Trump backers at AmericaFest express impatience and hope for transparency as deadline nears for Justice Department to release Jeffrey Epstein documents.
PHOENIX: Supporters of US President Donald Trump gathered at a major conservative event expressed keen anticipation for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
A Friday deadline looms for the Justice Department to publish the trove of documents related to the convicted sex offender.
“I think it took too long,” Mike Costarell, 58, told AFP at AmericaFest 2025, the first major Turning Point USA event since founder Charlie Kirk’s killing in September.
Costarell stressed that anyone who sexualises children should be held accountable, regardless of political affiliation or wealth.
Epstein was convicted in 2008 for soliciting prostitution and died in custody in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex crimes against minors.
Trump and his supporters have long promoted theories that powerful Democrats hid the truth, calling for full file disclosure.
Since taking office, President Trump has dismissed the matter as a “hoax” and urged the nation to move on.
A rare bipartisan Congressional effort last month forced Trump to sign a law requiring the administration to release the case file by Friday.
Georgia student Gwyn Andrews found Trump’s initial reluctance baffling but hopes the release will clear his name.
“I’m glad that it’s finally happening,” Andrews said, crediting Trump for ultimately allowing the disclosure.
The four-day AmericaFest features many luminaries of Trump’s MAGA movement, testing the waters among his base.
Public trust in Trump is flagging according to opinion polls, yet many attendees expressed faith in his narrative.
Many dismissed the files as a red herring despite Trump’s well-documented friendship with Epstein over many years.
Photographs released Thursday showed Epstein with figures including former Trump advisor Steve Bannon and filmmaker Woody Allen.
None of the photos provided context or showed criminal activity.
“I don’t expect it’ll be some earth shattering,” said 24-year-old Texan Jacob Ellison, who believes the list will contain surprising names from both parties.
Regarding Trump’s involvement, Ellison said he prefers to believe the president is a family man with strong values. – AFP
