The Top Epstein Conspiracy Theories, Debunked

​The following was originally written for and published by Revolution Now Magazine.
This article is part two of a double feature.

After the death of finance mogul and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the internet erupted in conspiracy theories about the details surrounding his 'suicide,' which was committed while he was at prison, after he was removed from suicide watch for reasons that remain unknown. Even after autopsy reports ruled out foul play, many internet theories remain popular. Most of these theories surround the fact that Epstein had numerous connections to extremely powerful figures, who theorists claimed could have assassinated him to cover up their involvement with his sex trafficking crimes. This article will examine two of the main conspiracy theories regarding Epstein's death and what the evidence says about them.

Theory 1: The Clinton Assassination Theory
​The Theory: This theory gained traction when conservative commentator Terrence K. Williams tweeted that Bill Clinton, who was a social acquaintance of Epstein’s, had something to do with Epstein’s death, but it wasn’t until President Donald Trump retweeted this claim that it really took off. Trump also said that, in the days following Epstein’s death, Bill Clinton had traveled on Epstein’s private plane “27 or 28 times,” and questioned if this meant he’d travelled with Epstein to the island of the alleged crimes. “The question you have to ask is, did Bill Clinton go to the island? Because Epstein had an island. That was not a good place, as I understand it, and I was never there,” Trump said, “So you have to ask, did Bill Clinton go to the island? That’s the question. If you find that out, you’re going to know a lot.”

Original tweet by Terrence K. Williams, which Trump later retweeted. *Note: Falsely claims that Epstein was on 24/7 suicide watch.The Facts: Flight logs from 2002, brought forth in a lawsuit filed by one of his victims show nothing of the sort. While several figures linked to the Clinton family have died in the past, every one of those circumstances has been proven to have nothing to do with the Clintons.

Theory 2: The Trump Ties Theory
The Theory: This theory is rooted in Epstein’s connection to Donald Trump, and alleges that Trump, fearing that Epstein’s trial would unveil incriminating information against him, either assisted Epstein in his suicide, or had him killed to prevent the information from coming out. While Trump and Epstein were connected, Epstein frequently visited Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, and Trump even told a New York Magazine reporter, “I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy... He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it — Jeffrey enjoys his social life.” Screenshots from a lawsuit filed in 2016, in which an anonymous woman accused Trump and Epstein of raping her when she was 13 years old, were posted online in the days following Epstein’s death, with the caption, “this is why Epstein died.”
The Facts: Many journalists who tried to investigate the lawsuit deemed it messy and not credible. The lawsuit was then dropped on November 4, 2016, four days before the 2016 presidential election, and the claims were never proven.
While claims about the involvement of these high-profile political leaders in the Epstein's death are largely unfounded, numerous high-profile public figures, including British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell and Duke of York Prince Andrew, remain under serious scrutiny for potential involvement in the sex trafficking crimes committed by Epstein. However, with Epstein's lips sealed forever, there's yet another obstacle blocking prosecutors from separating the rumors and the truth.