It is fair to say that most political scandals fade with time. Just like red wine stains gradually scrubbed from white linens, they lose their shock value. But not the Epstein affair, it seems. Not the files filled with prominent names. Not the infamous client list. And certainly not Donald Trump's connection to it.
No matter how far President Trump flies - whether to Mar-a-Lago, Manhattan or the manicured golf greens of Scotland (from where he returned on Tuesday) - the ghost of Jeffrey Epstein refuses to part with him. Years after the disgraced financier died under suspicious circumstances in a federal prison, his shadow still lingers. It has become an albatross around Trump's neck - a symbol of growing public cynicism about power, secrecy and selective justice.
Just last week, as President Trump landed in Scotland to project an image of calm statesmanship and international poise, there was a nice moment of diplomatic triumph: a favourable EU trade deal. Surely, a feather in his cap. But even as he celebrated, reporters circled like hawks round an old, rotting carcass: the Epstein files.
'Terrific Guy'
Questions flew, about trade and foreign policy, but also about the convicted sex offender he once called a "terrific guy". It's hardly the kind of backdrop any president wants on a global stage.
But this is not 2016. Trump, once the disruptor-in-chief who thrived on political and personal scandals, now finds himself increasingly cornered by liberals or "the deep state," as well as by the ghosts of his own political base, which has turned strangely inward. The Epstein controversy is no longer about Epstein. It's about hypocrisy, about broken promises, about firebrands-turned-functionaries who once shouted from the rooftops and now hide behind legalese.
A Little Recap
Let us rewind the tape. According to available records, Trump's association with Epstein dates back to the 1990s, a time when New York's moneyed elite mingled in Mar-a-Lago-style opulence. Trump once praised Epstein's 'taste' in women, noting that "many of them are on the younger side". Later, after Epstein's 2007 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor, Trump publicly distanced himself. By 2019, when Epstein was arrested again and subsequently died in prison under murky circumstances, Trump was already president and the traditional media as well as social media were ablaze with speculation.
The photos, the guest lists, the deposition quotes. They never really disappeared. They simply lingered in online forums, social media threads and the corners of Reddit and Telegram where conspiracy theories ferment. But what started as fringe chatter has taken on a more central role in today's political discourse upon Trump's second coming, especially among the very voters Trump relied on to return to the White House.
The Voices That Fell Silent
When the infamous Epstein files were partially unsealed earlier this year as part of civil litigation involving Ghislaine Maxwell, media outlets poured over the documents for salacious details and political implications. While many big names appeared, it was Trump's name that lingered in headlines the longest. Not because the documents proved guilt or involvement, but because of the administration's handling of the files now.
Trump's handpicked officials - FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi - were once warriors in the Epstein-obsessed right-wing media ecosystem. Patel famously hinted at a cover-up involving "the highest levels of government", while Bondi made rounds on cable TV brandishing supposed client lists with grim resolve. But now, as custodians of these same institutions, they are singing a different tune. Nothing more to disclose. Nothing left to see.
This abrupt U-turn has enraged large sections of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) base, whose loyalty was forged not just by economic grievances or immigration policy, but by a belief that Trump alone would "drain the swamp". Epstein was the ultimate symbol of that swamp - its depravity, its privilege and its impunity. To see former conspiracy hunters now become gatekeepers of silence is, for many, nothing short of betrayal.
Is 'Trumpism' Crumbling
What we are witnessing is a kind of slow-motion war within Trumpism. The same base that once trusted Trump to take on "globalist elites" now accuses him - on forums and alt-media channels - of becoming one of them. "The Deep State is now MAGA," reads a popular meme. Fringe influencers like Laura Loomer and Mike Cernovich have openly questioned why Epstein's full files remain sealed, even under Trump's presidency. The implication: if he had nothing to hide, why didn't he order full transparency?
To mainstream media, this may sound like more conspiracy-mongering. But politically, it's a potent problem. Trump's appeal always relied on his outsider status, his ability to "say the quiet part out loud". If that image crumbles - if he begins to look like just another manipulative politician with skeletons in his closet - the loyalty that brought him victory in 2016 and again in 2024 could erode.
Optics Is Everything
Legally, Trump has not been charged with anything related to Epstein. The files, it is widely believed, contain mentions of him, but so far, no smoking gun. But legal risk is not the same as political risk. In a media environment where perception often trumps evidence, it's the optics that matter. Trump's repeated denials, his refusal to unseal the remaining files fully and his attacks on journalists asking about Epstein only deepen public suspicion.
Polls show growing scepticism among independents and younger Republican voters. A recent Pew survey indicated that 58% of Americans believe Epstein's death involved foul play, and 46% say they don't trust either party to investigate it fairly. That is not just bad news for Trump, it is a crisis of legitimacy for the institutions he once vowed to reform.
There is a deeper philosophical question here: what happens when movements that were built on tearing down opaque institutions inherit those very institutions? Do they reform them? Or do they simply use them for protection? Trump's presidency and the lingering Epstein scandal provide an uncomfortable answer. The very agencies once accused of cover-ups are now run by those who made their name demanding truth. And yet, the files remain locked, redacted, classified.
In that sense, the Epstein case has become a serious test for American democracy. For some, it proves that the elite protect their own. For others, it is a cautionary tale about the dangers of populist promises. For all, it is a painful reminder that truth in the age of political tribalism is a slippery thing.
Anatomy Of A Scandal
So, where does this all go? A few scenarios are possible.
One, the Epstein controversy remains a side note in the remaining three-and-a-half years of Trump's administration, fodder for fringe media but not a mainstream concern.
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Two, the scandal explodes, perhaps through new leaks or insider whistleblowers. It becomes a central issue in the midterm polls.
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Three, the issue festers, neither resolved nor forgotten, casting a long shadow over every press conference, every debate, every international appearance. The very ambiguity of it - what is known, what is suspected, what is denied - becomes its own kind of scandal.
Deny, Deflect, Distract
If Trump's track record is any guide, he will attempt to bulldoze through the issue with distractions, denials and declarations of victimhood. In fact, his adversaries believe he has already started to use this tactic openly. In classic Trumpian theatre, when the spotlight got too hot over Epstein, the script abruptly changed. Last week, President Trump's camp hurled a fresh grenade. This time aimed at Barack Obama. The charge? That Obama cooked up the intelligence linking Russia to election meddling in 2016.
Critics see this as pure deflection, a political sleight of hand. With Epstein files refusing to die and Trump's own name etched too close for comfort, the administration appears to be rummaging through old playbooks: distract, distort and direct outrage elsewhere. But this time, this may not be enough. The public has grown weary of circus acts and sleights of hand.
Half Truths, Whole Lies
The Epstein scandal is not just about Jeffrey Epstein. It is not even just about Trump. It is about a political culture that thrives on half-truths and unfinished narratives. It is about what happens when you raise the curtain on elite misbehaviour and then abruptly close it again.
For Trump, the problem is not just the past. It's the present - his own appointees, his own choices, his own silence or weak denials. In the end, it may not be what's in the files that hurts him, but the fact that those files still exist, untouched, unspoken, festering in the public imagination like an open wound.
There's a lesson here, not just for the MAGA faithful or the liberal sceptics, but for anyone watching the great American drama unfold: ghosts don't die just because you stop talking about them. Sometimes, the more you try to bury them, the louder they knock.
(Syed Zubair Ahmed is a London-based senior Indian journalist with three decades of experience with the Western media)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
