Elon Musk escalated his feud with President Donald Trump on Tuesday, asserting that the newly launched America Party will prioritize the release of long-sought Epstein files, as tensions between the tech billionaire and the president reignited over the case of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
"How can people be expected to have faith in Trump if he won't release the Epstein files?" Musk wrote on X, the social media platform he owns, renewing accusations that Trump is withholding key documents. When asked if exposing the files would be a top priority for the America Party, Musk replied with a "100" emoji.
Musk's latest criticism followed the release of a memo from the Department of Justice and FBI that concluded there is no evidence of a "client list" associated with Epstein and no additional charges were expected. The announcement provoked outrage from conspiracy theorists and Musk alike, who posted a satirical image of a "Jeffrey Epstein Pedophile Arrest Counter" showing all zeros, captioned: "What's the time? Oh look, it's no-one-has-been-arrested-o'clock again ..."
The White House responded by denouncing what it called divisive speculation. "President Trump is proud of Attorney General Bondi's efforts to execute his Make America Safe Again agenda, restore the integrity of the Department of Justice, and bring justice to victims of crime," said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. "The continued fixation on sowing division in President Trump's Cabinet is baseless and unfounded in reality."
Trump, asked about Epstein during a recent Cabinet meeting, dismissed the renewed attention. "Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This guy's been talked about for years," Trump said. Attorney General Pam Bondi added, "He committed suicide," when questioned on the status of a so-called "client list."
Bondi had previously stated in February that the list was "sitting on her desk," fueling speculation that the administration would eventually make it public. However, the DOJ's recent findings appear to contradict that promise, triggering further backlash online.
In a separate post, Musk mocked the administration's apparent reversal by reposting a meme that read: "There is no Epstein list," portraying a clown applying makeup.
The renewed conflict between Musk and Trump underscores their deepening political rift. Once seemingly aligned on regulatory policy and business interests, the relationship deteriorated sharply after Trump criticized Musk's opposition to a major federal spending package. Trump called Musk a "TRAIN WRECK" who had "gone off the rails," while Musk fired back by launching his own political party.
"The truth will come out," Musk posted last month, claiming that Trump was "in the Epstein files" and that this was "the real reason they have not been made public."
