According to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, a majority of Americans believe the Trump administration is concealing information about Jeffrey Epstein and rate its handling of the case poorly.
The two day poll, which closed on July 16, showed that 69 percent of respondents thought the federal government “was hiding details about Epstein’s clients, compared to six percent who disagreed and about one in four who said they weren’t sure,” Reuters reported.
In 2019, convicted sex offender, Jeffery Epstein, was detained in New York while facing federal charges of sex-trafficking minors when, authorities say, he died by suicide while alone in a cell.
The case has captivated the American public and disclosing what the government knows about the matter was an issue Trump ran on in the last federal election.
However, last week, the Trump administration appeared to reverse its stance on the matter, with the FBI issuing a report saying that there was no client list, that there was no evidence of a blackmail ring involving the world’s elites and that the government did not have any more information concerning Epstein and his alleged crimes.
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This was despite Trump’s Attorney General, Pam Bondi, previously stating that the Epstein client list was “on my desk.” Bondi later clarified that she meant the file was on her desk, not an actual client list.
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Trump’s approval ratings
According to the pool, just 17 percent of Americans approve of how the Trump administration has managed the case, the weakest approval rating the president has received on any issue.
Among these respondents, 35 percent of Republicans approved of the administration’s performance on the matter compared to 29 percent who disapproved. The remaining indicated they were either unsure or didn’t answer the question.
Reuters reported that Trump and White House officials were weighing a range of options including unsealing new documents, appointing a special prosecutor and drafting executive actions on issues such as pedophilia.
Trump, however, has been defiant, describing supporters hung up on the issue as “weaklings” who were helping Democrats. “I don’t want their support anymore!” Trump said in a social media post.
Behind the scenes Trump and senior aides have also reached out to key MAGA-aligned influencers, urging them to dial down their criticism of the administration’s handling of the Epstein investigation and shift focus to broader priorities for the America First movement.
The backlash over the Epstein case has laid bare tensions inside Trump’s coalition and is testing one of Trump’s most enduring political strengths: His ability to command loyalty and control the narrative across the right.
The outcry comes amid discontent among parts of Trump’s base over the U.S. strikes on Iran, continued involvement in Ukraine and any hint of backsliding on the administration’s hardline immigration promises.
Trump knew Epstein socially in the 1990s and early 2000s. During the 2021 trial of Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell, the financier’s longtime pilot, Lawrence Visoski, testified that Trump flew on Epstein’s private plane multiple times.
Trump has denied ever being on the plane and has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll, which was conducted online, surveyed 1,027 U.S. adults nationwide and had a margin of error of about 3 percentage points.
Reuters contributed to this report.
