Elon Musk Urges Trump to Release Epstein Files 'As Promised'
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Elon Musk escalated his public feud with President Donald Trump over the weekend, urging the release of documents related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein "as promised."
The billionaire responded to Trump's Truth Social post defending U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who has faced backlash from the MAGA movement over her handling of the Epstein files.
Musk replied to a screen grab of Trump's post and said: "Seriously. He said 'Epstein' half a dozen times while telling everyone to stop talking about Epstein. Just release the files as promised."
Seriously.
He said 'Epstein' half a dozen times while telling everyone to stop talking about Epstein.
Just release the files as promised. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 13, 2025
Why It Matters
The Epstein issue has become a symbolic litmus test for parts of the conservative base, especially among voters who believe Trump promised full transparency. MAGA is clearly divided over Epstein, with multiple calls for Bondi to be sacked.
Influential voices on the right, including former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, have warned that suppressing the Epstein documents could be politically devastating. "You're going to lose 40 House seats over this if you don't release the files," Bannon said recently.
As Trump seeks to shore up his base for November, the controversy threatens to alienate populist factions once firmly in his corner.
What To Know
Musk was one of the most prominent supporters of Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, spending at least $250 million to support his bid.
But the pair fell out over Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill, a major tax and spending package that passed the Senate with Vice President JD Vance's tiebreaking vote.
Things escalated and Musk wrote on X last month in a since-deleted post: "Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!"
He added in another post: "Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out."
Trump dismissed Musk's claim. As previously reported by Newsweek, there is no evidence to suggest Trump is mentioned in any unreleased files related to Epstein. And while the president is mentioned in some of the previously released court documents on Epstein, he has not been accused of wrongdoing.
Musk later said he "went too far" with some of his posts about Trump.
The administration's handling of the Epstein files has made headlines recently, after the Department of Justice and FBI announced the results of a joint review of "investigative holdings relating to Jeffrey Epstein," concluding that the convicted sex offender had died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting further sex trafficking charges.
The agencies also said Epstein did not have a "client list," something Trump suggested during his presidential campaign that he would release if elected.
In February, Bondi also fueled speculation about such a list when announcing the release of records related to Epstein's case. But much of what the government later distributed had been in the public domain for years. The FBI and DOJ's conclusion that there is no evidence of the long rumored Epstein "client list" has sparked criticism from members of the Make America Great Again movement.
During a cabinet meeting last week, when a reporter asking Bondi about Epstein, Trump interrupted her response to say: "Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This guy's been talked about for years. You're asking—we have Texas. We have this. We have all of the things. And are people still talking about this guy, this creep?"
President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Elon Musk in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May 30, 2025, in Washington.
President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Elon Musk in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May 30, 2025, in Washington.
AP
What People Are Saying
Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday: "What's going on with my 'boys' and, in some cases, 'gals?' They're all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! We're on one Team, MAGA, and I don't like what's happening. We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and 'selfish people' are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein. For years, it's Epstein, over and over again."
The FBI and Department of Justice said in a memo released earlier this week: "While we have labored to provide the public with maximum information regarding Epstein and ensured examination of any evidence in the government's possession, it is the determination of the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation that no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to The Hill: "President Trump is proud of Attorney General Bondi's efforts to execute his Make America Safe Again agenda, restore the integrity of the Department of Justice, and bring justice to victims of crime. The continued fixation on sowing division in President Trump's Cabinet is baseless and unfounded in reality."
What Happens Next
Elon Musk's call for the release of Jeffrey Epstein's files has exposed a widening split within the MAGA movement, pitting longtime Trump supporters against a rising faction disillusioned by what they see as broken promises. Once aligned with Trump's populist messaging, Musk is now leveraging the Epstein issue to question the former president's integrity and challenge his dominance over the conservative base.
The impact of the Epstein situation and the feud between Trump and Musk, especially on the upcoming midterm elections, is yet to be seen.
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