Fact Check: Do Jeffrey Epstein documents "exonerate" Donald Trump?
Fact Check: Do Jeffrey Epstein documents "exonerate" Donald Trump?
Trump supporters suggested papers released this week put the former president in the clear.
In addition to numerous photos with Epstein and trips on his private plane, isn't there a video of Trump giving a toast for Epstein and specifically mentioning a "joke" how he likes women "too young?"
If so, Trump was buddies with this guy and knew exactly what he was up to.
I believe this is what you're thinking of:
Epstein likes to tell people that he’s a loner, a man who’s never touched alcohol or drugs, and one whose nightlife is far from energetic. And yet if you talk to Donald Trump, a different Epstein emerges. “I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy,” Trump booms from a speakerphone. “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.”
Let's use Betteridge's law of headlines to answer this question.
Do Jeffrey Epstein documents "exonerate" Donald Trump?
No.
What is newsweek doing. Seriously, what are they trying to be now? It's not news. Is it a listicle site? Some kinda wacky 'daily dot' cross with y-combinator something? Fuck, I dunno.
Even by the volatile standards of journalism in the twenty-first century, Newsweek’s recent problems are extraordinary. There are the usual issues: a sharp decline in print subscribers, Google and Facebook, the difficulty of running a mass-market general interest news magazine in an age of hyperpartisanship. But Newsweek has also been raided by the Manhattan district attorney’s office (a former owner and chief executive pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering charges in February) and has been accused of deep ties to a shadowy Christian cult, amid many other scandals.
These controversies hollowed out Newsweek’s staff and its brand. Its clickbait-heavy approach, aimed at gaming search engines, has declined since it was spun off from parent company IBT Media in 2018. But it remains a publication that privileges the interests of Google over those of its hypothetical readers. While other publications are abandoning the “scale” model pioneered by BuzzFeed and others in favor of building a loyal audience and raking in subscriptions, Newsweek is something of a throwback. It has attempted to rebuild some of its credibility post-IBT by partnering with the Poynter Institute, but it still has a distinctly seamy vibe. Earlier this month, the magazine’s cover story was a glowing profile of Jared Kushner of all people, which dropped right before a raft of more critical coverage, including the revelation that the president’s son-in-law had secretly met with potential spoiler candidate Kanye West.
Meanwhile, the opinion section is brimming with right-wing columnists, who range from the barely credible to the foaming at the mouth. Farage and Gingrich are regulars, as is Alan Dershowitz. Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf took to Newsweek to attack the American Civil Liberties Union for standing up for peaceful protesters. Hammer, the op-ed editor, has a resume that is littered with stints in right-wing politics and advocacy organizations: He has worked for Ted Cruz, the Federalist Society, and the Claremont Institute as well as Ben Shapiro’s Daily Wire. (Shapiro, last seen humiliating himself and his wife on Twitter, regularly contributed op-eds to Newsweek until February of last year.)
TL;DR: The notion that Trump has been exonerated, and the use of that word, is misleading. It suggests Trump faced tangible allegations beforehand regarding his relationship with Epstein, which he did not.
The comments section for this article is an absolute train wreck.