Disillusioned Trump Voter Dives Deep into Epstein Files

Sun Apr 12 2026 20:31:48 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Cayden McBride, a former Trump supporter, spends hours online engaging with the Epstein files, revealing his dissatisfaction with how the investigation has been handled.

Cayden McBride, a 19-year-old from Georgia, is disillusioned with the Trump administration after delays in releasing the Epstein files. He believes the files still matter, echoing the sentiments of many supporters who feel let down. As concerns grow over accountability, McBride reflects on the impact the Epstein saga has on voters in the Trump camp.

Disillusioned Trump Voter Dives Deep into Epstein Files

After Cayden McBride finishes class in Rome, Georgia, the 19-year-old goes home, opens his laptop, and starts searching.

For the past few months, he has been spending hours at a time combing through the Jeffrey Epstein files on the US Department of Justice (DOJ) website and following others online who are doing the same.

Flight logs. Transcripts. Images. Videos. The material released by the DOJ has given new insight into the crimes of the late convicted sex offender and into his high-profile connections.

McBride believes the Epstein files still matter, even if the headlines have moved on to the Iran war recently.

As a Christian, I don't believe anybody should endure what these women have been through, he says. There is so much bad stuff in these files.

McBride was a self-described Trump guy and very anti-establishment. He said he would always defend the US president in the belief that Donald Trump's Make America Great Again (Maga) movement stood for exposing corruption.

But the DOJ's delay in releasing all the files, and the perceived lack of accountability afterwards, has left him and many others disheartened with the movement, the president and especially with Pam Bondi, Trump's former attorney general.

Bondi was removed from her post just last week, to be replaced, in the interim, by her deputy Todd Blanche.

Trump has lauded Bondi for doing a tremendous job and Blanche denied reports that his predecessor's handling of the Epstein files had been a factor in her departure.

But McBride hailed the changing of the guard, expressing hope that there could now be renewed focus on the Epstein issue.

His wish was granted this week, from an unlikely quarter. The Epstein story came crashing back into the news when First Lady Melania Trump unexpectedly denied associating with him and called for a congressional hearing for his victims.

It is unclear how much that will galvanize interest, but Bondi's removal has done little to quiet the discontent amongst Trump's supporters like McBride. He thinks she needed to go because she wasn't prosecuting the people she needed to.

He thinks there might be some high-status arrests, but after that, other things like Iran, immigration raids, and the midterms will, in his words, sweep the Epstein story under the rug.

Maga Fallout Over Epstein

Many Epstein conspiracy theorists have long counted themselves among Trump's most ardent supporters. They believe that Epstein's death in prison was not a suicide, as the FBI concluded, and insinuate that the government was involved in a cover-up to protect powerful people who participated in his crimes.

As long ago as 2021, Vance tweeted: What possible interest would the US government have in keeping Epstein's clients secret? During his 2024 campaign, Trump himself told Fox News he would go a long way towards releasing the Epstein files.

But after returning to the White House, he changed his tone. That led to a fallout with Greene, who had been the representative in McBride's district.

Trump later dropped his opposition to releasing the files after pushback from Epstein's victims and members of his own party, signing a law that compelled the DOJ to release thousands of files. DOJ officials say they have now released all of the files they can, other than certain items that are permitted to be exempt.

However, many Epstein conspiracy theorists don't buy it.

In an interview with Vanity Fair last year, chief of staff Susie Wiles stated that the Epstein files could cost the Republican Party important new voters—especially young men. Although the majority of Republicans still support the president, the Epstein fallout has chipped away at his diverse coalition, including business owners looking to lower taxes and younger online activists.

A poll conducted by the Economist/YouGov found that 16% of voters who backed Trump thought he was covering up Epstein's crimes.

Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein, but his history with the disgraced financier continues to make headlines, with the president mentioned thousands of times in the files released by the DOJ.

Overall, McBride notes a shift in sentiment, stating, It won't stop me voting, but I am definitely not voting for anybody implicated by the Epstein files, or anybody that is sponsored by President Trump.