Despite President Donald Trump’s public plea for MAGA supporters to “drop the issue,” mentions of convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein in conservative podcasts surged more than eightfold over the past three weeks, according to a Wall Street Journal review released Wednesday.
Joe Rogan, widely regarded as one Trump’s most significant supporters, emphasized last week that he had drawn “a line in the sand” regarding how the administration is handling the Epstein controversy. The Journal’s report noted that while speaking on his podcast — which reaches a massive audience of tens of millions – Rogan criticized the president’s approach to the issue. And Rogan isn’t the only MAGA-aligned podcaster who has taken a more adversarial tone toward the administration regarding its handling of the case.
This split highlights the latest turn in an escalating dispute within conservative circles over the government’s reportedly sluggish release of additional documents tied to Epstein, who died nearly six years ago. The divide is tearing apart the MAGA movement — the same base that pushed Trump to a second term.
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According to the review, Epstein was mentioned in over 3,000 podcast episodes across roughly 125 right‑leaning shows this year.
“Those conversations grew more than eightfold in the last three weeks despite Trump’s admonishment that MAGA drop the issue,” the report noted.
The Journal had earlier reported that Attorney General Pam Bondi had informed Trump in May that his name appeared multiple times in the files, though being listed by itself doesn’t imply misconduct.
Despite the administration’s stance, MAGA podcast hosts continue fueling the conversation. The Journal’s analysis found nearly 85% of surveyed conservative shows mentioned Epstein at least once, and over half explicitly demanded more disclosure.
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Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D‑N.Y.), joined by other Senate Democrats, declared their intention Wednesday to invoke a seldom‑used federal statute known as the “Rule of Five” in a bid to compel the Justice Department to release more files associated with the Jeffrey Epstein case.
Schumer emphasized its seriousness during a press conference, stating: “Today’s letter matters. It’s not a stunt, it’s not symbolic. It’s a formal exercise of congressional power under federal law.”
He clarified that the request seeks access to “all documents, files, evidence and other materials” held by the Department of Justice and FBI that pertain to the case
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