Trump in trouble over Epstein files?
During his election campaign, Donald Trump promised to release secret files on the Epstein scandal. Now his supporters are insisting that he keep his promise, with some questioning his integrity over his failure to do this so far. Sex offender Jeffrey Epstein died in prison six years ago, and the case has given rise to numerous conspiracy theories. European commentators discuss to what extent they now pose a threat to the president.
Fuelling hatred of a supposed deep state
The Neue Zürcher Zeitung comments:
“Donald Trump has now implicated himself in the conspiracy theories surrounding Jeffrey Epstein. Many of his supporters believe that Epstein, who was arrested for trafficking girls, didn't hang himself in his New York cell but was murdered at the orders of a left-wing paedophile ring connected to Hillary and Bill Clinton with the aim of preventing him from testifying in court. This theory is linked to the belief that there is a list with the names of Epstein's clients - and that it would expose the depravity of a deep-state elite. Trump's political allies have fuelled these ideas, and he himself announced in 2024 that he would publish the files on the Epstein case if he became president.”
Under scrutiny from his own supporters
The master of conspiracy theories is now himself threatened by a conspiracy theory, The Independent puts in:
“For the first time, the base is not buying what Donald Trump is selling. ... While yesterday he finally announced he asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to release 'pertinent' files ... the move may be too little and too late. ... It's not quite Dr Frankenstein losing control of the monster he created, but if you live by the conspiracy theory - as Trump has done - you can die by it too.”
Is the Maga movement's loyalty wavering?
Criminologist Robert Dover comments in The Conversation:
“The question of whether the Maga movement is now bigger than Trump will remain. For a president who once joked that he could 'stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and not lose any voters', loyalty and flexibility among his supporters are crucial. The Maga movement is not monolithic in its beliefs or actions. But if Trump loses the loyalty of part of his troops, or if they refuse to conform as they have done so far, it could cost him dearly politically. From beyond the grave, Epstein may well have ushered in a new era in American politics.”