Conservative commentator Laura Loomer voiced her displeasure with the “weaponized narrative” she claims is surrounding the relationship of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, blaming the media and Democrats, as well as right-wing “grifters” like Tucker Carlson, who she said are using the ongoing story for their own enrichment.

Why It Matters

Epstein, a sex offender, died in a New York City jail in 2019 while awaiting sex trafficking charges. The disgraced financier had well-documented connections to powerful figures, and his death has long prompted numerous conspiracy theories.

Rumors of a “client list” have long circulated online, and during Trump’s successful bid for reelection in 2024, he suggested that if voters returned him to the White House, he would release a list of individuals associated with Epstein.

But since January and following repeated promises to make such information public, that release has not come to fruition—fracturing relationships between Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino, as well as leading to heightened scrutiny from some of the most die-hard Trump supporters.

The most recent developments include Trump threatening legal action against the Wall Street Journal over a news article published Thursday, alleging that the president sent a letter to Epstein on his 50th birthday.

What To Know

“I don’t think that it’s something that’s going to make most people who voted for Trump say, ‘That’s it, I’m not supporting Trump anymore,'” Loomer told Newsweek via phone on Friday. “Most of the people that are saying this are people who were never with MAGA, anyway. They’re people who were with [Robert] Kennedy or never, ever supported Trump before 2024.

“Their reasons for supporting Trump were always suspect. A lot of these people were just very opportunistic—they’re like MAHA [Make American Healthy Again] grifters.”

Asked whether she was referring to anyone in particular, or more broadly, right-wing social media influencers and podcasters, she cited Tucker Carlson as an example.

Carlson recently gave a speech to the conservative youth group Turning Point USA, saying “every single person in Washington, D.C., thinks that” there is a larger Mossad-Epstein connection derived from a larger blackmail operation on behalf of Israeli intelligence. He questioned where Epstein’s money came from.

“Why doesn’t anyone want to talk about the fact that [Carlson’s] in the Dominion records,” Loomer said, referencing Carlson’s former role as a Fox News host and leaked messages that became public during Dominion Voting Systems’ $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against the network.

The lawsuit was later settled for $787 million.

Loomer also accused Carlson of calling Trump supporters “cousin f******,” though those were actually the words of his ex-producer, Alex Pfeiffer.

“Carlson said he hates Trump, and the only reason why he pretends to like Trump is because he’s now a defendant and the majority of his audience is people who like Trump—even though he’s rapidly pushing those people away because he’s become Jew obsessed and he’s being bankrolled by Muslims,” she said.

Newsweek reached out to Carlson via email for comment.

Loomer also called the Wall Street Journal story a “hoax” perpetuated by media obsession over the Epstein files, saying that people are now starting to realize that this “narrative is being weaponized to attack President Trump.”

In a September 2024 podcast interview, Trump told host Lex Fridman said the Epstein files never being released was “very interesting” and would “probably” be made public.

“Look, everybody wants the Epstein files to be released,” Loomer said. “But if the Epstein files were such a pressing issue to the Democrats like they’re now pretending it is for them, how come they didn’t ask to release these—and why did they say nothing when it was revealed that Bill Clinton was on the list, flew on the plane and went to the island?”

While acknowledging there’s “obvious tension” between the DOJ and FBI on this issue, and that she’s in favor of transparency, she again said “there’s a lot of grifters out there who want to capitalize off the division to make a name for themselves.”

The president, meanwhile, is fulfilling all of his campaign promises and everything that he said he was going to do in Agenda 47, she added, saying that the typical Trump voter is more worried about wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, trade deals coming to pass, and illegal immigration.

“I don’t really think that the average American who is trying to make enough money to feed their kids and put gas in their car is sitting around wondering, ‘When are we gonna get these files?’ It’s definitely of interest because it’s become so salacious.

“I think that because it’s been so sensationalized, people have an interest in who this guy was and whether he really was running a blackmail operation and working with intel agencies. But I don’t think that it’s something that’s going to make most people who voted for Trump say, ‘That’s it, I’m not supporting Trump anymore.'”

What People Are Saying

President Trump told the Wall Street Journal in a Tuesday interview: “This is not me. This is a fake thing. It’s a fake Wall Street Journal story. I never wrote a picture in my life. I don’t draw pictures of women. It’s not my language. It’s not my words.”

Far-right influencer Nick Fuentes during Wednesday night’s episode of the America First podcast, about Trump: “F*** you. You suck. You are fat, you are a joke, you are stupid, you are not funny, you are not as smart as you think you are,” later adding, “This entire thing has been a scam.”

Comedian Andrew Schultz on the Flagrant podcast after Trump made negative comments about his supporters who want the files released: “I think what is enraging people right now is it’s insulting our intelligence. Like obviously, the intelligence community is trying to cover it up. Obviously the Trump administration is trying to cover up. Something changed because they ran on this idea of exposing it.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson said Friday, “There’s no daylight between us and the White House,” adding that the Rules Committee vote was intended to “make it crystal clear” that Republicans back releasing the files.