WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump blasted “foolish” Repub­lican supporters on Wednesday as he went on the attack against anyone questioning his administration’s handling of the case of dead sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein.

After days of struggling to brush off what he now claims is a Democratic hoax, Trump took his most combative tone yet to try and shut down the issue.

“It’s all been a big hoax, it’s perpetrated by the Democrats. And some stupid Republicans and foolish Republicans fall into the net and so they try and do the Democrats’ work,” Trump told reporters when asked about Epstein.

But Trump is facing the most serious split in his loyal right-wing base since he returned to power, over claims that his administration is covering up lurid details of disgraced financier Epstein’s crimes to protect rich and powerful figures.

Epstein died by suicide in a New York prison in 2019 — during Trump’s first term — after being charged with sex trafficking in a scheme where he allegedly groomed young and underage women for abuse by the rich and powerful.

The Trump-supporting far-right has long latched on to the scandal, claiming the existence of a secret list of Epstein’s powerful clients and that the late financier was in fact murdered in his cell.

Trump supporters expected the Republican to answer their questions on his return to office this January but now find themselves being told the conspiracy theories are false.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2025