Fact Check

Yes, Musk alleged Trump appears in the Epstein files

In posts on X on June 5, 2025, Musk alleged Trump's purported inclusion in the convicted sex offender's files was why the files remained unreleased.

by Jordan Liles, Published June 5, 2025


Two white men shake hands. The one on the left is wearing all black and standing up, while the one on the right wears a dark blue suit and is sitting down behind a desk.

Image courtesy of Getty Images


Claim:
Tech billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk posted on X that U.S. President Donald Trump "is in the [Jeffrey] Epstein files," and "That is the real reason they have not been made public."
Rating:
Correct Attribution

About this rating


In early June 2025, online users claimed tech billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who days earlier departed his White House adviser role, posted on his X account that U.S. President Donald Trump appeared in unreleased government files related to deceased convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. According to users sharing the claim, Musk posted, referencing Trump's X handle of @realDonaldTrump, "Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!"

For example, numerous users on Bluesky (archived), Facebook (archived), Threads (archived), TikTok (archived) and (archived) X (archived) either shared news or post screenshots regarding the matter.

(@MeidasTouch/X)

These users correctly attributed the claims to Musk, who posted (archived) the allegation Trump appears in unreleased files associated with Epstein, and that that was the reason why Trump had not yet made them public. In a reply under the post, Musk added (archived), "Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out." 

(@elonmusk/X)

Musk did not provide evidence to support his claim. In a statement emailed to Snopes after the initial publishing of this article, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "This is an unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted. The President is focused on passing this historic piece of legislation and making our country great again."

Musk made his posts two days after calling Trump's "big, beautiful bill" of tax breaks and spending cuts a "disgusting abomination."

Minutes before Musk's posts appeared online, Trump had posted (archived) on his Truth Social account, "The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn't do it!"

Then, minutes after Musk posted his allegations of Trump appearing in unreleased Epstein-related files, Trump appeared to respond (archived), though without directly referencing Musk's claim. Trump's post read, "I don't mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago. This is one of the Greatest Bills ever presented to Congress. It's a Record Cut in Expenses, $1.6 Trillion Dollars, and the Biggest Tax Cut ever given. If this Bill doesn't pass, there will be a 68% Tax Increase, and things far worse than that. I didn't create this mess, I'm just here to FIX IT. This puts our Country on a Path of Greatness. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

For further reading, a previous fact check confirmed as authentic photos and video of Trump with Epstein and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.


By Jordan Liles

Jordan Liles is a Senior Reporter who has been with Snopes since 2016.


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