&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Jeffrey Epstein row explained: Why is Donald Trump facing heat over sex offender who died in 2019")
A rare chasm has developed between US President Donald Trump and his loyal Republican base over the alleged lack of transparency into the scandal involving notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Donald Trump, a New York socialite and real estate magnate, had been Epstein's acquaintance. Who is Jeffrey Epstein? What's the case about? What's Trump's connection?
Jeffrey Epstein was a wealthy American financier. He was first charged with sex offenses in 2006 after the parents of a 14-year-old girl told police that he had molested their daughter at his Florida home. He avoided federal charges because of a contentious plea deal, spending just 13 months in jail. In 2019, he was arrested in New York and charged with trafficking teenage girls and carrying out sexual acts in exchange for money. Prosecutors said he worked with employees and associates to ensure a "steady supply of minor victims to abuse." He pleaded not guilty. However, a month later, he was found dead in his jail cell. He reportedly died by suicide.
Epstein's girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, was jailed in 2022 for helping him abuse girls.
Many conspiracy theories are doing the rounds, which are haunting Trump. Some people believe that authorities are concealing details about the Epstein case to protect rich and powerful elites, including Trump.
According to one of these theories, Epstein had a client list, which included celebrities and politicians. The Trump administration claims that no such list exists.
During his election campaign, Donald Trump claimed that he would release files related to Jeffrey Epstein. However, not much has been done since he became the US president for the second time. The inaction has disappointed Donald Trump's loyal supporters.
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What made matters worse for Donald Trump is that his former advisor, Elon Musk, during their public spat, claimed – in a now-deleted X post – that the US president was in the Epstein files.
More trouble for Donald Trump?
Donald Trump sayshe supports the release of any "credible" files related to Epstein. However, he described the episode as "boring". Even his allies are now calling for more transparency. Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House, has not followed Trump's line on the issue and has instead urged the Justice Department to make public any documents linked to Epstein, reported AFP. Democrats have also demanded that the Donald Trump administration publish evidence held by prosecutors in the Jeffrey Epstein case.