NATIONAL NEWS

Trump slams his own supporters who are angered over how his team has handled the Epstein case

Jul 16, 2025, 8:00 AM | Updated: 4:48 pm

Attorney General Pam Bondi, left, listens as President Donald Trump, right, speaks during a cabinet...

Attorney General Pam Bondi, left, listens as President Donald Trump, right, speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump is lashing out at his own supporters as he tries to clamp down on criticism over his administration’s handling of much-hyped records in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation, which Trump now calls a “Hoax.”

“Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this “bull——,” hook, line, and sinker,” Trump wrote Wednesday on his Truth Social site, using an expletive in his post. “They haven’t learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for 8 long years.”

“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! Thank you for your attention to this matter,” he went on.

The schism between the Republican president and some of his most loyal supporters centers on his administration’s handling of the Epstein case. Last week, the Justice Department and the FBI acknowledged that Epstein did not maintain a “client list” and they said no more files related to the wealthy financier’s sex trafficking investigation would be made public despite promises from Attorney General Pam Bondi that had raised the expectations of conservative influencers and conspiracy theorists.

Trump has since defended Bondi and chided a reporter for asking about the documents.

Trump and many figures in his administration, including FBI Director Kash Patel and his deputy, Dan Bongino, have spent years stoking dark and disproved conspiracy theories, including embracing QAnon-tinged propaganda that casts Trump as a savior sent to demolish the “deep state.”

National News

fort stewart georgia shooting...

Associated Press

5 soldiers shot before arrest made at Army’s Fort Stewart in Georgia

Five soldiers were shot Wednesday at Fort Stewart in Georgia, leading to a lockdown at the Army base before the shooter was arrested, officials said.

8 hours ago

Titan...

Associated Press

Titan sub disaster was caused by weak safety and oversight, Coast Guard says

The Coast Guard said the Titan sub disaster was caused by weak safety and oversight.

1 day ago

Texas...

Associated Press

Why dozens of Democrats left Texas and how Republicans want to punish them

Dozens of Democratic state lawmakers in Texas have scattered to points across the country.

2 days ago

The U.S. Capitol, Wednesday, July 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)Credit...

Associated Press

August recess can’t hide tensions ahead for Congress on spending and Trump nominations

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers have left Washington for the annual August recess, but a few weeks of relative quiet on the U.S. Capitol grounds can’t mask the partisan tensions that are brewing on government funding and President Donald Trump’s nominees. It could make for a momentous September. Here’s a look at what’s ahead when lawmakers […]

2 days ago

FILE - Damage can be seen to a front window as law enforcement officers work the scene of a shootin...

Associated Press

Arkansas man sentenced to life without parole for 2024 mass shooting at grocery store

FORDYCE, Ark. (AP) — An Arkansas man who killed four people and injured 11 others last year in a mass shooting at a grocery store was sentenced Monday to life in prison without parole. A state judge sentenced Travis Eugene Posey to four life sentences for each count of capital murder. Posey was also sentenced […]

2 days ago

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., speaks at the annual Fancy Farm picnic Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, in Fanc...

Associated Press

Mitch McConnell’s legacy comes under fire in Kentucky race to replace him in the Senate

CALVERT CITY, Ky. (AP) — Republican Nate Morris had deftly warmed up a crowd of party faithful, gushing about President Donald Trump and recounting his own life’s journey — from hardscrabble childhood to wealthy entrepreneur — when he turned his attention to the man he wants to replace, Sen. Mitch McConnell. That’s when things got […]

2 days ago

Trump slams his own supporters who are angered over how his team has handled the Epstein case