Steve Bannon, former Donald Trump ally, alleged Jeffrey Epstein media coach, and recent recipient of Elon Musk’s not-so-veiled threats, is in the “Epstein Files’ which Trump’s DOJ had recently said don’t exist, according to a Musk post on X.
If Trump hoped the Epstein saga would dissolve into the fog of political amnesia, he’s having a rough week.
The Bannon-Epstein coaching sessions
In an X post, Roger Stone, a longtime Republican political operative, self-described “dirty trickster,” and former Trump adviser, raised eyebrows and torches, asking: “Why would Bannon meet with Jeffrey Epstein both at his New York home and in Paris after Epstein was convicted on sex crimes in Florida? Why would he coach Epstein for his 60 Minutes appearance?”
Stone shared a headline from Business Insider stating, “Steve Bannon filmed Jeffrey Epstein for 15 hours. His ‘documentary’ has never surfaced.’ The implication? That Bannon, years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction, not only met with the infamous predator but also coached him for TV and archived hours of footage.
Cue Elon Musk, who isn’t known for letting things go, especially not since his high-profile breakup with Trump. Responding to Stone, Musk dropped this gem: “Bannon is in the Epstein files.”
No Files, no problem? The Trump DOJ’s convenient amnesia
This comes despite the Trump Department of Justice insisting that no such “Epstein client list” exists. According to a letter sent to Congress, the FBI claimed, “We have no evidence of an Epstein list. No such document has ever been compiled or maintained.”
Of course, many in MAGA World have remained skeptical, as has the public, especially given how much of Epstein’s network remains shrouded in sealed documents and mysteriously delayed disclosures.
Musk vs. Trump: from bromance to burn book
Musk, who supported Trump’s 2024 campaign and served as an advisor in Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has now shifted from alliance to aggression. In June 2024, Musk publicly stated (and later deleted) that Trump is in the Epstein files. The comment sent Truth Social into a meltdown, prompting a furious all-caps post from Trump himself.
Musk hasn’t let up since. Just last week, he quipped that Steve Bannon would be “back in jail soon” — a not-so-subtle jab at the far-right strategist’s contempt of Congress conviction and multiple looming investigations. Now, with his latest comment, Musk is poking a very dangerous bear.
‘Poof!’ was not a strategy
It’s hard not to read Musk’s post as a direct slap to Trump’s wishful thinking — the fantasy that Epstein, and all his dirty little secrets, would just vanish. But as Musk makes clear, “not so fast.” If Bannon is in the Epstein files (and Musk doubles down), then Trump’s inner circle isn’t just haunted by ghosts, as Trump is himself — it’s got a whole gang of skeletons rattling the walls.
Meanwhile, the public still hasn’t seen the full flight logs, unsealed depositions, or those 15 hours of raw Epstein footage reportedly filmed by Bannon himself. If that ever drops? Let’s just say some people might be hoping for another pandemic to distract the news cycle. For now, Trump’s Epstein problem remains very much alive — and Elon Musk seems determined to make sure it stays that way.
Published: Jul 8, 2025 03:46 pm