President Donald Trump on Friday publicly denied claims by Elon Musk that his name appears in unreleased files tied to Jeffrey Epstein, calling the Tesla CEO "a man who has lost his mind" as their months-long feud spilled further into the political arena. The allegation, made by Musk on X, has ignited renewed scrutiny of both men's past associations with Epstein and triggered fresh demands for the release of all classified documents related to the deceased sex offender.
"Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public," Musk posted Thursday on his platform, adding: "Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out." The billionaire, who once supported Trump and headed the now-defunct Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), offered no evidence to support the claim.
The White House swiftly dismissed Musk's accusation. Karoline Leavitt, press secretary, called it "an unfortunate episode from Elon," adding that the president remains focused on advancing his "One Big Beautiful Bill," a sweeping fiscal package that Musk has labeled a "disgusting abomination" for expanding the national debt and cutting electric vehicle subsidies.
On Friday evening, Trump responded more directly by reposting a message from Epstein's former attorney David Schoen, who wrote: "I can say authoritatively, unequivocally, and definitively that he had no information to hurt President Trump. I specifically asked him!" Schoen represented Epstein in the final days before his 2019 death in federal custody.
Musk's allegation revived long-standing conspiracy theories surrounding the sealed Epstein files. While thousands of pages have already been declassified-including contact books, court records, and flight logs-many documents remain either sealed or heavily redacted. U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi has said the FBI is still reviewing "tens of thousands" of pages to protect victim identities and ongoing investigations.
Trump's name has surfaced in released records, including flight logs and social pages from the 1990s showing him flying on Epstein's private jet and socializing at Mar-a-Lago. However, he has not been accused of any misconduct. A Trump spokesperson told Newsweek in January 2024 that such connections had been "thoroughly debunked."
Still, the back-and-forth has escalated sharply. "Elon was 'wearing thin,' I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars... and he just went CRAZY!" Trump posted on Truth Social. He also suggested cutting all federal contracts and subsidies to Musk's companies, including SpaceX and Tesla-moves that coincided with a 14% drop in Tesla's share price.
Musk, in response, called for Trump's impeachment and proposed Vice President JD Vance as a replacement. The deteriorating relationship has prompted Democrats to demand a full accounting of the sealed Epstein documents. Representatives Stephen Lynch and Robert Garcia sent a letter to Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel requesting a timeline for declassification and an explanation for continued redactions.
Adding fuel to the controversy, the Democrats' official X account posted a photo of Trump with Epstein, captioned: "What is Trump hiding? Release the Epstein files." Musk's post continues to circulate widely online, reinforcing pressure on the administration to address public concerns about transparency and accountability.
Trump and Epstein's relationship dates back to the early 1990s, when they were often seen at parties in Palm Beach and New York. Trump told New York Magazine in 2002: "I've known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side." The president has since distanced himself from Epstein, claiming they had a falling out years before the financier's arrest.
Meanwhile, Bondi has promised further releases of Epstein-related files, though no timeline has been given. Democrats are pressing for answers on whether Trump has influenced the delay. Lynch and Garcia's letter asks for a list of personnel involved in the review process and a justification for redactions in prior releases.
