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Latest Epstein release: We're lost the plot

By Sara Pequeno
USA Today

..... On January 30, [2026] the U.S. Justice Department released about 3.5 million additional documents related to disgraced financier Jeffery Epstein and his alleged sex trafficking ring nearly a month and a half after they were legally required to do so. But the tardiness of the evidence isn't the only disappointing element of the recent file dump.
..... It seems that those hoping for a smoking gun that implicates President Donald Trump in any sexual crimes will have to keep waiting. despite the fact that The New York Times identified more than 38,000 references to Trump in the recent release of the Epstein files, none of these mentions are direct correspondence between the two men.
..... It's pretty clear this is by design - even though the two men were friends in the 2000s, very few of the files released in January [2026] date back to that time. If fact, Trump went so far as to tell reporters that the latest batch of documents absolves him of any alleged wrongdoing, despite the fact that there are at least 2.5 million pages that have not been released.
..... The last thing Trump wants is to be associated with Epstein, even though he purportedly once wrote the convicted sex trafficker a lewd birthday message and previously said that the two men shared a love of young women. For his base, who pushed for the release of the Epstein files during Trump's 2024 reelection campaign, this may be the only thing that can drive a wedge between MAGA and their beloved leader. That's why it;s imperative that the rest of the country keep the files front of mind and continue to push for the truth.

Has MAGA forgotten Trump's Epstein files promises?

..... The Epstein files are perhaps the only thing the left and the right can currently agree on. The congressional vote to release the files was nearly unanimous, save for a long Republican holdout in the House. IN fact, Trump is the only one who seemed to prefer not to release the files, which surely isn't because of anything that would incriminate him.
..... Epstein was awaiting trail on sex trafficking charges when he was found dead in a jail cell in 2019.
..... Even though The Times found thousands of references to Trump in the latest release, it seems that the information that was included was supposed to show a level of obsession Epstein had with Trump in last years of his life, as opposed to any camaraderie between the two. Yet the information we are able to piece together shows that Trump could be hiding something.
..... It's ironic that MAGA considers Trump Derangement Syndrome an ailment affecting the left, when the real derangement seems to be coming from faction members who are willing to do mental gymnastics to absolve the president of any wrongdoing - even though anyone with eyes can see that he is withholding information to keep the country in the dark about the true level of his involvement.

We've lost sight of justice for Epstein's victims

..... If you aren't sure that the files are worth sweating over for the sake of condemning the persistent, consider the survivors - the women, many of whom were teenage when they were subjected to the horror of Epstein's alleged trafficking ring. In fact, many of them were subjected to a new level of abuse when the Justice Department failed to redact photos and mentions of the victims.
..... "Once again, survivors are having their names and identifying information exposed, while the men who abused us remain hidden and protected," 18 survivors said in a joint statement to The Times. "that is outrageous. this is not over. We will not stop until the truth is fully revealed and every perpetrator is finally held accountable.
..... We must remember that the Epstein files are about more than just the president's possible involvement, or the involvement of any high-profile friends of the late disgrace mogul. No we must remember that this is about justice for survivors of sexual abuse as much as it is about our right to know about criminal activity. The entirely of the Epstein files must be released, and we can't stop demanding them until the public has all of the available information.

..... Follow USA Today columnist Sara Pequeno on bluesky: @sarapequeno.bsky.social

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