How QAnon and Epstein sparked Trump's political crisis
Some of Donald Trump's fiercest supporters are adherents to the QAnon conspiracy theory — the fabricated claim that top Democrats are secretly involved in a Satanic pedophile ring. According to QAnon, Donald Trump is leading a secret effort to bring down the evil cabal. For years, Trump has encouraged QAnon and reinforced their beliefs.
Now, it's backfiring, ensnaring Trump in a controversy about his administration's handling of information related to a real pedophile, Jeffrey Epstein. The people who believed Trump was their savior are now accusing the president and his administration of perpetrating a coverup.
The issue appears to be one of the first to create a genuine rift between Trump and his MAGA base.
Trump embraces QAnon
During his first term in office, Trump amplified dozens of posts from pro-QAnon social media accounts and promoted QAnon-supporting political candidates, including Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).
Trump was asked directly about QAnon during an August 19, 2020. Instead of dismissing the conspiracy theory, Trump praised the movement as "people that love our country." Trump also reinforced their belief that he was exposing a satanic pedophile ring:
Q: Mr. President, at the crux of the theory is this belief that you are secretly saving the world from this satanic cult of pedophiles and cannibals. Does that sound like something you are behind or a believer in?
TRUMP: I haven't heard that. But is that supposed to be a bad thing or a good thing? I mean, you know, if I can help save the world from problems, I'm willing to do it. I'm willing to put myself out there.
On October 15, 2020, town hall on NBC, Trump refused to state that QAnon's theory about a satanic pedophile ring run by Democrats was false and again praised the group:
Q: [L]et me ask you about QAnon. It is this theory that Democrats are a satanic pedophile ring and that you are the savior of that. Now, can you just once and for all state that that is completely not true?
TRUMP: Yeah. I know nothing about QAnon…
Q: I just told you.
TRUMP: …[W]hat I do hear about it is they are very strongly against pedophilia, and I agree with that. I mean, I do agree with that…
After leaving office following the 2020 election, Trump continued to support the group, sharing a flood of pro-QAnon content on social media, including a post featuring the group's motto, "Where We Go One We Go All." Trump also "reposted an image of himself wearing a Q lapel pin overlaid with the words 'The Storm is Coming.'" According to QAnon, "The Storm" refers to "Trump’s final victory, when supposedly he will regain power and his opponents will be tried, and potentially executed, on live television." Between 2022 and 2024, Trump "amplified QAnon-promoting accounts over 800 times."
QAnon seizes on Epstein as validation of its worldview
Jeffrey Epstein is an actual pedophile who died in his jail cell in August 2019 after being charged with sex trafficking of minors. Epstein, who socialized with Trump, Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, and other powerful figures, was seen by QAnon as validation of its theories. Epstein was a well-connected billionaire who had been credibly accused of trafficking young girls. Before his 2019 arrest, Epstein received highly favorable treatment from the justice system, including a lenient and widely-criticized plea deal in 2008.
Although authorities concluded Epstein died by suicide, QAnon promoted the baseless theory that Epstein was killed on orders from Clinton. QAnon also believed that Epstein's "client list" would expose the Democratic pedophile ring central to its conspiracy theory.
Trump returns to White House, stokes interest in unreleased Epstein files
Trump leaned into the interest in Epstein among QAnon and others on the far right. In February, the White House invited 15 right-wing influencers to meet with Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Vice President JD Vance. Among the invitees were those who directly promoted QAnon, including conservative activist Scott Pressler and others who are highly influential voices among QAnon devotees. The group was provided with binders labeled "The Epstein Files: Phase 1."
Most of the information in the binders, which was later released publicly, was not new, and it did not implicate those beyond Epstein. But the inclusion of the words "Phase 1" on the binder underscored that more information would follow.
Bondi set those expectations during a February 21, 2025, interview on Fox News. "Will the DOJ [Department of Justice] release the list of Jeffrey Epstein's clients?" Bondi asked rhetorically. "It's sitting on my desk right now to review. That's been a directive by President Trump."
