How the Epstein Conspiracy Theory Took Over Politics

The New Yorker contributor Jon Allsop joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss how President Trump’s refusal to release the Epstein files has fractured his base, and how the Democratic Party has increasingly weaponized the Epstein conspiracy theory in its attempt to combat the MAGA movement. How do we proceed given that our country’s politics are increasingly defined by conspiratorial thinking?

This week’s reading:

• “Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, and Three Conspiracy-Theory Theories,” by Jon Allsop
• “Behind Trump’s Jeffrey Epstein Problem,” by Benjamin Wallace-Wells
• “What the Cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ Means,” by Vinson Cunningham
• “Coldplaygate Is a Reminder That There’s No Escaping Going Viral,” by Kyle Chayka
• “In an Age of Climate Change, How Do We Cope with Floods?,” by John Seabrook

To discover more podcasts from The New Yorker, visit newyorker.com/podcasts. To send feedback on this episode, write to [email protected].

The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week.