It would seem like a simple decision for the Donald Trump administration: make public the files related to Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased financier convicted of crimes sexual acts involving minors, or keep them out of public view.

But the battles raging among the president's supporters in some of the internet's more conspiratorial spaces suggest that the choice Trump faces is far from easy.

In those spaces, users argue about whether to trust the White House, speculate about what might be going on behind the scenes and Trump's strategic acumen, which some fans liken to playing a game of "4D chess."

"Don't get distracted by the Epstein fakers," wrote one commenter professing strong support for Trump on The Donald, a message board filled with news, conspiracy theories and language that ranges from the racy to the extremely offensive.

“I have not once called for the Epstein files to be released because I am not a complete and total [fool],” the commenter added.

But that sentiment is far from universal.

“Epstein Transparency NOW!!!” came the response.

Another user criticized the president for his recent remarks lashing out at his supporters for focusing on the Epstein affair: “Don’t [lash] out at your own base… That makes you look guilty.”

New Revelations?

As the saga progresses—fueled by reports that give more details of Trump’s relationship with Epstein, and the Justice Department’s meetings with Ghislaine Maxwell, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for helping the former US financier commit child abuse - pro-Trump internet spaces heavily involved with conspiracy theories are divided in the same way as more mainstream Republicans.

Trump was friends with Epstein between the 1990s and early 2000s, but has not been charged with any crimes in the investigations against his former friend.

According to Trump, the two fell out in the early 2000s, two years before Epstein was first arrested. The White House recently suggested that their falling out was related to Epstein's behavior, and that "the president kicked him out of his club for being a scoundrel."

While the contents of the undisclosed documents are unknown, publicly available material names several high-level figures who were associated with Epstein, though this does not imply any illegal activity.

The president has previously said he would be open to making more information about Epstein public. But he reversed himself earlier this month, saying the case was closed.

The frustration over what many Americans consider a simple request is now also being expressed by some of the president's prominent allies.

"Look, I'm where I've been every time I've been asked this question," said Thom Tillis, a Republican U.S. senator who has sometimes clashed with Trump. “Release the damn files.”

A Justice Department official spoke with Maxwell in prison on Thursday, though few details have emerged about what she was questioned about and how she responded.

MAGA Nation

While Trump’s biggest supporters remain supportive of the president, many are trying to square his endorsement of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement with what they appear to see as his obstruction of the release of new information.

MAGA influencers are on the defensive as they try to protect their man after years of demanding transparency in the Epstein case, a call that was endorsed by Trump during the presidential campaign last year. past, and vociferated for years by several high-ranking administration officials, including current FBI Director Kash Patel.

Laura Loomer, a far-right conspiracy theorist with a large social media following and an informal but influential White House adviser, posted a link to a news article stating that “Trump is not implicated” in the Epstein files.

Along with messages of support, criticism of X was swift:

“How do you know?”

“He literally partied with Epstein.”

Dozens of other users responded with memes and historical photos of Trump and Epstein together, before they fell out.

And messages like “We want to see the Epstein files!” – which one follower posted on conservative podcaster Charlie Kirk’s site – seem as common online today as the most popular catchphrase used by those obsessed with the case: “Epstein didn’t kill himself.”

The phrase is a reference to one of the most common conspiracy theories that Epstein was murdered by an unknown assailant and did not, as the official narrative claims, take his own life when he died in prison in 2019.

The Justice Department and the FBI rejected that theory in a memo earlier this month. They also said they did not have any rumored "client lists" of Epstein's that might implicate high-profile associates other than Maxwell in the criminal operation. It was that memo that sparked the renewed interest in Epstein that has dominated the American news cycle in recent days. After initially questioning government officials and demanding the release of more documents, many popular influencers in the MAGA world — including Loomer, Jack Posobiec, pro-Trump blogs on Substack, and sites like ZeroHedge” appear to be backing away from the issue in recent days as they try to direct their audiences' attention elsewhere.

But others—including former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon, and podcaster Benny Johnson—have continued to cover the saga in detail.

The episode has prompted even some of Trump’s staunchest supporters to turn against the president.

Earlier this week, Jacob Chansley—the so-called QAnon shaman who was convicted in the January 2021 U.S. Capitol riots wearing horns, fur, and face paint—posted an expletive-laden string of messages targeting Trump on X. His account was soon deleted.

The administration’s efforts to highlight other stories, however, do appear to have worked to diffuse the energy in some of the more conspiracy-minded pro-Trump spaces.

The other theories

At The Donald, the latest twists in the Epstein case are just one discussion among many.

Commentators also discuss topics including vaccines, the cancellation of Stephen Colbert's late-night show, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard's recently declassified documents about Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Those declassified documents, while confirming the prevailing view that Russia tried to influence the race, led Trump allies to call for the arrest of former President Barack Obama after Trump accused his predecessor of trying to falsely link him to Russia. Obama called Trump's comments "ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction," and was joined by other Democrats who called Gabbard's move a blatant attempt to change the subject. As with the promised release of the Epstein files, Gabbard may have raised even higher expectations among MAGA supporters who may later hold her accountable. Those still discussing the Epstein case are on discussion boards trying to decipher what they speculate might be hidden meanings behind Trump's actions and asking questions like why the Biden administration has not made public the Epstein case documents, if they contain any material that could damage Trump's reputation.

Some of the current president's supporters are caught between their desire for more information and the possibility of harming their movement if the saga continues.

"For 10 years, leftists have been looking for something, anything, to create a divide between Trump and MAGA," wrote one contributor to The Donald. “This has been his most successful attempt so far.”

Another person responded: “Trump created division by opening his mouth.”

This article was written and edited by our journalists with the help of an artificial intelligence translation tool, as part of a pilot program.