On February 27, Bondi released a letter to Patel accusing the FBI of inappropriately withholding "thousands of pages of files" related to the Epstein investigation from the DOJ. She demanded the FBI turn over the material by 8 a.m. the following day.
After unexplained delays, Musk accuses Trump of self-interested cover-up
Months passed, and no further information was released by Bondi.
On June 6, Elon Musk, following his public falling out with Trump, posted on X that Trump was "in the Epstein files" and "[t]hat is the real reason they have not been made public."
Later that day, Trump released a statement from David Schoen, who represented Epstein for nine days before his death. "I can say authoritatively, unequivocally, and definitely that he had no information to hurt President Trump," Schoen said in a statement. "I specifically asked that!" After representing Epstein, Schoen went on to represent Trump during his impeachment trials.
There is no proof that Musk's claims are accurate and its unclear how or why he would have learned about undisclosed material related to the Epstein investigation. But Musk's post renewed interest in Bondi's delay, among QAnon and others.
Trump reverses course, says no further Epstein information will be released
On July 6, the DOJ released an unsigned memo stating that, contrary to Bondi's claims on Fox News, there is "no incriminating 'client list.'" The memo stated that there is "no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions" and no "evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties." Notably, the memo also said there was evidence that Epstein had "harmed over one thousand victims," significantly more than had been previously disclosed.
Right-wing backlash
Since the release of the memo, prominent Trump supporters have turned on Bondi, accusing her of being involved in a coverup. Laura Loomer, the far-right pundit and influential Trump advisor, accused Bondi of "lying" and called for her to be fired. Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson accused Bondi of "covering up crimes, very serious crimes by their own description." Former Trump White House advisor Steve Bannon said the DOJ memo would permanently alienate "10% of the MAGA movement" and cause Republicans to lose 40 seats in the House and the presidency. Several right-wing influencers invited to the White House in February, including Liz Wheeler and Rogan O'Handley, condemned Bondi.
Michael Flynn, a national security adviser in the first Trump administration who has used QAnon slogans, admonished Trump administration on X. "If the administration doesn’t address the massive number of unanswered questions about Epstein, especially the ABUSE OF CHILDREN BY ELITES (it is very clear that abuse occurred), then moving forward on so many other monumental challenges our nation is facing becomes much harder," Flynn wrote.
Trump defends Bondi, says Epstein files are a false flag created by political opponents
While much of the direct criticism was focused on Bondi, rather than Trump, it quickly became clear that Bondi was acting at Trump's direction. Asked about the controversy by a member of the media after a July 8 cabinet meeting, Trump said it was "unbelievable" that people are still talking about Epstein, who he called a "creep." (In 2002, Trump said that he had known Epstein for "15 years," calling him a "terrific guy" and noting that Epstein "likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.") He claimed the question about Epstein amounted to a "desecration" of the victims of the Texas floods.
When those comments failed to stem criticism of his administration's handling of the Epstein case, Trump took things to another level. In an extraordinary statement posted Saturday on Truth Social, Trump said that additional files about Epstein do exist but should be ignored because they were created by his political opponents:
Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! We’re on one Team, MAGA, and I don’t like what’s happening. We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and “selfish people” are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein. For years, it’s Epstein, over and over again. Why are we giving publicity to Files written by Obama, Crooked Hillary, Comey, Brennan, and the Losers and Criminals of the Biden Administration…
Trump encouraged his supporters to "not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about."
This issue would be stupid if it were perpetuated by a bunch of 6th graders. The fact that these people are running our government is humiliating.
Jackals have no problem eating their own.
Would I revel in seeing Trump hoisted by his own petard? Sure. I think a lot of us would. That said, his downfall, which is no guarantee, mind you, wouldn't negate the danger other MAGA figureheads created in his wake represent, esp. with the seemingly rudderless Democrats as the opposition party. Trump's a big fish, but he's not the be-all-and-end-all.