Former President Donald Trump is under growing political pressure from his conservative base as renewed scrutiny over Ghislaine Maxwell’s DOJ interviews intensifies the unresolved saga surrounding convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Ghislaine Maxwell, serving a 20‑year federal sentence for sex trafficking teenage girls, recently met for almost two days with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in Tallahassee. Her attorney, David Markus, said Maxwell “answered every single question,” providing details on roughly 100 individuals without any formal immunity deal in place, though prosecutors appeared to afford her limited proffer protections.
Supporters within Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement—including pundits such as Alan Dershowitz—have elevated Maxwell to the status of a “Rosetta Stone”, arguing she could expose a hidden elite network if granted immunity
The Washington Post. Meanwhile, a Wall Street Journal report revealed that Attorney General Pam Bondi informed Trump in May that his name appeared multiple times in Epstein-related files. Although the White House initially labeled the report “fake news”, officials later acknowledged no formal denial, and confirmed Trump was briefed on the findings.
The revelation has sparked backlash from Trump’s political base, with many supporters accusing the administration of covering up critical information. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 69% of Americans believe the Trump administration is withholding Epstein-related filings, and just 17% approve of the way the case has been handled—marking the lowest score of any issue surveyed.
Trump, who once celebrated Epstein as a “terrific guy” and appeared multiple times on the financier’s private flight logs in the 1990s, has denied wrongdoing and insisted their association ended well before Epstein’s legal troubles began
Reuters. In response to mounting pressure, Trump has offered to provide a “list” of others associated with Epstein—naming figures such as former President Bill Clinton and ex-Harvard president Larry Summers—as he continues to reject calls for a pardon for Maxwell, saying he had not considered the option.
Trump’s efforts to pivot attention toward broader issues—such as fretting critics, accused conspiracies involving Barack Obama, and spotlighting economic policy—have largely failed to quell the controversy. Analysts warn the Epstein case may be the first serious wedge issue within his MAGA coalition. On Capitol Hill, Democrats and some Republicans have pressed for a vote on legislation requiring the release of all Epstein‐related Justice Department and FBI documents. In an effort to avoid a partisan showdown, House Speaker Mike Johnson recessed Congress early for the summer.
Legal developments may soon add another layer: the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to consider in September whether to hear Maxwell’s bid to overturn her 2021 conviction, which hinges on a claim that a 2007 plea deal shielding some Epstein associates should have barred her prosecution.
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