Topline
Elon Musk, who was once referred to by President Donald Trump as his “first buddy,” has criticized the president this week for his management of the Epstein documents, pressing Trump over a month after he initially claimed the “real reasonThe files were not released to the public because Trump was mentioned in them.
Key Facts
Musk took interestWednesday, during the Trump administration’s effort to make public grand jury testimony from Jeffrey Epstein’s indictment—a move that has been criticized by opponents who argue the documents will not reveal significant information, assuming they pass the scrutiny.several legal hurdles needed for release.
Musk responded on Tuesday to the announcement regarding House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.shutting downA House voting session occurred before Democrats had the chance to push for another vote on releasing the Epstein documents, with claims that there is “only one reason” to avoid the vote, possibly implying Trump’s potential involvement in the files.
The tech billionaire tweeted several timesIn mid-July, regarding the files, inquiries were made to X’s AI chatbot, Grok, about Epstein and possible accomplices of the deceased sex offender.
Musk on July 16 described the Trump administration’s handling of the documents as a “cover up (obviously),” saying in a different waypostSeveral influential individuals wish for that list to remain hidden.
Musk also criticized the administration this month through ameme, highlighting the contradictory information regarding the existence of an “Epstein list” following the Justice Department’s assertion that Epstein did not have a client list— even though Attorney General Pam Bondi had previously informed Fox News that she had a list “on her desk.”
Musk’s ongoing criticism of Trump happens as several explosive reports connect the president to Epstein, including one fromThe Wall Street Journalclaiming that the DOJ informed Trump in May that he was mentioned in the Epstein documents.
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What Caused Musk to Claim Trump Was Part of the Epstein Records?
Possibly to attack the president, a public disagreement between the two escalated over Trump’s spending bill. Musk had labeled the bill a “disgusting abomination” of legislation, prompting Trump to threaten withdrawing government subsidies and contracts from Musk’s various companies. Within an hour, Musk claimed the government was withholding the complete Epstein files because Trump was allegedly involved. Musk later deleted the tweet, adopting a more conciliatory approach toward Trump for several weeks, although their conflicts resurfaced at the beginning of July (see a timeline of their conflict).here).
Who Else Has Musk Accused in the Epstein Documents?
Musk has also linked former Trump strategist and convicted criminal Steve Bannon to the documents. In July, Bannon stated he is “entirely and fully focused on” Musk’s downfall, which led Musk to accuse him of being involved in the Epstein files and suggested he should return to prison after completing a four-month sentence last year. Bannon has claimed that Musk should be deported.
Tangent
A Wall Street Journal report claimed that Trump was made aware of his name appearing in the Epstein files, and also informed that the documents included what senior officials considered unconfirmed rumors about individuals, including Trump. The meeting with the president did not center on the presence of his name in the files, which does not necessarily indicate any illegal activity. Officials told the Journal that the discussion was standard.
Key Background
Trump, who had a friendship with Epstein prior to the financier’s initial arrest, stated last year that he would declassify the Epstein documents during an interview with Fox News. By this month, Trump was advising his supporters to “not waste time and energy on Jeffrey Epstein, someone that nobody cares about.” Trump was protecting Bondi from the backlash she faced regarding her claim that she had the Epstein client list on her desk, as she encountered significant criticism over a DOJ memo stating that no further details about the Epstein investigation would be released. Bondi has also come under scrutiny for providing right-wing commentators with the “phase 1” of the Epstein files, even though the binders given to these commentators mainly contained pages that had already been made public. Democrats have tried to push for a vote in the House concerning the release of the Epstein documents. Johnson, who has advocated for “transparency” regarding the files,blocked Democratsfrom compelling the vote on Tuesday and has indicated he will halt additional votes next week. Nevertheless, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., have introduced a cross-party discharge petition that might compel a floor vote when the House resumes from its break.
