The defense
“The DOJ said the claims against Trump are false.”
Strong evidenceWhat the record shows
The DOJ that said this was run by Trump's own appointees — AG Pam Bondi and Deputy AG Todd Blanche, who became acting Attorney General when Trump removed Bondi in April 2026. This same DOJ was caught by NPR withholding 53+ pages of FBI interview summaries that mentioned Trump, removing files from the public database, and had to be pressured by Congress and journalists to release documents the law required them to publish. Evaluating the DOJ's characterizations requires noting who made those characterizations and what they simultaneously withheld.
Sources
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.”
- “He cooperated with investigators.”
- “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.”