Washington:
A fresh report reigniting Donald Trump’s connection to late financier Jeffrey Epstein has stirred political controversy, with the White House swiftly moving to discredit the claims and divert attention toward the long-debated “Obama Russiagate” narrative.
According to a new Wall Street Journal report, former President Trump was informed as early as May that his name appeared multiple times in the unsealed Epstein case files. The report suggests that US Attorney General Pam Bondi notified Trump of these mentions, though the context remains unclear.
While Trump has previously acknowledged knowing Epstein socially, he has strongly denied any involvement in Epstein’s alleged crimes. The White House has maintained that Trump cut ties with Epstein years ago.
“This is nothing new or surprising. The President’s name was referenced in documents already reviewed by the Justice Department,” a White House spokesperson told CNN.
“There is no evidence of any wrongdoing.”
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung went further, calling the new claims “baseless” and part of a long-standing media campaign to discredit Trump.
“It’s just like the so-called Russiagate scandal – politically motivated, completely fake,” said Cheung, referencing past accusations that the Obama administration conspired against Trump.
Renewed Distraction Strategy?
The Trump camp appears to be using the renewed focus on the Epstein case to pivot attention back to their favored narrative — that former President Obama orchestrated a conspiracy against Trump during the 2016 election cycle.
At a recent press briefing, National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard echoed this stance, claiming that declassified intelligence shows “Obama-led manipulation” of election data to falsely link Trump to Russian interference.
“This was a soft coup – years in the making,” Gabbard said.
Despite these claims, multiple investigations between 2019 and 2023 — including from the FBI and Senate Intelligence Committee — concluded that Russia did, in fact, interfere in the 2016 election to favor Trump.
Background on Jeffrey Epstein
Jeffrey Epstein was a wealthy financier with ties to powerful figures across business and politics. He was arrested in 2019 on charges of sex trafficking of minors and later died in jail, with his death ruled a suicide. Epstein’s long list of associates, including celebrities and political leaders, has fueled speculation and conspiracy theories for years.
Trump, who once described Epstein as a “terrific guy,” has since distanced himself, stating that he banned Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago club due to inappropriate behavior.