Many in the news media seem to be asking the wrong question about the case of deceased child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.Â
Journalists have a fascination with why this story and scandal continue to dog President Donald Trump, a former friend of Epstein's, when so many other scandals resulting from Trump's cruelty, incompetence and greed have failed to gain traction.Â
While there is some nuance to all of this, the basic answer is that this is a story nearly all Americans care about. And they care not necessarily because of Trump, but because Epstein was a monster, as was his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. They also believe Epstein had a lot of dirt on a lot of important people. Â
A recent Washington Post poll showed that only 15% of participants believe the medical examiner's report that Epstein, who was found dead in a New York jail cell in 2019 during Trump's first term, committed suicide. That is a staggeringly low number that shows a high level of suspicion around this case and how it has been handled.
Surprisingly, 42% of respondents said they were unsure about Epstein's death and a whopping 44% said they believe Epstein was murdered. Even given the typical caveats about polls, these numbers seem to indicate most Americans believe something fishy happened.Â
As it pertains to Trump, only 16% of poll respondents approve of how he has handled issues related to the Epstein files. Another 26% had no opinion, while 58% said they disapprove. Broken down by party, 91% of Democrats and 63% of independents said they disapprove. Among Republicans, 38% disapprove and another 38% said they have no opinion. Only 24% of Republicans said they approve of how Trump has handled the issue.Â
This again points out what is different about this scandal while also highlighting the more important issue. Trump has continued to change his story on why he won't release the Epstein files, something he and supporters who are now members of his administration said they'd do on the campaign trail last year and again earlier this year (and for years before the election). Trump is no longer an outsider. He's in charge but he won't release the information. That makes a man who was revered as a supposed outsider just another typical politician, looking out for himself and the so-called elites he and his base have always railed against.Â
At the same time, a passionate political base -- and even those who are apathetic about the political system in general -- are willing to forgive a lot, but it's hard to find people who are OK with a coverup involving the sex trafficking of minors. People care about the victims. They want accountability.
Yes, reporting and common sense indicate Trump is all over the Epstein files. Whether he committed any crimes is certainly unknown but it's not surprising the president would want to cover his own hide, regardless.Â
However, the people who put Trump in office were promised answers and they want them. They know they're being stonewalled. Those who despise Trump want answers, too. Even those who are relatively uninterested in who the president happens to be care about this issue and want the information.
In some form or fashion, just about everyone feels like they're being lied to about Epstein. National interest might wane in the coming days or weeks. But interest around Epstein has waned before and always flared back up. The scandal will never truly die until real information sees the light of day. Â
