by Jim Renacci
The current Epstein scandal lies squarely at the feet of President Donald Trump at this point. If it were solely Attorney General Pam Bondi’s doing, Trump could fire her or direct her to do otherwise, as he appears to be doing now. From Musk’s tweet two months ago, to the President’s behavior when a reporter asked Bondi about Epstein, Trump obviously wants it to go away. Bondi is simply following orders now, just as she was when she issued that memo closing the case.
In any case, the scandal is clearly reaching the point of critical mass. Trump has ordered Bondi to release any and all grand jury transcripts, subject to court approval, related to the Epstein matter prosecution. We also have the alleged letter Trump wrote to Epstein that included his signature and a sophomoric drawing of a girl. The Wall Street Journal published it as real; Trump says it’s fake and threatened to sue.
In 2017, Trump hired former U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta as his labor secretary. Years earlier, Acosta served as the U.S. Attorney in Florida and gave Epstein a sweetheart plea deal in 2008. The first incoming Trump administration reportedly asked him about it. Acosta told them he was given orders to do so and that Epstein worked in intelligence. In 2020, a member of Trump’s DOJ said Acosta exercised poor judgment. That doesn’t make sense if he was ordered to go easy on Epstein.
There weren’t many people higher than Acosta in 2008. Basically, Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez and George W. Bush. An order had to have come from one of them. That would require a Bush protecting a Clinton, who appeared in Epstein’s black book. It also meant that Obama protected them as well because nothing came of this scandal in the Obama administration. Trump then hired Acosta as his Labor Secretary. Epstein died in prison in 2019.
The handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case is quickly reaching critical mass for MAGA. It’s a scandal of epic proportions that threatens to blow the entire movement apart. Those who see opportunity to take down Trump, however, should worry about the entire political system. Promises of transparency from the second Trump administration had been replaced by excuses and cover-ups, leaving loyalists trapped in a web of cognitive dissonance so thick it’s choking the truth. With Trump’s contradictory claims and a justice system stalled by conflicting loyalties, the Epstein files have become the ultimate test of whether MAGA can confront its darkest secrets—or collapse under the weight of its own blind devotion.
Donald Trump came into office pledging transparency. His promises extended broadly but also specifically to the scandal surrounding Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier whose web of illicit behavior implicated scores of powerful individuals. For many in the MAGA movement, this was a test of Trump’s commitment to truth and accountability. Unfortunately, the Epstein issue has instead morphed into a confusing saga of broken promises, mixed messaging, and deepening distrust—highlighting a growing crisis within MAGA circles.
Early this year, Attorney General Pam Bondi made a splashy attempt to show action. She handed out binders to prominent MAGA influencers—a symbolic gesture meant to signal that the Epstein files were being thoroughly reviewed, and justice was imminent. This was branded as phase one. Phase two, we were told, would be a revelation, a truckload of evidence that would expose the depths of Epstein’s network and those complicit in it. But phase two never materialized. Months passed, and the binders gathered dust while no new information surfaced.
In fact, Trump has since referred to the Epstein scandal as a “hoax” and likening it to the Russia collusion hoax. If it was a hoax, publicly parading those binders outside the West Wing is self-incriminating.
By May, the official narrative seemed to settle. FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino appeared on national TV with Maria Bartiromo to confirm the long-debated truth: Jeffrey Epstein had committed suicide. The clarity of their statement did little to quell the swirling rumors; it only hardened suspicions among those who believed a cover-up was underway.
The story took a new twist last month when Elon Musk, frustrated with his failed efforts surrounding the Big Beautiful Bill and DOGE, made a cryptic tweet claiming Donald Trump was “in the Epstein files.” The tweet exploded across social media, prompting Trump to respond defensively. His first claim was that Epstein was “old news,” an odd comparison to the dismissive tactics often used by the Clintons and others linked to the scandal. His second point referenced Epstein’s attorney denying that Trump was a client—a weak defense, considering Epstein’s lawyer had never divulged any names from his roster. Denying Trump’s inclusion on a list that might or might not exist hardly closes the book.
On July 7, Bondi released a memo declaring the Epstein case closed, insisting no list implicated Trump in any wrongdoing and urging the public to move on. But the very next day, when a reporter asked Bondi about the matter, Trump interrupted, chastising the question and calling it a “desecration” of the Texas flood victims’ suffering. Isn’t ignoring Epstein’s crimes a desecration of his victims?
But I digress.
Trump doubled down on his earlier claim that Epstein was “old news,” signaling a reluctance to engage with the topic further.
Adding to the confusion, Real America’s Voice reporter Brian Glenn noted on Steve Bannon’s War Room that Trump was not questioned about Epstein during his recent trip to Texas. Perhaps that would have been inappropriate, as Trump was addressing families of flood victims. However, as Glenn noted in his interview with Bannon, on the plane ride back to Washington, Trump did not speak with the press. That represented a notable departure from his usual press gaggle on Air Force One. This silence amid a highly charged news environment deepens the mystery. Meanwhile, internal conflicts appear to be brewing between Bondi and Bongino, with disagreements over how the Epstein files should be handled.
Now, Bongino is back and the rift with Bondi appears to have been healed, at least publicly. The administration has obviously decided to close rank around the President.
As someone who supports Trump but refuses blind loyalty, I watch this unfold with concern. Trump loyalists now face two incompatible truths. Either their guy is genuinely committed to transparency and justice regarding Epstein, or he is complicit in the cover-up. Both cannot be true, and the denial of this contradiction will only fracture the movement further.
MAGA’s Epstein problem isn’t just about one scandal; it is a test of integrity, honesty, and the ability to face uncomfortable truths. Until those loyalists willing to question the official story demand clarity, this issue will continue to haunt the movement, eroding trust and leaving the door wide open for conspiracy theories and cynicism.
The time has come to demand more than symbolic binders and empty reassurances. The American people—and the victims—deserve nothing less than the full truth. Until then, Epstein will remain MAGA’s most unsettling unresolved question.
We should not simply point to this latest news of release of grand jury testimony as proof. Instead, we should examine that proof and draw new conclusions from it. Hopefully, those conclusions will not be about more coverup.
Jim Renacci is a former U.S. Congressman, businessman, and conservative leader dedicated to putting America first. CONTACT: Jerry McGlothlin for Jim Renacci 919-437-0001 jerry@specialguests.com
