Donald Trump has always been a magnet for conspiracy theories—and he’s rarely met one he didn’t push. From claiming the 2020 election was stolen to saying Obama spied on his campaign, Trump has spent years feeding his base with wild, unproven claims. But now, he’s told a story so bizarre that even some of his most loyal followers are backing away.
According to a report by The New Republic’s Michael Tomasky, the breaking point is Trump’s sudden shift on the Jeffrey Epstein case.
For years, Trump and his allies have fueled rumors that Epstein’s files contained a secret “client list” exposing powerful elites—many assumed to be Democrats or celebrities—connected to Epstein’s child sex trafficking ring. Trump even promised he’d “make all related government files public.”
MAGA world ate it up. They believed the FBI was sitting on explosive evidence. But now, with the 2024 election ramping up, Trump is walking it all back. Attorney General Pam Bondi recently claimed, “There is no client list,” and insisted Epstein’s death in jail was a suicide.
That’s all it took to set parts of MAGA world on fire. Furious supporters are accusing Trump’s team of covering up the very conspiracy they once shouted about. Some are even demanding resignations.
Tomasky puts it bluntly: “During his political career, Trump has promoted or endorsed every single nutso right-wing conspiracy theory he’s commented on. He’s even started a few of them.”
So why the sudden about-face on Epstein?
One possible reason: Trump’s past connection to Epstein. The two were friends decades ago. And while there’s no confirmed link tying Trump to Epstein’s crimes, Tomasky raises the question: “What additional information might the bureau be sitting on pertaining to Epstein and Trump?”
He adds: “The notion that Trump’s name appears unflatteringly in those files would serve as the Occam’s Razor explanation as to why he is now eager to kill the Epstein story.”
The backlash among his base is real. While many will still back him against the so-called “deep state,” there’s now open distrust inside MAGA circles. Tomasky sums it up: “There’s a leak in the dike now.”
And for a man who’s built his brand on never backing down from a conspiracy, this retreat may be the most shocking twist yet.
