Most Americans think that files about Jeffrey Epstein contain “embarrassing” information about President Donald Trump.
According to a poll by the Washington Post, 61 percent of people think that documents about the convicted sex offender, who died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting sex trafficking charges, will reveal “embarrassing information” about Trump.
Why It Matters
Trump has been embroiled in ongoing controversy over his handling of files related to Epstein. Initially, the White House ordered a review of the case and said it would publish names and evidence about Epstein’s associates. However, a July memo by the FBI and Justice Department said there was no Epstein “client list” and that no further charges would be brought. The announcement triggered a backlash among those who called for more transparency about the case.
Amid this backlash, Trump called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to release “whatever she thinks is credible” regarding Epstein and asked the Justice Department to release grand jury testimony about Epstein.
But speculation increased last week when The Wall Street Journal reported Trump had been told by Bondi in May that his name appeared “multiple times” in the so-called Epstein files. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung dismissed the allegation as “another fake news story.”
AP Photo/Alastair Grant
What To Know
The Washington Post polled 1,089 people on Monday, with a margin of error of +/- 3.3 percentage points.
While 61 percent said they believed the files contained awkward information about Trump, more—66 percent—said they thought they would contain embarrassing information about Democrats, and a further 84 percent said they suspected they contained embarrassing information about billionaires.
Meanwhile, the poll found that 58 percent of people disapprove of the way Trump is handing issues related to the files while only 16 percent approve.
Sixty-four percent of U.S. adults are paying attention to news about the case and 86 percent said they support releasing all the files from the case.
The poll also found that people are questioning Epstein’s cause of death. While 15 percent believe the medical examiner’s ruling that Epstein died by suicide, 42 percent are unsure and 44 percent think he was killed.
It comes amid a series of other polls that have been similarly problematic for the president.
According to a July The Economist/YouGov poll of 1,680 adults, 79 percent of Americans want all documents pertaining to Epstein to be released. Meanwhile, 67 percent believe the government is covering up evidence related to Epstein, including 59 percent of Trump voters.
A July Quinnipiac University poll found that a majority of U.S. voters disapprove of Trump’s handling of files related to Epstein.
What People Are Saying
Scott Lucas, who teaches international politics at University College Dublin, told Newsweek: “The significant number of Americans who want the release of Epstein’s files is having a political impact.
“In contrast to previous political cases involving Trump this isn’t the Democrats who are leading that call for the release of the files, it’s not his supposed political enemies it’s his supporters so this pressure will continue and be sustained.”
He added that “Trump is playing for time” and trying to “divert attention elsewhere” with other policies and attempts to change political discourse but the Epstein case is “a lasting affair” that will continue until Trump releases the files or he breaks with his supporters.
Asked at a news conference whether he announced a trade framework between the U.S. and the E.U. to stop Epstein headlines, Trump said: “Oh, you gotta be kidding with that. No, had nothing to do with it. Only you would think that. That had nothing to do with it.”
The Democrats’ X account wrote on Saturday, alongside a video detailing Trump’s relationship with Epstein: “No matter how much he tries to distract from it, Trump’s connection to Jeffrey Epstein spans decades.”
