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I believe Trump has access to an Epstein client list. But it no longer helps him. | Your Turn


While the Epstein case is important, I think other issues also need coverage – like ICE's detention of immigrants with no criminal history.

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I do believe a Jeffrey Epstein client list exists. I absolutely believe that the Trump administration currently has access to this list related to the sex trafficking charges against the late financier and that they have opted not to release it because doing so would hurt both major supporters of and members of the current administration.

I care about the victims of the Epstein case, and I want to stop and prevent further sex trafficking from taking place. I want the victims to have more than mere platitudes and being the subject of political grandstanding; they deserve justice and dignity.

That said, I think there are other horrors that would seriously benefit from more coverage, for example, the 44% of ICE detainees in the state of Missouri who have no criminal history and yet have been imprisoned using our tax dollars in order to help meet the ludicrous, federally demanded daily quota for detained immigrants.

I believe Trump is saying repeatedly that we should stop talking about Epstein because he no longer benefits from the outrage over the Epstein case. I believe he painted himself as a whistleblower of sorts by promising to produce the list in order to distance himself from the known personal connections he himself had with Epstein during the times Epstein was involved in sex trafficking. Doing so mitigated the potential loss of voters he had in the lead-up to the 2024 election.

By denying the Epstein list exists (for whatever reason), Trump shows the issue has ceased to serve any purpose for him and has instead turned into a risk. That risk grows the more people talk about the case. I think Trump's actions will cause some of MAGA to break with him, but I think most will stay loyal.

— Elizabeth Sisk, Joplin, Missouri

This piece was submitted as part of Paste BN's Forum, a new space for conversation. See what we're talking about at usatoday.com/forum and share your perspective at forum@usatoday.com.