Another Washington Figure Now Claims Trump is in Epstein’s List

In a recent interview with Al Jazeera, Mick Mulvaney, former White House Chief of Staff under President Donald Trump, made headlines by addressing Trump’s association with the late Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender.

Mulvaney’s comments have reignited debates surrounding the so-called “Epstein files,” causing a rift within Trump’s MAGA base and drawing sharp criticism from political figures and commentators alike.

.Mulvaney’s Claims and ContextMick Mulvaney, who served as acting White House Chief of Staff from January 2019 to March 2020, stated in a forthcoming Al Jazeera interview that Trump’s name appears in the Epstein files, alongside many others.

“He’s in the files. A lot of people are in the files,” Mulvaney said, according to a teaser clip released online.

However, he emphasized that if there were particularly damning details about Trump, they likely would have been released by the Biden administration during its tenure.

Mulvaney also noted that Epstein was once a member of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida but was expelled “for being weird,” a claim corroborated by reports of Epstein’s ban from the property in the early 2000s.

Mulvaney’s remarks come amid heightened scrutiny of the Epstein case, following a Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) memo released earlier this month.

The memo confirmed that Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges and stated that no “client list” of high-profile associates exists, debunking a long-standing conspiracy theory.

This revelation has caused a significant backlash among Trump supporters, who had anticipated the release of such a list as part of Trump’s campaign promise to declassify Epstein-related documents.

Trump’s Response and MAGA Backlash

President Trump, now in his second term, has dismissed the Epstein files as a “Democratic hoax” orchestrated by figures like former President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and former FBI Director James Comey.

In a July 16, 2025, Truth Social post, Trump lambasted supporters who continue to demand transparency, calling them “gullible weaklings” and stating, “My PAST supporters have bought into this ‘bulls–t,’ hook, line, and sinker.

They haven’t learned their lesson, and probably never will.”

This rhetoric has inflamed tensions within his base, with some supporters, including prominent figures like Alex Jones and Matt Walsh, expressing outrage.

Walsh, a conservative commentator, stated on X, “Trump was elected in 2016 partly on a pledge to ‘lock her up.’ Arresting and prosecuting powerful and corrupt people has been a core issue for MAGA since its inception.

That’s what the Epstein issue is about.”

The backlash has been significant enough to prompt public displays of dissent, with some MAGA supporters burning their signature red caps in protest.

A Quinnipiac University poll released on July 16, 2025, revealed that 63% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the Epstein files, with Republicans nearly split: 40% approve, 36% disapprove, and 20% have no opinion.

Elon Musk, once a close ally of Trump, has further escalated the controversy.

On July 16, 2025, Musk posted on X, questioning Trump’s claim that the Epstein files are a hoax by pointing out that Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s associate, remains in federal prison for sex trafficking.

“Wow, amazing that Epstein ‘killed himself’ and Ghislaine is in federal prison for a hoax,” Musk wrote, sarcastically challenging the narrative.

Musk also referenced Trump’s seven documented flights on Epstein’s private jet, known as the “Lolita Express,” as noted in flight logs from Maxwell’s 2021 trial.

Other figures, including Republican Representative Thomas Massie, have joined the fray.

Massie sarcastically suggested on July 17, 2025, that if the Epstein case is a hoax, as Trump claims, then Maxwell should be pardoned.

This comment is part of Massie’s ongoing feud with Trump, who previously called him a “third-rate Grandstander.”

Massie, alongside Democrat Ro Khanna, is pushing for a House vote to release the Epstein files, a move supported by some pro-Trump figures like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Michael Flynn.

Historical Context of Trump-Epstein Relationship

Trump and Epstein were known to have socialized in the 1990s and early 2000s, with photographs showing them together at events, including at Mar-a-Lago.

In a 2002 New York Magazine interview, Trump described Epstein as a “terrific guy” who liked “beautiful women… many of them on the younger side.”

However, Trump later distanced himself, stating in 2019 that he was “not a fan” of Epstein and had not spoken to him in 15 years.

Audio recordings obtained by The Daily Beast in 2024, from biographer Michael Wolff, include Epstein describing Trump as his “closest friend for 10 years.”

Jack O’Donnell, a former executive at Trump’s Atlantic City casino, recounted an incident between 1987 and 1990 where he reprimanded Trump for bringing a 19-year-old into the casino alongside Epstein.

While the woman was not a minor, O’Donnell warned Trump about the optics of associating with Epstein and young women, given the casino’s strict age policies.

DOJ and FBI Stance

The DOJ and FBI have maintained that Epstein’s death was a suicide, a conclusion reached under both the Trump and Biden administrations.

The recent memo, which found no evidence of a “client list” or foul play in Epstein’s death, has been met with skepticism by some MAGA figures, including FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, who reportedly clashed with Attorney General Pam Bondi over the issue.

Bondi, who in February 2025 claimed to have a client list “on my desk right now,” has faced criticism for backtracking on the promise of transparency.

Maurene Comey, a federal prosecutor who worked on the Epstein case, was fired by the DOJ in July 2025, prompting concerns about political motivations.

In a letter to colleagues, Comey warned that her dismissal could instill fear in career prosecutors, stating, “Fear is the tool of a tyrant, wielded to suppress independent thought.”

The Epstein files controversy highlights a broader divide within the Republican Party and the MAGA movement.

Trump’s initial campaign promise to release the files aligned with QAnon and conspiracy-driven narratives about a “deep state” cover-up.

However, his administration’s failure to deliver has led to accusations of hypocrisy, with critics like Jon Stewart noting on his Weekly Show podcast that Trump’s attempts to dismiss the issue as a hoax are faltering.

“There’s not that many people who are on video dancing with Jeffrey Epstein, and with his arm around him, and on the plane as the president of the United States,” Stewart remarked.

The controversy also underscores the challenges of managing conspiracy theories within a political movement.

As noted by The Guardian, the Epstein saga has become a vehicle for QAnon-like narratives, which Trump and his allies once encouraged but now struggle to contain.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries described the situation as a “leopards-eating-faces moment” for the administration, reflecting the irony of Trump facing backlash over a conspiracy he helped amplify.

Mick Mulvaney’s comments have thrust the Epstein files back into the spotlight, exposing fault lines within Trump’s political coalition.

While Mulvaney downplayed the significance of Trump’s presence in the files, the lack of transparency from the DOJ and Trump’s dismissive rhetoric have fueled distrust among supporters.

As figures like Musk, Massie, and Jones continue to press the issue, the administration faces a delicate balancing act in addressing a scandal that refuses to fade.

The public awaits further clarity, but for now, the Epstein files remain a potent symbol of unresolved questions about power, accountability, transparency, and possibly corruption in the United States.

Also Read: MAGA Now Scrutinize Trump Over Epstein Client List Failure

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