trump and Musk, who have engaged in a bitter public dispute.
The feud began when Musk expressed criticism of Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, labeling it “outrageous” and “pork-filled.” Trump later said he was “disappointed” in Musk’s negativity toward the budget reconciliation bill, which now sits with the Senate.
Since then, the feud has escalated, with Musk claiming Trump is named in the Epstein files. Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, has called the CEO’s claim “an unfortunate episode.”
What To Know
On Friday, Trump shared a post on Truth Social written by Epstein’s former lawyer David Schoen on X, which claimed that his client “had no information to hurt President Trump.”
“I was hired to lead Jeffrey Epstein’s defense as his criminal lawyer 9 days before he died. He sought my advice for months before that. I can say authoritatively, unequivocally, and definitively that he had no information to hurt President Trump. I specifically asked him!” Schoen wrote. He briefly represented Epstein shortly before the financier’s death in 2019.
Thousands of pages of records that named people with ties to Epstein, who died while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges in 2019, have been released over the years.
But there is no evidence to suggest Trump is mentioned in any unreleased files related to Epstein. And while the president is mentioned in some of the previously released court documents on Epstein, he has not been accused of wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, Musk’s claim taps into suspicions among conspiracy theorists and online sleuths that incriminating and sensitive files that the government possesses about Epstein’s case have yet to be released.
Trump has promised to release more government files related to Epstein, a move that gained attention after Attorney General Pam Bondi teased new disclosures earlier this year—though most released materials were already public.
Trump and Epstein were previously acquaintances, with the Republican once calling the financier a “terrific guy.” However, Trump later said the pair had a falling out about 15 years before Epstein’s 2019 arrest. The president’s name appears in flight logs for the disgraced man’s private jet, mostly documenting trips in the 1990s between Palm Beach and New York. Epstein’s former pilot testified that Trump and other public figures flew on the plane, but said he never witnessed any sexual misconduct on board.
Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein or his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of sex trafficking. One Epstein accuser, Johanna Sjoberg, mentioned being with Epstein at Trump’s Atlantic City casino in 2016 testimony, but did not say she met Trump or allege misconduct.
A Trump spokesperson told Newsweek in January 2024 that claims about Trump’s connection to Epstein had been “thoroughly debunked” by the release of related documents.
What People Are Saying
White House press secretary Karolina Leavitt told Newsweek on Thursday: “This is an unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted. The President is focused on passing this historic piece of legislation and making our country great again.”
President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Thursday: “Elon was ‘wearing thin,’ I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!”
The Democrats account on X wrote in a post alongside a picture of Trump with Epstein: “What is Trump hiding? Release the Epstein files.”
What Happens Next
The Trump administration is expected to face growing pressure over the delayed release of additional files related to Epstein.
After releasing an initial batch of documents in February, the administration pledged that more would follow. Bondi addressed concerns about the delay, saying the FBI is still reviewing a substantial volume of evidence.
Democratic Representatives Stephen Lynch and Robert Garcia have demanded answers. In a letter first reported by Axios, they urged Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel to “immediately clarify” whether recent claims made by Elon Musk about the case are accurate.
Lynch and Garcia are also seeking a detailed timeline for the Justice Department’s declassification and public release of all remaining Epstein documents. The lawmakers asked for an explanation of why no new records have been released since February, what role Trump is playing in the review process, and a list of personnel involved. They also requested clarification on why previously released documents contained “significant redactions.”
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