How the Jeffrey Epstein row plunged Maga world into turmoil – a timeline | Jeffrey Epstein
The announcement of the Ministry of Justice that she did not have a list of alleged customers of Jeffrey Epstein and that the sentenced sex offender was not murdered, plunged the right world in agitation.
Conservative commentators and media personalities, some of whom have spent years pushing conspiracy theories on the death of Epstein, accused the government of covering the crimes of the hedge fund manager, with growth calls for Pam Bondi, the Attorney General, to resign.
The saga opposed Donald Trump, who was friends with Epstein for many years before denying the financier later, against his base, the president pleading during the weekend so that his supporters “do not waste time and energy on Jeffrey Epstein”.
This is how we arrived here.
Loaded Epstein
July 6, 2019
Epstein is accused of federal sex traffic crimes in a Manhattan court. Prosecutors allege that Epstein, who was placed in police custody, “exploited and sexually abused dozens of minor girls” from 2002 to 2005 in houses in Manhattan and Palm Beach, Florida. Epstein pleads not guilty.
The accusations occur more than a decade after Epstein and the United States prosecutor’s office concluded an agreement that ended a federal investigation involving at least 40 teenage girls. Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 for state accusations, served 13 months in prison and registered as a sex offender.
Epstein dies
August 10, 2019
The guards find Epstein dead in his cell of the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan. On August 16, the New York Chief Legalist registered that the cause of the death was suicide by suspending, but Epstein lawyers say that they are not satisfied with the conclusions of the medical examiner.
Trump shares conspiracy theory on Epstein’s death
August 11, 2019
Trump shares a tweet from right -wing actor Terrence Williams, who says Bill and Hillary Clinton were involved in the death of Epstein. After the review, Trump doubles below, telling journalists:
“The question you have to ask is: Did Bill Clinton go to the island?” Because Epstein had an island. It was not a good place, if I understand correctly, and I was never there. ” Trump adds: “So you have to ask, did Bill Clinton went to the island? This is the question. If you find out, you will know a lot.”
A clinton spokesman says that the family knows nothing about the crimes committed by Epstein, who was known to have a number of famous and powerful associates, including Prince Andrew. Trump himself was friends with Epstein and in 2002 said that he had known Epstein for 15 years, describing him as a “formidable guy”. The couple sold later following an auction war on a property in Florida.
Theories spread
August 2019
The official decision that Epstein committed suicide does not do much to appease the theorists of the conspiracy. A large part of the comments, in particular the right, focuses on Epstein’s relationship with liberal characters, including Clinton.
The expression “Epstein has not killed itself” begins to spread online, with Joe Rogan and even republican members of the Congress who publish it on social networks.
Maxwell loaded
December 29, 2021
Ghislaine Maxwell, ex-Epstein and long-standing confidante, is found guilty of sexual traffic. The judge says Maxwell is “guilty of one of the worst imaginable crimes: facilitate and participate in the sexual abuse of children. Crimes that she has committed with her longtime partner and co-conspirator, Jeffrey Epstein. ”
Epstein documents made public
January 3, 2024
A mine of court documents identifying Epstein partners is not sealed. The documents, which had been filed as part of a trial against Maxwell in 2015, by one of the victims of Epstein, Virginia Giuffre.
Bill Clinton, Michael Jackson, David Copperfield and Trump were among those named in the documents – although none of the men was accused of reprehensible acts. Giuffre said that Epstein and Maxwell had forced him to meet with Prince Andrew at the age of 17, and Giuffre continued Prince Andrew for alleged sexual abuses. The costume was settled in early 2022. Andrew denied any reprehensible act.
Trump asked questions about Epstein on Campaign Trail
September 3, 2024
Trump, who presents himself to the presidency, is invited to an interview if he would declare “the files of September 11” and “the JFK files”. He says yes. We then ask Trump if he would declare “Epstein files” and initially says yes, but adds:
“I think that [declassifying the Epstein files]Less, because you don’t know – you don’t want to affect people’s lives if there are bogus things in there, because there are a lot of bogus stuff with this whole world. “”
List on the desktop
February 21, 2025
In an interview with Fox News, Pam Bondi is invited: “Doj can publish the list of customers of Jeffrey Epstein, will this really happen?”
