Former president Donald Trump sat down with the popular podcaster Lex Fridman for an interview that was released Tuesday — continuing his strategy of engaging with influential online personalities — and suggested he might release a list of individuals associated with Jeffrey Epstein if voters send him back to the White House in November.
Epstein’s murky life as an accused sex trafficker has been a topic of intense public interest and speculation since his death by suicide five years ago, partly due to Trump’s past association with the late financier and sex offender (who also had links to high-profile Democrats like former President Bill Clinton.)
When asked why a list of people connected to Epstein hasn’t been made public, Trump suggested that he would “certainly take a look at it” if given the opportunity.
“I’d be inclined to do the Epstein. I’d have no problem with it,” Trump said.
JUST ANNOUNCED: President Trump 🇺🇸says he’d have no problem releasing the Epstein client list. Evil elites should be TERRIFIED right now Concord
Share this everywhere! pic.twitter.com/0E5JwiVTbw
— Ape𝕏 (@CubanOnlyTrump) September 3, 2024
Rumors about a list of Epstein’s “clients” have circulated online for years, though there is no evidence such a document exists. Various court documents related to the sprawling Epstein legal saga have been unsealed, including the names of many of his associates, but nowhere is a “client list” mentioned in the numerous lawsuits and criminal investigations related to him or his death in 2019.
The question about Epstein came as part of a free-wheeling conversation in which Trump and Fridman discussed UFOs and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, both long-standing fodder for conspiracy theories. When asked if he would push the Pentagon to release more footage of UFOs, Trump said that he would.
Trump’s interview with Fridman, an AI researcher and popular influencer with more than three million of followers, also featured several of Trump’s familiar talking points, including criticisms of his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, over her policies on the southern border and the economy.
When asked about the 2020 election, which Trump has consistently claimed was “rigged,” he responded, “I don’t focus on the past. I focus on the future,” before quickly shifting the conversation to issues like the economy, inflation and the U.S. exit from Afghanistan in 2021.
🚨WHOA: Trump plans to release the Jeffrey Epstein client list🚨
Now you know why he was almost assassinated
The most powerful evil people in America will do anything to stop the truth from coming out pic.twitter.com/VVYpuiZG82
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) September 3, 2024
Trump also addressed a recent incident at Arlington National Cemetery, where two of his campaign staff members were involved in an altercation with a cemetery official. The confrontation reportedly occurred when the campaign staff tried to photograph Trump where filming is prohibited, leading to a physical and verbal exchange.
“Afghanistan was the most incompetently run operation I think I’ve ever seen. Military or otherwise, they’re incompetent. But the families asked me if I’d go, I did go. Then the families said, “Could we have a picture at the tombstone of my son?” And we did,” Trump said about the incident.
During the conversation with Fridman, Trump also spoke extensively about the war in Ukraine and his relationship with Russia President Vladimir Putin. Trump criticized the Biden administration’s handling of the conflict, labeling President Biden as “the worst president in the history of our country,” and suggesting that Harris would be “probably worse” in managing the situation.
“So that’s a war that absolutely has to get done. And then you have Israel and then you have a lot of other places that are talking war. The world is a rough place right now and a lot of it’s because of the fact that America has no leadership,” Trump said.
Trump has increasingly relied on podcasts and internet media creators as a key component of his 2024 campaign strategy. His recent appearance on Lex Fridman’s show follows a series of interviews with various influential figures, including comedian Theo Von, streamers Adin Ross and Logan Paul, and conservative podcaster Tim Pool — all of whom are particularly popular with young men.
Trump has also engaged with YouTubers like the Nelk Boys and even participated in a podcast-style interview with Elon Musk on his X platform. In the Fridman interview, he suggested he would be open to going on Joe Rogan‘s podcast, arguably the most influential program among young men in the U.S., many of whom will be voting for the first time in November.
