How Trump and MAGA Fans Are Talking About the Epstein Case

The crimes and death of Jeffrey Epstein, the financier and convicted sex offender who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, have long fed conspiracy theories among some of President Trump’s most ardent supporters.

Their interest has reached a crescendo over the past week, after the Trump administration abruptly reversed course on its pledge to disclose previously unknown details about the investigation into Mr. Epstein. In an unsigned memo, the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation said their investigation turned up no evidence that Mr. Epstein kept a “client list” or blackmailed notable people, and confirmed that Mr. Epstein died by suicide.

Nearly all of the influential right-wing figures speaking out about the case seem to agree that more information needs to be released. Their demands are often accompanied by blame for mishandling the case, aimed at a wide array of figures they deem responsible.

Here is a breakdown of where the president and more than 30 of his most prominent supporters have fallen on the issue, as of Wednesday afternoon.

Viewpoint: The Justice Department’s investigation was complete, and no further action is necessary.

This is the official stance of the Justice Department itself — as well as the F.B.I., which falls under its purview — as indicated in the memo released last week. The memo was unsigned, but those who have been expected to answer for it have included Attorney General Pam Bondi, F.B.I. Director Kash Patel and his deputy director, Dan Bongino.

Last year, before Mr. Trump was re-elected, Mr. Bongino had cast doubt over the case, saying, “I don’t trust any story they tell me about Jeffrey Epstein. There is a reason this client list is hidden.” The Epstein case also gave rise to an angry confrontation between Ms. Bondi and Mr. Bongino, according to officials close to the situation.

Mr. Trump himself has also attempted to turn down the volume on the topic, defending Ms. Bondi in a post on Truth Social that encouraged readers to “not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about.” Many of the thousands of replies to Mr. Trump’s Truth Social post overwhelmingly disagreed with him — a rarity on the president’s own platform.

Despite the overall reaction to Mr. Trump’s post, at least one of his influential supporters seemed satisfied with the official narrative. Dinesh D’Souza, a right-wing commentator who directed a film that spread conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, agreed with Mr. Trump that it was “time to focus on more pressing matters.”

On Tuesday, Mr. Trump reiterated that he did not understand the fascination with Mr. Epstein, but also said Ms. Bondi should release “whatever she thinks is credible” on the case. On Wednesday, he went even further and said he no longer wanted the support of those who believed what he called the “Jeffrey Epstein Hoax.”

Viewpoint: The Trump administration is responsible for a perceived lack of transparency about the Epstein case.

The initial backlash among many of the MAGA faithful, including Republican elected officials and right-wing media figures and other influencers, focused primarily on Ms. Bondi, who had already lost credibility with the base after previously hyping a release of documents related to the Epstein case that ultimately revealed little new information.

Mr. Trump himself mostly dodged their opprobrium. (Last month, though, some renewed interest in the Epstein case came after Elon Musk’s messy falling-out with the president culminated in Mr. Musk accusing Mr. Trump, in a now-deleted post on X, of being named in the F.B.I.’s files.)

In the days since, many of Mr. Trump’s supporters have remained quick to criticize the administration’s stance that there’s nothing left to uncover regarding the Epstein case while stopping short of calling out or blaming the president himself.

Laura Loomer, a far-right influencer, has long called on Ms. Bondi to resign while absolving Mr. Trump of any responsibility.

Charlie Kirk, Jack Posobiec and Benny Johnson, who host popular MAGA podcasts, have all pushed back aggressively on the official narrative, urging more transparency and casting doubt on the Justice Department memo’s contention that there is nothing left to release. Complicating matters, Mr. Kirk also caused a mini-uproar when he told listeners on Monday that he was done talking about the Epstein case and would “trust his friends in the administration.” He later said that his words had been misinterpreted and taken out of context and he has continued to discuss the matter.

Meanwhile, Mr. Johnson said on X that he, Mr. Kirk and other “powerful MAGA voices” should be credited with moving the administration to change its approach.

Numerous Republican members of Congress have blamed or called for more transparency from Ms. Bondi or other members of the Trump administration, including Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, and Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, Mark Alford of Missouri, Keith Self of Texas, Eric Burlison of Missouri, Kat Cammack of Florida, Eli Crane of Arizona, Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Tim Burchett of Tennessee. Others in this group include conservative influencers like Rogan O’Handley, Matt Walsh, Glenn Beck, Liz Wheeler, Alex Jones, Chad Prather, Mike Cernovich, Tucker Carlson and Michael T. Flynn.

Viewpoint: Mr. Trump himself bears some share of the responsibility.

Most of Mr. Trump’s biggest supporters are loath to raise questions about his actions, so it is notable that a number of them have called Mr. Trump out directly when it comes to the Epstein case.

Mostly, they have done so delicately and with respectful language, treating their concerns as appeals to the president rather than criticisms of him. For instance, Wayne Allyn Root, a conservative TV and radio host, posted an entreaty to “just release” the files, preceded by hyperbolic praise.

Similarly, Michael T. Flynn, who served as national security adviser for a spell in Mr. Trump’s first administration and remains close to him, urged the president in a post on X to “get ahead of” the public interest in the case, but also assured him that “we want to support every bit of your fight to save America.”

Others were less measured. Alex Jones, the conspiracy theorist and radio host, asked on X, “Why is 47 making the worst moves of his tenure in the last 9 years?” (Mr. Jones has also questioned the administration’s actions and blamed outside forces.) The actress Roseanne Barr, one of Mr. Trump’s most loyal supporters, told the president to “read the damn room.”

Those who have called out Mr. Trump personally also included Elon Musk and David Freiheit, an influencer who goes by the handle Viva Frei, as well as Glenn Beck and the right-wing commentators Mike Cernovich and Chad Prather, who also called for greater transparency from the Justice Department.

Viewpoint: Forces outside the administration are responsible for gaps in public understanding of the Epstein case.

Some of Mr. Trump’s supporters have looked further afield for explanation, opining that Mr. Trump and his administration are not (or are not solely) responsible for the unmet public interest in Mr. Epstein’s case. In many instances, these statements began to look like new conspiracy-theory threads.

Roger Stone, a longtime adviser to Mr. Trump, said without evidence on Sunday that the Justice Department under the Biden administration had destroyed evidence relating to the case.

Some influential figures blamed both Mr. Trump or his administration and others outside it. Tucker Carlson, for instance, has been critical of Ms. Bondi’s handling of the case and has pushed back against Mr. Trump’s efforts to tamp down on questions. At a public appearance over the weekend, he also strongly implied Mr. Epstein was engaged in spycraft on behalf of the Israeli government. (Naftali Bennett, the former Israeli prime minister, called Mr. Carlson’s claim “categorically and totally false.”)

Mr. Trump himself has also been pushing unfounded theories about the Epstein files, including saying that they were a fraudulent creation by former President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and other liberal figures.

Others advancing theories about entities outside of the administration include Stephen K. Bannon, the Trump adviser turned influential podcast host; Marjorie Taylor Greene; Tim Burchett; Roseanne Barr; Jack Posobiec; and Dinesh D’Souza.