The Jeffrey Epstein case has held media attention for years, fueled by the public’s ongoing questions about who is connected to this infamous private island – believed to be a spot for sex trafficking and prostitution of minors. People want names, so much so that Donald Trump ran his campaign under the public assumption that he would be the one to release this mysterious client list.
Attorney General Pam Bondi even told Fox News in February that the list was, “sitting on my desk right now.”
Now, however, her own Justice Department says there is no list. And MAGA is mad.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump was earlier told by Bondi that his name does appear in the Epstein files. It was noted, however, that this does not explicitly mean direct involvement or wrongdoings. Trump denies he was ever made aware of his name’s inclusion.
People are outraged, believing that the unwillingness to release the list is tied to President Trump’s potential involvement. Whether this is true or not, it raises an important question – would it even matter?
Trump is no stranger to scandal. Voters, media and politicians are constantly cycling through so many controversies tied to his name, and, honestly, the public seems fatigued. Whether it be the Access Hollywood tape or his multiple indictments, his supporters still back him. His campaign is almost run on not only surviving, but thriving, amid controversy.
But, somehow this one feels different.
MAGA culture is built on the idea that there are specific people to blame for the country’s problems. Trump, as the political head, embraces the role that he will be the one to fix it by holding those people accountable. I just don’t think he truly considered the fact that he could become part of the people his supporters blame.
He ran on an “I’m not a politician” concept. That he was different. Just what Americans need. The lack of transparency about the Epstein files, however, tore down this imagined reality. Trump saying client lists would be released made MAGA happy – they could point fingers at specific elites. But what is happening, even without any names being named, is a destruction of MAGA ideals. Without any files, then there’s no people to blame – only systems.
So, no, I do not think Trump’s name on the list would really matter – only because the damage is already done. MAGA is cracking not because of the possibility Trump was involved, but because he sold them a false reality. Maybe the client list exists, maybe it doesn’t. Maybe Trump is on them, maybe he isn’t. The truth? This scandal is different because it is not reliant on what Trump did, but how it pokes holes in MAGA’s mentality.
