The Trump Justice Department has released a staggering cache of Jeffrey Epstein files — thousands of videos and millions of pages — exposing the inner workings of his secretive, sickening world. And the fallout, from members of this once-untouchable circle losing their jobs to an avalanche of media coverage, has been swift and relentless.
The high and mighty who associated with the late pedophile after his first conviction in 2008 for soliciting child prostitution are falling like a house of cards. The dogged denials by Epstein’s associates, from famous celebrities to power brokers, are folding. Some of them flat-out lied.
Television is lapping up these videos, and it even seems to rival the massive coverage of the heartbreaking disappearance of Today show host Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother, which is now in its third week.
The disturbing private moments and bizarre scenes from Epstein’s homes, his island, and his social circle make for TV rubbernecking, as viewers get a raw glimpse of a previously coddled world. Tabloids have long known that regular readers delight in seeing famous people get their comeuppance. It makes them feel good knowing that at least their lives aren’t that bad.
This is the beating heart of the story — why we can’t look away from the twisted steel of a highway accident. Even when I’m sick of the revelations, with their strange mix of toxicity and titillation, of networking and nude photos, I look. And so do millions of others following the story on TV and the web.
The Epstein coverage is dominated by prominent businessmen, moguls, entertainers, former Harvard president Larry Summers, former Prince Andrew, and a Trump Cabinet official who are now facing the music as part of his sleazy network. Even Woody Allen, perhaps the most famous film director on the planet, got his daughter into Bard College after Epstein appealed to the school’s president. Victims say Epstein introduced them to acclaimed model Naomi Watts at parties and that they saw her on his island.
On Monday, billionaire Thomas Pritzker resigned as executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels, saying that in his dealings with Epstein he had exhibited “terrible judgment.”
Finally, we’re seeing firings, resignations, and investigations of the rich and powerful. The media and public are taking them to the woodshed for fawning over the convicted Epstein.
The larger story has become a fixation for cable news and Sunday shows, all aimed at the mystery of why these members of the elite establishment would aid this despicable child molester years after his 2008 guilty plea.
But it’s not just about bold-faced names outside of politics. Journalists are hitting the administration hard about President Trump and Pam Bondi’s involvement in the Epstein case.
Chris Hayes of MSNBC spent a lot of time on his show discussing the revelation that, according to an FBI interview, Trump called the Palm Beach police chief in 2006 and encouraged him in his investigation of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
He played a recent clip of press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying she couldn’t confirm or deny the call, but if it happened, she told reporters, “I’m sure many of you are thinking, wow, this really cracks our narrative that we’ve been trying to push for several years.”
Hayes responded: “Totally exonerated? No wrongdoing? Really?”
He then played a clip of Trump, asked by reporters in 2019 if he had any suspicions about Epstein and young girls, saying, “No, I had no idea.” Why did he forget about his call to police discussing his friend abusing underage girls in a way that was so well known that he later said everyone knew about it?
Democrats are demanding the resignation of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and accusing him of lying after the billionaire was found to have visited Epstein’s infamous island, despite previously denying this to Congress.
CNN’s Jake Tapper said Attorney General Bondi filibustered before the House committee about the Epstein files. “She repeatedly refused to engage on a number of pressing issues, including the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and her accidental release of information identifying victims.”
The sweetheart plea deal in Florida in 2008 precluded Epstein from facing any federal prosecution, and he served just 13 months. Bondi was Florida’s attorney general at the time.
Tapper challenged Bondi’s deflections as 11 Epstein victims sat behind her. “You were asked about a child rape sex ring. Why would we talk about the Dow?” Bondi called the hearing a distraction from the Dow breaking 50,000.
Tapper then quoted conservative radio host Erick Erickson: “When the attorney general of the United States is asked why she has prosecuted no one related to Jeffrey Epstein, and this is her answer, she should be fired or resign. But neither will happen, which is another reason the Democrats are going to have a good election year.”
There is also pressure on Bondi to publish more Epstein files after she claimed in a six-page letter to Congress that “all” of them have been released.
On State of the Union, three victims couldn’t contain their outrage. Liz Stein, who says she was sexually abused and trafficked by Epstein in the mid-1990s, said, “Over and over and over again, this administration has tried to discredit us. Epstein had a network. It makes my brain explode.”
In contrast, Fox has barely covered the release of additional Epstein information and did not air the hearing live. Much of its reporting emphasizes government statements about the release process, redactions, and legal compliance rather than details from the files themselves. The coverage often spotlights partisan responses — particularly Republican criticism of Democrats’ actions around the files and the DOJ’s defensive posture.
The disclosures have ignited fresh scrutiny in Washington, as lawmakers demand answers while the public grapples with what has been revealed, and what remains hidden.
This goes far beyond mere gossip. It’s democracy in action. We see who was involved and can hold them accountable. Making sure the public knows exactly what went on behind closed doors could prevent future abuses of power — showing that no one is untouchable.
It’s a good thing these secrets didn’t stay buried forever. Bring on more.
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