President Trump’s name appears in the Jeffrey Epstein files, but the question remains who put it there. The president is trying to divert attention from the scandal with a new conspiracy theory about Barack Obama and treason.
The White House has been consumed by conspiracy theories since President Trump took office. This includes claims of a “deep state” working against him. However, critics say that the deep state now answers to the president himself.
Some critics believe that Mr. Trump’s name being in the Epstein files was orchestrated from his prison cell or a tranquilized Hillary Clinton. Others claim it was etched onto the documents by Joe Biden’s magical autopen.
Despite attempts to divert attention from the Epstein scandal, President Trump is increasingly caught up in conspiracy theories himself. The president has promoted these theories since spreading false claims about Barack Obama’s birthplace and citizenship during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Conspiracy theories can have real-world consequences, especially when promoted by a sitting president. According to historians and scholars, presidents traditionally dispel doubts and strengthen faith in institutions.
President Trump has relished conspiracy theories, often using them to smear his enemies without concern for whether they are true or not.
The Epstein scandal highlights the danger of unverified information spreading quickly through social media. The QAnon movement, which believes America is run by a cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles, is one such example.
Most recently, President Trump accused Barack Obama of treason and posted fake images and videos purporting to show his predecessor committing crimes.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/26/us/politics/trump-epstein-obama-conspiracies.html