Cliff Notes
- Trump has directed the release of grand jury testimony in the Epstein case amid growing pressure and questions about a ‘client list’ allegedly used for blackmail.
- Tensions escalated when Elon Musk suggested Trump is included in the Epstein files, prompting further scrutiny from Trump’s supporters.
- Despite the DOJ’s findings that no incriminating client list exists, Trump continues to dismiss the issue as a politically motivated “hoax.”
Trump latest: US president says there is no Epstein ‘smoking gun’ in attack on Democrats | World News
Musk’s ‘big bomb’ and a mystery client list: How Epstein row has unfolded in Trump’s second term
Donald Trump has ordered the release of grand jury testimony in the Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking case, following a Wall Street Journal report about a 2003 birthday letter bearing Trump’s name.
But how did we get here?
It comes during a week in which pressure is growing on Trump, pressure form his MAGA supporters, something that he didn’t expect to experience.
If we analyse the issue it has spiralled in an uncontrollable way fro the President, which is why he has not been able to just dismiss it.
For the US president it has unravelled from a conspiracy he used as a strength to ‘point fingers at them in power’, to a potential area of weakness with his own supporters, because it seems he is part of the cover-up.
February: ‘It’s sitting on my desk right now’
At the heart of the anger is the supposed existence of a client list of well-known figures that Epstein allegedly blackmailed.
Shortly after Donald Trump came to power, attorney general Pam Bondi was asked whether the US department of justice (DOJ) would release the alleged client list of Jeffrey Epstein.
She responded: “It’s sitting on my desk right now to review. That’s been a directive by President Trump. I’m reviewing that.”
And then in the same month, a group of 15 right-wing influencers visited the White House and emerged with binders labelled “The Epstein Files: Phase 1” that they obtained from Bondi.
But it was soon realised that there was little new information in the files – most of it was already in the public domain.
5 June: Musk’s ‘big bomb’
After Trump and Elon Musk’s bromance came to a bitter end, the Tesla CEO tweeted: “Files linked to the investigation of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have emerged as a point of fixation for Trump and his allies and right-wing media figures.
“Time to drop the really big bomb: Donald Trump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.”
7 July: Nothing to see here?
The DOJ and FBI concluded Epstein did not have a so-called client list that could implicate high-profile associates, and that he did kill himself.
The DOJ said that “no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted”.
According to a two-page memo, investigators found no “incriminating list” of clients.
A day later, Trump shut down a reporter’s question about the case.
“Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This guy’s been talked about for years,” Trump said.
“You’re asking – we have Texas [where there were deadly floods], we have this, we have all of the things. And are people still talking about this guy, this creep? That is unbelievable.”
And Bondi tried to clarify her past comments on the case, saying: “In February, I did an interview on Fox, and it’s been getting a lot of attention because I said I was asked a question about the client list, and my response was, it’s sitting on my desk to be reviewed, meaning the file along with the JFK, MLK files as well. That’s what I meant by that.”
12 July: FBI v DOJ row
Sources reported there was a heated argument between FBI deputy director Dan Bongino and Pam Bondi at the White House.
Bongino was said to be frustrated with how the DOJ has handled the Jeffrey Epstein files, a person who has spoken with Bongino and a source familiar with the interactions told our US partner network NBC News.
Right-wing activist Laura Loomer, who is close to Trump, posted on X that she was told that Bongino was “seriously thinking about resigning”.
July 15: ‘She can release the files’
Trump said Bondi should release “whatever she thinks is credible” on Epstein.
“If a document’s there that’s credible, she can
release. I think it’s good,” he said.
It came as Bondi faced growing criticism from some of Trump’s political base after her department said there was no evidence that Epstein kept a “client list”.
They have criticised Bondi for failing to fully publish the Epstein files, including a list of clients they believe exists but which the government review found, as we saw earlier this month, does not.
16 July: Trump hits out at ‘past supporters’
Trump took a swipe at “past supporters” who had bought into this “bullshit” and who have been critical of his administration’s handling of the Epstein case in a post on Truth Social.
He later told reporters: “It’s all been a big hoax.
“It’s perpetrated by the Democrats, and some stupid Republicans and foolish Republicans fall into the net.”
17 July: Special prosecutor not recommended
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump will not recommend appointing a special prosecutor in the Jeffrey Epstein case.
Leavitt said Trump had already directed the DOJ and attorney general Pam Bondi to conduct an “exhaustive review of all files,” dismissing the renewed interest in Epstein as politically motivated and accusing Democrats of ignoring the issue during their time in power.