Why America Has Not Revolted Over Epstein
Jeffrey Edward Epstein passed away at age 66 on August 10th, 2019, by suicide by hanging in his prison cell located inside the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan. He was awaiting trial for two federal charges: one count of the sex trafficking of minors and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors, facing a maximum sentence of 45 years (which at his age was basically a life sentence). His death by itself is unremarkable; however, the events leading up to it should have sparked a second revolution.
Epstein's time spent awaiting trial wasn't the only time he was imprisoned; what makes this scenario special is that, unlike in the past, there was no uncomplicated plea deal: his sex trafficking ring that targeted underage girls was now exposed to public knowledge, and, most notably, his money and influence couldn't get him out of this one. After this, he’d likely be done. So of course, he took the easy way out. Nonetheless, this was not the same for his first arrest in July 2006, following allegations from March 2005 stating that he molested a 14-year-old girl at his mansion. He pleaded guilty to felony solicitation of prostitution and procurement of a minor for prostitution in June 2008. The result? He’ll be sentenced to 18 months in prison, serve less than four months after being granted work-release privileges, and will be released 13 months after his initial surrender.
What makes Epstein himself so compelling is not only the absurdity of his crimes but who he was involved with. Epstein was socially connected to numerous political figures, including but not limited to Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, and our one and only president: Donald J. Trump.
Additionally, the fact that people knew about this- the people put in place to serve and protect the community knew about this. The system repeatedly failed these girls and young women. This harrowing scenario also manages to act as a warning for survivors of sexual violence unrelated to the Epstein case as to a potential outcome of coming forward: no justice, no accountability, and being let down again.
I mean, surely with all things considered, this would cause an outrage? People would be rioting in the streets, burning buildings, and whatnot, right? Trust in the government must have fully collapsed by now. Nope! The American people are mad, outraged even, but have failed to unify. This concept gets even worse when you introduce the files: a collection of millions of pages of documents, images, videos, and flight logs pertaining to the case. They also include other figures that may have been involved with Epstein and, more seriously and even more disgustingly, his crimes.
America, and quite frankly the world, wants to know: where are the files?
As of now, nearly three and a half million pages of files detailing Epstein’s crimes have been released on account of the Epstein Files Transparency Act signed into law by Donald Trump in 2025. Around three million pages remain, and the ones released are heavily redacted. The public demands more.
We will often see widespread outrage regarding the files and case itself; people are fine with expressing their disgust, so where is the real systemic change?
Americans are used to corruption within their government. There’s Watergate in 1972, where five men, part of Nixon’s reelection campaign (CREEP), equipped with wiretapping devices, were found attempting to break into the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Nixon denied having any involvement, but the release of the Oval Office smoking gun tape on August 5th, 1974, showed that he did indeed contact the CIA to inhibit the FBI’S investigation. The tape, along with other problematic acts relating to the scandal, led him to resign from his position shortly after on August 8th, 1974. Following the Watergate scandal and the Vietnam War, trust in the government dropped from 77% in 1964 to 36% within a decade, reaching an all-time low. Then, the Iran-Contra affair (1985-1987), where former President Reagan made an arms deal with Iran to free hostages and put the money towards funding the Contras, an anti-communist group in Nicaragua that had secured funding through the cocaine trade. Reagan and his administration went directly against the Boland Amendment, which was passed to stop Reagan’s administration from intervening in Nicaragua, and the arms embargo against selling weapons to Iran. Between the infamous Watergate scandal and the Iran-Contra affair, Americans already had great reason not to trust their government. By the time Epstein was exposed, Americans had already grown tired of the same thing happening time and time again; their government letting them down.The relationship between Americans and their institutions continues to suffer from a complete lack of trust. More than half of Americans, to some extent, agree that the Epstein files and case have lowered their trust in their country’s leaders. The anger is there, the outrage is there, but so is the exhaustion. When Americans are constantly exposed to powerful individuals escaping accountability, they conclude that they’re powerless against the system. Rather than demanding change and accountability, they abandon politics completely. While a lack of trust does have potential to facilitate movements and protest, it unfortunately has just as much potential to support overall disengagement from politics. Americans won’t demand change because they have deemed it pointless after repeatedly being failed by the political system.
The files have unfortunately also become politicized. People pick and choose who they want to hold accountable based on their personal biases. They disagree on who was involved, how involved they were, and what should happen to those involved. Politicians have coined the Epstein files as a talking point, throwing the phrase around, allowing the public to become ignorant of the fact that there were real victims, perpetrators, and bystanders involved. Individuals have been found less willing to hold members of their own party accountable, further hindering the path to systemic change as people lose sight of the real issue and goal at hand.
Reactions to Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, two of the most significant figures with social connections to Epstein, exemplify this concept. Trump and Clinton have both made attempts to silence accusers, both faced cover-up scandals, and, most notably, were both socially connected with Epstein. Members of political parties tend to trust a figure from said party, and members of the opposing party are likely to do the opposite; the same thing applies to the Epstein scandal: 88% of democrats have little to no trust in the government regarding what the administration is saying about Epstein, versus 38% of Republicans. This is especially significant because these biases get in the way of both justice for the victims and holding potential perpetrators accountable. When focused on who to hold accountable and especially allowing biases to interfere with deciding on who to hold accountable, united action towards justice and change becomes more difficult.
People share posts, express their anger, but still don’t act. The mere verbalization of dissatisfaction is not at all equivalent to an overall collective movement. Although the files are being talked about, the spread of political disengagement and division still impedes the formation of a unified movement working towards a common goal.
Americans consistently claim values such as equality and justice, yet do not have trust in the institutions put in place to uphold these values. Political identities and loyalties create division, prevent action towards a common goal, and form a gap in who’s held accountable, while political disengagement hinders the fight for systemic change and accountability.
All in all, America has not revolted over Epstein because people are tired. With repeated exposure to the failures of the political system, especially with regard to the lack of justice served to the powerful, Americans have become accustomed to distrust in their government and quite literally see no point in advocating for and demanding change and action. The files have also been politicized to the point that people are allowing their political loyalties to get in the way of the real problem at hand.
I’d also like to take a moment to address the real victims of this case. The hundreds of young women and girls who had their innocence ripped from them, who watched their perpetrator(s) avoid accountability to the very end, and are now watching their stories become politicized. Whether you have come forward or not, whether you have chosen to release your identity or not, you are seen, you are heard, and justice will prevail.
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