Timothy L. O'Brien, Columnist

Epstein Conspiracies Split Trump, Musk and the MAGAsphere

The president is learning the consequences of courting outlandish theories.

July 14, 2025 at 10:30 AM UTC

Timothy L. O'Brien is senior executive editor of Bloomberg Opinion. A former editor and reporter for the New York Times, he is author of “TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald.”

The Epstein files: The truth is somewhere.
Photographer: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

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Trouble is brewing among the MAGAs.

“How many of you are satisfied with the results of the Epstein investigation?” Fox pundit Laura Ingraham asked attendees at a Friday summit of young conservatives sponsored by Turning Point USA, an influential far-right activist group close to the Trump administration. The answer, according to the Washington Post, was a crescendo of boos.