Elon Musk ignited controversy Tuesday after publicly accusing former Trump White House strategist Steve Bannon of appearing in the infamous “Epstein Files.”
Musk’s claim came in response to a series of posts from longtime Trump ally Roger Stone. In one post, Stone questioned Bannon’s connection to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, asking:
“Why would Bannon meet with Jeffrey Epstein both at his New York home and in Paris after Epstein had already been convicted in Florida? Why would he help coach Epstein for his ‘60 Minutes’ interview?”
Stone cited a July 2024 Business Insider article which alleged that Bannon and Epstein had multiple video sessions in the months leading up to Epstein’s death in a New York jail in 2019. According to anonymous sources quoted in the article, Bannon appeared to be helping Epstein with his public image and reportedly acted like a “friend.”
Epstein’s brother, Mark Epstein, even told Business Insider that Bannon had been trying to “rehabilitate” Jeffrey Epstein’s image following the Miami Herald’s 2018 bombshell investigation, which led to new federal charges.
Musk replied bluntly to Stone’s post:
“Bannon is in the Epstein files.”
The comment immediately set off speculation and debate online, as calls for full transparency over the contents of the Epstein documents continue to grow.
In an earlier and now-deleted post from June, Musk made an even more explosive claim — that President Donald Trump himself was listed in the Epstein files.
“Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files,” Musk posted. “That’s the real reason they haven’t been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!”
However, this accusation stands at odds with multiple reports and official records. Notably, Trump reportedly banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago in the 2000s after Epstein was accused of harassing the teenage daughter of a club member. That ban occurred before Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea to charges of soliciting prostitution and solicitation of a minor in Florida.
David Schoen, Epstein’s former defense attorney and a respected constitutional lawyer, pushed back strongly on Musk’s Trump claim.
“I was hired to lead Epstein’s criminal defense nine days before he died, and advised him for months before that,” Schoen said.
“I can say authoritatively, unequivocally, and definitively that he had no information to hurt President Trump. I specifically asked him.”
Others, including Tucker Carlson, have also questioned the logic of Musk’s allegation — pointing out that if Trump were truly implicated in Epstein’s inner circle, the Biden administration’s Justice Department would have seized on it to torpedo his political comeback.
In fact, a recent DOJ memo obtained Sunday claims there is “no incriminating ‘client list’” in the Epstein files — a statement that has only deepened public skepticism over what’s being hidden and why.
As speculation swirls and high-profile names are dragged into the debate, one thing is clear: the demand for full disclosure around Epstein’s connections isn’t going away — and neither are the questions about who knew what, and when.