Laura Loomer links Epstein’s 330 gallons of acid to mysterious 2017 Bannon hot tub incident

Never one to shy away from a conspiracy theory, Laura Loomer has linked newly surfaced documents showing Jeffrey Epstein purchased 330 gallons of industrial‑grade sulfuric acid to a long‑forgotten bizarre detail from 2017: Steve Bannon’s acid‑soaked hot tub.

In a post on X, Loomer asked, “So was the acid used to dissolve bodies? Why did Epstein have gallons of industrial‑grade sulfuric acid delivered to his properties?” The post then pivots to an unanswered question from years ago: “Who put acid in Steve Bannon’s hot tub? Where did the acid come from?”

Epstein’s 330 gallons of acid

Newly released internal documents tied to the Epstein case do show that on June 12, 2018, six 55‑gallon drums — totaling 330 gallons — of sulfuric acid were delivered to Epstein’s private island, Little St. James. The shipment was arranged on the same day the FBI launched a formal probe into Epstein’s alleged sex‑trafficking network, sparking speculation about the timing and purpose.

The acid purchase, which cost several thousand dollars, was noted in internal request forms alongside language referencing an “RO Plant,” or industry shorthand for a reverse osmosis water purification system. Reverse osmosis is a standard technique for converting seawater into drinking water, particularly on remote private islands, and sulfuric acid is often used in these systems to regulate pH and enhance filtration performance.

Despite this mundane explanation in the paperwork, social media chatter — including Loomer’s post — has seized on the corrosive nature of sulfuric acid and floated theories about its possible use in destroying evidence or bodies. The publicly released files contain no indication that the acid was used for anything illicit, beyond water treatment referenced in the “RO Plant” documentation.

The 2017 Steve Bannon hot tub acid incident

Meanwhile, Loomer also references a strange footnote from early 2017 involving former White House strategist Steve Bannon. Reporting at the time unearthed an email from Bannon’s former Florida landlord describing a property Bannon once leased: “Entire Jacuzzi bathtub seems to have been covered in acid,” the Washington Post reported that year. The acid reportedly damaged the tub to the tune of thousands of dollars, and the landlord withheld the security deposit as a result.

Details surrounding that incident were never fully explained, leaving an unsettling mystery in political lore. No official investigation tied Bannon to wrongdoing in that specific episode, and reporting from the period offered only speculation, with no direct link to Epstein or any broader scandal.

Connecting the dots — or not

Still, Loomer’s post strings these two separate episodes together, asking whether there’s a deeper reason someone like Epstein would stockpile barrels of acid and whether it could relate to unexplained acid elsewhere in prominent conservative circles.

But a key distinction remains: the sulfuric acid documented in the Epstein files matches a credible, industrial use case tied to water purification equipment on an island with no municipal utilities. Conversely, the Bannon hot tub episode was a private property damage issue rooted in an odd landlord email, with no known connection to chemicals shipped to Epstein’s properties.