A new Reuters/Ipsos poll showed Americans remain largely skeptical of President Donald Trump’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, even as he gains some support from his core Republican base, which has been watching the matter closely.
The poll found that only 23% of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the scandal, while 52% disapprove. However, it also signaled that he appears to be appeasing some of his supporters: 53% of Republicans now approve of his handling of the issue, up from 44% last month. That number remains well below the 85% approval rating he generally maintains among Republicans.
A poll released Monday shows most Americans believe the Trump administration is hiding information about Epstein, including details of his death in 2019 and his connections to the rich and powerful. Most also doubt Trump’s claim that he was unaware of Epstein’s alleged trafficking of teenage girls during their friendship decades ago.
Before returning to the White House this year, Trump fueled conspiracy theories about Epstein, while some of his prominent supporters alleged a cover-up by his administration, the report said.
Last month, despite opposition from Trump, both Republicans and Democrats in Congress passed legislation ordering the Justice Department to release documents from its long-running Epstein investigation by Dec. 19.
What did the online survey say?
An online survey of 4,434 US adults conducted from December 3 to 8 revealed that many still have doubts about the involvement of the US government.
About 62% of survey respondents, including 56% of Republicans, believe the government is withholding information about the death of Epstein, who was ruled a suicide in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while he faced federal sex-trafficking charges.
An even larger share, 70%, think the government is hiding details about individuals who may have been involved in the late financier’s alleged trafficking of teenage daughters, including 62% of Republicans.
Only 18% of respondents thought it likely that Trump did not know about Epstein’s alleged crimes before they became public, compared to 34% of Republicans.
Meanwhile, Trump has maintained that he was unaware of Epstein’s activities and claims he ended their friendship before Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to state charges of soliciting a minor for prostitution.
A federal judge in New York has granted a request by the U.S. Department of Justice to release more material to a grand jury in the Jeffrey Epstein case, according to a court filing Wednesday.
(With inputs from Reuters)
