Americans think President Donald Trump knew what convicted child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein was up to, a new poll has revealed.
Trump has long held a position of distance and deference towards the investigative files on Epstein, until November 17, when he finally abandoned his resistance. The disgraced financier died in 2019, and now his former pal has said he would sign a release bill were it to reach his desk. The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the unsealing of the files on Tuesday, November 18.
The new polling data from Morning Consult reveals that most Americans think Trump was in the know about Epstein’s abuses. Only 15 percent of people think the president was totally unaware of his longtime associates’ illegal activities.
It states, “three in five say Trump was at least aware of Epstein’s sexual abuse, including 38 percent who think he participated in it.”
In a tranche of emails released by Democrats in the House Oversight Committee on November 12, various emails between Epstein and his associates referenced Trump directly.
In one, Epstein said, “of course he [Trump] knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop,” referencing his close ally Ghislaine Maxwell. She is currently serving 20 years in prison for offenses related to aiding and abetting Epstein.
Conducting the research, Morning Consult said it “summarized the contents” of a key Epstein email, “before asking voters about the extent of Trump’s involvement in the scandal. Just 15 percent of voters say Trump did not know about sexual abuse by Epstein. Another 22 percent percent believe what Epstein’s emails suggest, which is that Trump was aware of what was happening but didn’t participate. Strikingly, a plurality of voters (38 percent) think Trump not only knew about the sexual abuse, but also think he participated.”
Only 29 percent of Republicans surveyed said they thought Trump knew nothing. Meanwhile, 64 percent of Democrats thought he both knew and participated. Overall, 42 percent of Republicans thought he knew to some extent, and 29 percent didn’t know or didn’t have an opinion.
Trump has waged a long and attritional campaign of defense and deflection over the files since taking office. This comes despite calls from all corners of the U.S. and beyond urging him to release them. Doing so also formed an important pillar in his administration’s election campaign.
His resiliency has created fissures in his base and sewn discord among Republican ranks.
In a key break, staunch supporter Marjorie Taylor Greene appears to have split from MAGA ranks for good, in no small part because of his hesitation in releasing the files.
Trump has long denied all wrongdoing in relation to Epstein. The two are known to have been friends but later fell out.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
Agreeing to release the files on November 17, Trump said “Sure, I would,” in response to a question about signing a bill.
“Let the Senate look at it, let anybody look at it,” he continued. “But don’t talk about it too much, because honestly, I don’t want to take it away from us. It’s really a Democrat problem.
“The Democrats were Epstein’s friends and it’s a hoax. The whole thing is a hoax, and I really don’t want it taking away from, really, the greatness of what the Republican Party has accomplished for the last period of time.”
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