President Donald Trump dismissed renewed speculation over Jeffrey Epstein’s death, calling it a “hoax” driven by Democrats and distancing himself from supporters who continue to raise concerns about the convicted sex offender. 

In a July 16 Truth Social post, Trump referred to the controversy as “the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax,” criticizing those who “have bought into” it. 

“Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this ‘bulls‑‑‑,’ hook, line, and sinker,” Trump said. “They haven’t learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for 8 long years.”

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office July 16, Trump reiterated his sentiments and said the Epstein “hoax” was manufactured by Democrats.

“I know it’s a hoax. It’s started by Democrats. It’s been run by the Democrats for four years,” he said. “Some stupid Republicans and foolish Republicans fall into the net… They’re wasting their time with a guy who obviously had some very serious problems who died three, four years ago.” 

“I lost a lot of faith in certain people,” Trump added, “because they got duped by the Democrats.”

Epstein, a former financier, died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of sexually exploiting more than 250 underage girls. 

A July 7 memo from the Department of Justice and FBI concluded that Epstein died by suicide and stated that no “client list” exists — responding to years of public speculation surrounding his death. 

“After a thorough investigation, FBI investigators concluded that Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City on August 10, 2019,” the memo stated. “This conclusion is consistent with previous findings.”

Despite the memo’s conclusion and Trump’s remarks, calls for transparency around the Epstein case have persisted. On July 15, Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., called for the appointment of a special counsel to reinvestigate the case. 

Others have pointed to earlier comments by Attorney General Pam Bondi as a source of confusion. In February, Bondi told FOX News the Epstein client list was “sitting on my desk right now.” After facing public backlash for the apparent discrepancy between that claim and the July 7 memo, she clarified on July 8 that she was referring to “the file along with the JFK, MLK files as well.” 

Meanwhile, Epstein’s longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell remains imprisoned on a 20-year sentence for child sex trafficking. Also on July 15, Maxwell’s family released a statement claiming she “did not receive a fair trial” and announced plans to continue appealing her conviction. 

"If necessary, in due course they will also file a writ of habeas corpus in the US District Court, SDNY," the statement added, according to FOX News. "This allows her to challenge her imprisonment on the basis of new evidence such as government misconduct that would have likely changed the trial's outcome."