If you listen to the media—both mainstream and social—you might think Donald Trump is in serious trouble.
But if you take a closer look, especially over the weekend, it seems like Trump often bounces back when his critics count him out.
Take recent attempts to tarnish his reputation by suggesting he’s linked to Jeffrey Epstein and other unfounded claims. It’s striking how the rumors and discussions spurred across Washington, DC, and Elon Musk’s platform X were just relentless last week.
The Wall Street Journal’s article from Thursday was relatively tame compared to the rampant speculation. It suggested that Trump had provided a letter for a leather-bound book made by Ghislaine Maxwell to celebrate Epstein’s 50th birthday back in 2003.
This letter reportedly contained a fictitious conversation between Trump and Epstein, with phrases like “Enigma doesn’t age” and “Happy birthday – and great daily secrets.”
The Journal admitted, in a note it didn’t publish, that the letter also featured a drawing of a naked woman and Trump’s signature. Trump has dismissed the claims as “fake” and stated he has no plans to pursue legal action for defamation.
Trump insisted: “Those aren’t my words, nor do I speak like that.”
I cut ties with “creep” a while back
Since The Post and WSJ share a parent company, I can’t really share my thoughts on the merits of the book for legal reasons.
But just so we’re clear, I’m not suggesting it’s anything substantial. But what if the letter was indeed written by Trump? It was 2003, a few years after Epstein was convicted for child prostitution and became a registered sex offender.
It’s well-known that Trump socialized with Epstein during the latter’s prime in Manhattan and Palm Beach, where Epstein was quite the socialite. It’s hard to believe Trump was unaware of him.
Nevertheless, the narrative suggests Trump distanced himself from Epstein by banning him from Mar-a-Lago years before Epstein’s 2008 arrest, as stated by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
As per legal documents filed by attorney Bradley Edwards, who represents several Epstein victims, Trump supposedly got rid of Epstein around 2004 after Epstein allegedly assaulted a friend’s daughter at Mar-a-Lago.
The New York Times reports that Trump and Epstein were also competitors for a property in Palm Beach around the same time, which led to some price inflation issues.
There’s little argument against the fact that Trump cut ties with Epstein over two decades ago, unlike other high-profile figures such as former bank CEOs Jess Staley and Bill Gates, who maintained their connections even after Epstein was convicted.
During Trump’s first presidency, federal prosecutors renewed scrutiny on Epstein, indicting him in July 2019 for sex trafficking minors. One prominent prosecutor was Maurene Comey, the daughter of James Comey, the former FBI director Trump dismissed a couple of years back. Both Comey and John Brennan, a former CIA director, find themselves under scrutiny as well.
Interestingly, Maurene was dismissed just before the WSJ article came out, and she indicated in an email that her firing was not entirely unexpected.
She also led the prosecution against Ghislaine Maxwell in 2021 for her role in Epstein’s trafficking operations. According to the Journal, the “birthday book” Maxwell compiled was part of the DOJ’s investigation into Epstein and Maxwell.
While there’s no direct link between Comey’s firing and the WSJ story, the timing is worth noting.
Much like any Epstein-related topic, the public tends to view these situations through an oversimplified lens.
After the WSJ piece ran, Trump reached out to Attorney General Pam Bondy, requesting the release of “all relevant trial testimonies from 2019,” pending court approval.
But just because people knew Epstein doesn’t mean they were involved in his crimes. The DOJ and FBI have stated that there isn’t an “Epstein Client List” detailing those who exploited minors.
What does exist is Epstein’s infamous “Little Black Book,” which contained nearly 2,000 names. He was discovered with it in 2009 when his butler tried to sell it, sparking a flurry of reports. But just because a name is in that book doesn’t prove guilt.
Bill O’Reilly pointed out last week that many names associated with Epstein had no involvement in his crimes, merely having crossed paths with him occasionally.
In fact, the victim’s accounts from the courtroom truly captured the scale of Epstein’s destruction, with numerous young women bravely sharing their stories of trust betrayed and abuse suffered, one even stating, “I was just a teenager; I was his slave.”
Virginia Giuffre, one of the most vocal victims, claimed she was “passed off” to powerful men, including Prince Andrew, but notably never mentioned Trump in her allegations, having even excluded him in her memoir from 2015.
With the liberal media eagerly grasping at any chance to undermine Trump, it’s worth noting that there’s nothing concrete to be found.
What you see isn’t always reality
Simultaneously, the media has turned a blind eye to the major revelations emerging from the Russiagate scandal, particularly recent evidence implying wrongdoing by President Barack Obama.
Regardless, Trump seems to be enjoying the situation.
As noted by Enten, “Trump’s approval rating has shot up since this Epstein controversy started,” suggesting he’s more popular than ever among Republicans. It’s a reminder that social media isn’t always reflective of reality.
