Elon Musk Accuses Trump of Epstein Coverup With Clown Meme
In a series of cryptic and mocking posts on X (formerly Twitter), Musk appeared to accuse the Trump administration of hiding explosive information about Epstein's ties to powerful figures, including Trump himself. The posts combined memes, sarcasm, and callbacks to MAGA promises that have yet to be fulfilled.
Musk's first post on the morning of July 7 was simply the angry swearing emoji: 🤬. The post included a popular meme format of a clown preparing for a performance; in the meme, each step of the clown putting on makeup was labeled with a line referencing the Epstein files:
The clown metaphor painted the Trump administration, and perhaps the entire MAGA movement, as clowns performing a script of delay and deception.
🤬 pic.twitter.com/Oe9jPGoQRR
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 7, 2025Trump and his allies had repeatedly promised to release the full Epstein files during the 2024 campaign, portraying it as a symbol of draining the swamp and exposing the elite. With Musk's financial support—estimated at $290 million—the Trump campaign leaned hard into that narrative.
When Trump returned to office, his administration did release what it called 'part one' of the Epstein documents in February. But the release revealed little that wasn't already public and drew backlash from Trump's base.
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A frustrated user on X commented under Musk's post: 'What happened to 'the client list is on my desk'? What happened to 'the Epstein files part 2'? What happened to those magical binders? What a farce.' Musk replied simply: 'This is the final straw.'
This is the final straw
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 7, 2025
He then followed up with another meme, this time showing a digital countdown clock reading '0000' with the title: 'The Official Jeffrey Epstein Pedophile Arrest Counter.' 'What's the time? Oh look, it's no-one-has-been-arrested-o'clock again,' Musk wrote.
What's the time? Oh look, it's no-one-has-been-arrested-o'clock again … pic.twitter.com/CO9xJz68Tf
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 7, 2025When a user suggested that if either side had damaging information on the other, it would already be public, Musk responded: 'Unless both sides were guilty.'
Unless both sides were guilty
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 7, 2025Musk had already escalated the feud on June 5 when he posted: 'Time to drop the really big bomb. Donald Trump is in the Epstein files. That's the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day.' He deleted the post shortly after, but the damage was done. The accusation created ripples across the MAGA ecosystem, which has long treated Epstein's client list as a mythic document that would expose Democrats, elites, and deep-state operatives.
Now, Musk was flipping the script, suggesting Trump himself was the one hiding the truth.
Trump and Epstein were known to be friendly. In a 2002 interview with New York Magazine, Trump said he had known Epstein for 15 years and called him 'a terrific guy.' In 2017, journalist Michael Wolff recorded Epstein saying that Trump was his 'closest friend.' While those statements don't prove complicity, they've added fuel to years of speculation.
Importantly, no criminal evidence has emerged tying Trump to Epstein's sex crimes. His name appearing in public documents, guest lists, or social connections does not imply wrongdoing. But in conspiracy circles, that distinction often doesn't matter.
And for Musk, who has increasingly embraced MAGA memes, culture war battles, and anti-elite rhetoric, it's a potent weapon.
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Musk's 'clown' meme ends with a jab at the entire notion of an Epstein list. In the final frame, as the clown finishes dressing up and prepares to go onstage, the text reads: 'There is no Epstein list.' That line reflects recent reporting. On Sunday, Axios revealed that the Justice Department and the FBI concluded there is no evidence that Epstein kept a 'client list,' blackmailed elites, or was murdered.
A memo obtained by Axios summarized the findings and noted that prison surveillance footage showed no one entering Epstein's cellblock the night of his death. The report marked the first time the Trump administration formally contradicted Epstein conspiracy theories, many of which had been promoted by Trump's own FBI director Kash Patel and deputy Dan Bongino when they were social media influencers.
Both men have spent recent weeks on right-wing media attempting damage control. 'I've been putting out the truth my entire career,' Patel said during a June 5 appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, the same day Musk posted his most direct accusation. 'Why would I risk all of it on this guy?'
But for Musk, that answer isn't good enough.
'So … umm … then what is Ghislaine Maxwell in prison for?' he wrote in response to the Axios story. 'Stuff like this does not improve people's faith in government.'
So … umm … then what is Ghislaine Maxwell in prison for?
Stuff like this does not improve people's faith in government.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 7, 2025
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