Stewart Rhodes, founder of the far-right Oath Keepers militia, warned that President Donald Trump risks fracturing his own base by dismissing renewed scrutiny of Jeffrey Epstein’s case as a “hoax.” “I think it’s going to cause him trouble in his own base. It already is,” Rhodes said at a Texas event, according to The Daily Beast.
Rhodes, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy in connection with the January 6 Capitol attack and sentenced to 18 years, was released earlier this year after Trump commuted his sentence. Despite praising Trump for “setting him free,” Rhodes criticized the president’s rhetoric surrounding Epstein.
Trump has recently lashed out at what he calls a “scam” perpetuated by Democrats, even as he ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the release of grand jury testimony. Public dissatisfaction is growing: a Quinnipiac poll found 63% of voters disapprove of Trump’s handling of the Epstein files, with Republicans split (40% approve, 35% disapprove).
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers dismissed the backlash, telling Axios the administration is focused on “real news.” But figures like Rhodes say Trump’s downplaying of Epstein’s crimes undercuts MAGA’s long-standing “deep state” narrative.
Discover more from News Facts Network
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
