Epstein Conspiracy
Photo by AP
We ran the numbers: There are 1170 news articles covering this topic. 23% (272) are left leaning, 58% (679) center, 19% (219) right leaning.
On August 10th, millionaire Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correction Center in Manhattan. Epstein had been arrested on July 6th on federal sex trafficking charges after being accused of molesting 36 girls, some as young as 14 years old, and subjecting them to sexual encounters with himself and his associates. Many have suggested that the circumstances surrounding Epstein’s death were suspicious. He was placed on suicide watch after being found unconscious in his cell on July 23rd but was removed after only six days. In the days leading up to his death, he was supposed to be checked on every thirty minutes but was in fact left alone for three hours before he was found dead. An August 11th autopsy revealed that among the bones broken in Epstein’s neck was his hyoid bone, which can occasionally break due to hanging but more often breaks in cases of homicide by strangulation.
Coverage of Epstein’s death has been extensive and varied, with many narratives at play from the left, right, and center. Many sources cast doubt on the idea that Epstein’s death had been a suicide. One rumor circulating in far-right circles is that President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were involved in Epstein’s death, a rumor that has been amplified by President Trump on Twitter. The New York Times published a left-leaning article from Reuters reporting that Democratic candidates Beto O’Rourke and Cory Booker “slammed” Trump for promoting what O’Rourke called “unfounded conspiracy theories.” Much of the coverage from the left focus on Trump’s promotion of the Clinton conspiracy.
A center-leaning article from NPR questions how it is possible for the victims of Epstein’s abuses to find justice in the aftermath of his death. Epstein’s accusers can still pursue a civil case against his estate, which some are considering doing, according to the article. In general, much of the centrist coverage of Epstein’s death also center on the conspiracy theories and their promotion by Trump.
A right-leaning article from Fox News also reports on Trump’s retweet of the Clinton conspiracy and notes “Trump's tweet came shortly after Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., pushed back on the ‘immediate rush to spread conspiracy theories about someone" in another political party.’ Rubio added that the spread of conspiracy theories illustrates why our society is vulnerable to foreign misinformation efforts. Articles from the right were extremely varied, with some reporting on the Democratic candidates’ criticism of Trump, some on an odd painting of Bill Clinton in a blue dress that was found in Epstein’s home, and some promoting the theory that the Clintons were involved in Epstein’s death.