Washington /New York, June 7: Tech billionaire Elon Musk reignited controversy on Thursday after claiming, without evidence, that U.S. President Donald Trump is named in secret government files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, prompting renewed political calls for transparency over the material.
Musk, who recently stepped down as a White House advisor, posted on his social media platform X that Trump was “in the Epstein files,” alleging that this was the reason the documents had not yet been made public. The claim comes amid escalating tensions between Musk and the Trump administration.
“Time to drop the really big bomb,” Musk wrote. “(Trump) is in the Epstein files.” The White House swiftly dismissed the post. Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Musk was “unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted,” referring to a recently passed legislative package.
No official source has confirmed that Trump appears in any of the Epstein-related investigative materials. Musk did not clarify which documents he was referring to or provide supporting evidence.
Trump, who has denied visiting Epstein’s private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, had earlier promised full disclosure of Epstein files. While over 63,000 pages related to the JFK assassination have been made public by the administration, the Epstein files remain partially unreleased.
Epstein, a financier with powerful connections, died by suicide in 2019 in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Democrats seized on Musk’s allegation to press for the full release of Epstein files. “Now my suspicion has been confirmed,” Democratic Congressman Dan Goldman posted on X, referring to his earlier accusations that the Justice Department may be shielding Trump.
Representative Ted Lieu echoed the demand, urging the Department of Justice to release the documents. “What is the Trump administration hiding?” he asked.
Former Republican National Committee spokesman Tim Miller, now a vocal Trump critic, said Americans deserved full transparency. “The American people deserve to know if our president is a pedophile,” he wrote on X.
Fact-checkers, including PolitiFact, have noted that Trump and Epstein were acquaintances in the 1990s. Trump reportedly flew on Epstein’s private jet at least seven times, though there is no evidence he visited Epstein’s island. In a past interview, Trump called Epstein a “terrific guy” and noted their shared interest in beautiful women, “many of them on the younger side.”
Epstein’s alleged victim, Virginia Giuffre, who filed lawsuits against several high-profile individuals, died by suicide earlier this year, according to her family. Previously released court documents have implicated powerful figures, though evidence of direct wrongdoing by those named has been limited.
Musk’s post marks a rare convergence of far-right conspiracy theories and left-wing transparency demands, potentially putting further pressure on the administration to release the remaining sealed materials.
