US President Donald Trump is facing a growing backlash within his own MAGA base after a Justice Department memorandum downplayed long-standing conspiracies about the late disgraced sexual offender Jeffrey Epstein. The fallout has triggered a fresh round of tensions among Trump’s supporters, threatening to overshadow recent legislative wins and divide his inner circle.
The unsigned DOJ memo, released quietly last week, stated there is “no evidence Jeffrey Epstein maintained a client list or blackmailed powerful individuals”. It also reaffirmed the official conclusion that Epstein died by suicide in 2019. While the broader public reacted with indifference, the response in MAGA circles was explosive.
Taking to X, a “founding figure” of the MAGA movement, Milo Yiannopoulos posted, “I am one of… the President’s earliest, most effective supporters. I’ve thought hard. I’ve prayed. I can’t accept his answer on Epstein. The Epstein case and the issues it raises go to the heart of why 2016 even happened. We must have answers.”
The post even got a “100” emoji comment from Trump’s ally-turned-critique X owner Elon Musk, among others. In a series of posts related to Epstein, Milo wrote in one, “Almighty God saved your life a year ago, not because Our Lord cares how many Mexicans are in America, but so you could expose the demonic forces corrupting our world. Release the files, sir.” The image attached to this post was of Trump right after he got shot during a public address before getting elected.
Pro-Trump influencers, many of whom had spent years fueling speculation about a hidden Epstein “client list”, erupted online. “This is a cover-up,” one prominent commentator posted on X.
Complicating matters further, former Trump Attorney General Pam Bondi had claimed earlier this year on Fox News that the client list was “sitting on my desk to review”, though she later clarified she was referring to Epstein’s case file, not a list of alleged co-conspirators.
Trump’s advisers reportedly fear the backlash will intensify in the coming weeks, threatening to derail his re-election momentum.