Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has once again stirred the long-running controversy surrounding convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, this time by indirectly implicating U.S. President Donald Trump. In a provocative post on X (formerly Twitter), Musk shared a meme titled “The Official Jeffrey Epstein Pedophile Arrest Counter,” displaying a count of zero arrests to date in the high-profile case. Accompanying the image, he wrote, “What’s the time? Oh look, it’s no-one-has-been-arrested-o’clock again.”
Musk’s post follows renewed attention on the Epstein case after a new memo from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) concluded that Epstein’s 2019 death was a suicide and that no blackmail “client list” exists. The report, first obtained by Axios, ruled out third-party involvement in Epstein’s death and stated that no further charges would be filed against others in connection with the case.
Though the memo seemed aimed at putting to rest speculation surrounding Epstein’s connections, Musk’s post reignited the debate. Many were quick to recall Musk’s now-deleted June post, in which he stated, “Trump is in the Epstein files,” and suggested that was “the real reason they have not been made public.” Musk later walked back the claim, admitting he “went too far.”
Despite the retraction, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO’s posts have helped revive public scrutiny over Trump’s historic relationship with Epstein. The two were known to be acquaintances in the 1990s, often attending the same high-profile parties in New York and Florida. Epstein was even quoted in a 2017 interview as saying that Trump was his “closest friend.”
Trump, however, has sought to distance himself from Epstein in recent years. In a 2019 press conference, the president stated he was “not a fan” of Epstein and hadn’t spoken to him in over 15 years. He also claimed to have banned Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago resort in the early 2000s.
Adding to the public’s distrust, Epstein’s former associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in trafficking minors to Epstein and his wealthy associates. Despite her conviction, many feel justice remains incomplete, particularly given the number of influential figures allegedly linked to Epstein over the years.
While the new DOJ-FBI report attempted to close the chapter on Epstein’s mysterious death and the search for accomplices, Musk’s viral post—despite being deleted—has renewed pressure on authorities to release more information. As conspiracy theories swirl and questions about accountability remain, the Epstein saga continues to cast a shadow over powerful elites, including President Trump.
