WASHINGTON
Tech billionaire Elon Musk criticized the Trump administration's refusal to release documents related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein on Wednesday, appearing to suggest the declination may be due to President Donald Trump being among those in the files.
"That is a high level of confidence," Musk said on X in response to a post from prediction website Polymarket saying there is a "100% chance" that Trump is named in the files.
Amid Trump's continued criticism of demands from his supporters for the release of the documents, Musk, a former top lieutenant who spent months in the White House alongside the president, maintained: "We were all told that the list was going to be released."
"Not a single Epstein client has been prosecuted. Not even one," Musk said, further casting doubt on Trump's description of the growing Epstein controversy as a "hoax."
"Wow, amazing that Epstein 'killed himself' and Ghislaine is in federal prison for a hoax," Musk said, referring to Ghislaine Maxwell, a former decades-long aide to Epstein.
The Justice Department said this week that it determined Epstein died by suicide in 2019, and said he had no "client list."
The determination has driven the strongest wedge in Trump's base since he assumed office in January, as supporters continue to clamor for the release of all files related to Epstein, including the "client list" that Attorney General Pam Bondi said in February was "sitting on my desk right now."
Trump insisted that his base move on from the issue, alleging that they are now falling into a plot by Democrats.
"Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey EpsteinHoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this 'bull****,' hook, line, and sinker. They haven't learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for 8 long years," Trump said on social media.
"Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work, don't even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I don't want their support anymore!" he added.
On Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson broke with Trump and called for the release of government files related to Epstein.
"I'm for transparency," Johnson said in an interview with conservative podcast host Benny Johnson. "It’s a very delicate subject, but we should put everything out there and let the people decide it."
Johnson, a close Trump ally, said Bondi "needs to come forward and explain" her conflicting statements about the so-called Epstein "client list."
"I agree with the sentiment that we need to put it out there," he added.
House Republicans voted 211–210 to block a Democratic motion that would have allowed a vote on Representative Ro Khanna’s measure to require the Justice Department to publish the Epstein files within 30 days.
Democrats seized on the divide, calling for hearings and accusing Republicans of shielding the powerful.
“If you’re not hiding anything, prove that to the American people,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told a news conference Monday.