Bondi replies: “He is sitting on my desk right now to see again.”
Bondi will later suggest that she referred to Epstein case files, not a list of customers.
Some files are published by conservative influencers
February 27, 2025
After Trump and JD Vance were committed during the 2024 election campaign that they would publish files relating to Epstein crimes and contacts, the Ministry of Justice gives a group of conservative commentators binders entitled “Epstein files: Phase 1”. The files contain little information, leaving theorists of the disappointed plot.
Bondi describes the documents as the “first phase of the files”, and in a press release, the Ministry of Justice says that it “remains attached to transparency and intends to publish the remaining documents during the examination and the drafting to protect the identity of the victims of Epstein”.
Musk accuses Trump
June 5, 2025
In the middle of a line on the tax bill proposed by Trump, Elon Musk publishes on X: “It’s time to drop the very large bomb. @Realdonaldtrump is in Epstein files. This is why they were not made public. ”
Musk later removes the tweet.
No list of customers
July 7
The Ministry of Justice announces that Epstein has not kept a list of customers and said that no file linked to its survey on sex trafficking would be made public. The department publishes an 11 -hour video of the scene outside the Epstein cell for hours before and after his death, showing that no one has entered or left the room. But a minute of sequences is missing, which causes new speculations. Bondi says that the missing minute is due to the prisons office resetting the video.
The counterpoup begins
July 7
The right -wing media and commentators are starting to attack the Ministry of Justice. Laura Loodor, the 32 -year -old conspiracy theorist whose influence on Trump has been examined, accuses Bondi of “covering sexual crimes for children”. “No one buy this !! Then the Doj will say “in fact, Jeffrey Epstein never even existed”. It is in the eco -friendly top, ”writes Alex Jones, the right -wing commentator and conspiracy theorist, written on social networks. On Truth Social, the right platform belonging to Trump where people are generally united in their praise for the president and his administration, many users criticize the government on Epstein.
White House row
July 9
Dan Bongino, deputy director of the FBI who spent years pushing the theories of the conspiracy on the death of Epstein, would have faced Bondi in the White House. Bondi accused Bongino of having fled to the media, after Newsnation reported that the FBI wanted to disclose more information on Epstein “months ago”, but was prevented from doing so.
Resignation reports
July 11
NBC News reports that Bongino plans to withdraw from his post at the FBI in the middle of the Bondi line.
“Bongino is out of control,” said a source at NBC News. “It destroyed his career. He threatens to leave and fire PAM unless she was dismissed.”
Trump calls in peace
July 12
Trump writes a long social post of truth pleading with his supporters.
“What’s going on with my” boys “and, in some cases,” Gals? They all go after the Attorney General Pam Bondi, who does a fantastic job!
Trump adds: “A year ago, our country was dead, now it is the hottest country in the world. Let’s keep it, and don’t waste time and energy on Jeffrey Epstein, someone who does not care.”
The position is the first time that Trump has been “rated” on Truth Social: more people comment on the position than like that, which generally suggests a disagreement.
Home block file release
July 14
Republican legislators move to block a democratic effort to force the release of Epstein files. GOP members in the United States House Rules Committee vote on an amendment led by Democrats who would have enabled the Congress to vote to find out whether FBI EPSTEIN evidence – who include micro -housing, hard computer records, DVDs and CDs – should be released.
Johnson breaks with Trump
July 15
Mike Johnson, the Republican President of the Chamber and Fierce Trump Ally, calls for the publication of Epstein documents. “This is a very delicate subject, but we have to put everything there and let people decide,” Johnson told a right-wing podcaster. The speaker joins a small but growing number of Republicans demanding that the documents be made public: Chip Roy, Thomas Massie and Ralph Norman, Republican members of the Chamber, all require that more information be published.
Trump calls anyone interested in “bad people” of Epstein files “
July 15
When he was asked why his supporters are so interested in the Epstein case, Trump replied: “I don’t understand why the Jeffrey Epstein affair would be interesting for anyone. It’s quite boring. It’s sordid, but it’s boring. I don’t understand why it continues.”
Trump adds: “I think only people who are pretty bad, including the false news, want to keep something like that”, then continue: “But credible information, let them give it. Everything that is credible, I would say, let them have it.”
