The defense
“He cooperated with investigators.”
CorroboratedWhat the record shows
Attorney Bradley Edwards confirmed Trump returned a call and spoke to him once. However, cooperation on one occasion is not evidence that the relationship was limited or that the documents don't show what they show. Trump also spent months personally lobbying to block the Epstein Files Transparency Act before reversing under a 427–1 vote; his DOJ withheld FBI interview summaries mentioning him; and he called his own supporters 'stupid' for wanting the files released.
Last updated November 3, 2026
Other common defenses
- “He was never charged with anything.”
- “The allegations are unverified — just accusations.”
- “He banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago.”
- “The DOJ said the claims against Trump are false.”
- “Democrats are just using this to attack him.”
- “The Carroll case was thrown out / is still being appealed.”
- “Why didn't Carroll report it at the time?”
- “Where can I read the Epstein files?”
- “The Epstein files didn't prove anything about Trump.”
- “A jury didn't specifically find him guilty of rape.”