CNN’s senior data analyst Harry Enten delivered a grim update for President Donald Trump on Sunday, revealing that public interest in the Jeffrey Epstein controversy is surging — and the president’s efforts to downplay the issue are falling flat.
“Donald Trump is begging his supporters to let this go,” Enten said on air. “But they’re not listening. In fact, interest in this story is nearing an all-time high.”
Enten backed his analysis with a chart showing that Google searches for “Jeffrey Epstein” have jumped more than 1,900% in the past week alone, currently ranking as the top search term paired with “Donald Trump.”
That data directly contradicts Trump’s recent statement on Truth Social, where he claimed Epstein is “somebody that nobody cares about.”
The backlash began after the Department of Justice and FBI released a memo concluding that Epstein likely died by suicide and that no evidence was found of a so-called “client list” of powerful accomplices — a central belief among MAGA loyalists and conspiracy theorists long courted by Trump himself.
Now, that alliance appears to be fraying. Prominent Trump allies like Laura Loomer are demanding Attorney General Pam Bondi’s resignation, and Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino — once a vocal Epstein skeptic and conservative podcast star — is reportedly weighing his own resignation in protest.
Trump’s response has only fueled the fire. During a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, he lashed out at the media and critics, calling Epstein “this creep” and urging people to move on. Then, in a Truth Social post Saturday, he pleaded with his supporters: “LET PAM BONDI DO HER JOB — SHE’S GREAT!”
But the plea has fallen on deaf ears. Fox News has warned that the situation is becoming a “ticking time bomb,” while Enten noted that betting markets now give Trump just over a 20% chance of releasing any new details related to Epstein’s crimes.
“That, of course, is a problem,” Enten said. “Because what we’re seeing from Trump’s own base over the past 24, 48, 72 hours is unprecedented frustration. They wanted answers. And now they feel betrayed.”