President Donald Trump‘s refusal to rule out pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell for her sex trafficking conviction has sparked fury within the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.
Writing on X, right-wing figures with large social media followings reacted with anger after Trump said he would “take a look” at a pardon for Maxwell, who is serving 20 years in federal prison for her role as Epstein’s accomplice in his sex trafficking operation. His comments came after the Supreme Court rejected Maxwell’s appeal to overturn her conviction earlier on Monday.
A White House official told Newsweek that it does not comment on the existence or nonexistence of pardons. They said the president is the final decider on pardons.
Why It Matters
The backlash to Trump’s remarks is the latest example of discontent about the administration’s handling of the case involving Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy financier who died by suicide in jail in August 2019, weeks after his arrest on sex trafficking charges.
Initially, the White House had ordered a review of the case and said it would publish names and evidence about Epstein’s associates. However, the DOJ-FBI memo said there was no “client list” and that no further charges would be brought. This triggered a backlash among those who had called for more transparency about the case.
To combat this, in September the House Oversight Committee publicly released 33,295 pages of documents related to the disgraced financier including flight logs, court filings and emails. But some lawmakers said this wasn’t enough and a petition has been filed to release all Epstein files.
By mulling a pardon for Maxwell, who was a key member of Epstein’s inner circle, Trump risks further alienating his base, something that could affect his credibility and the Republican Party’s success in future elections.
What To Know
Trump was speaking at an Oval Office event to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins who asked him about the Supreme Court’s decision. Trump said he didn’t know about the decision.
“I haven’t heard the name in so long,” he said. “I’d have to take a look at it.” “I will speak to the DOJ,” he added. “I wouldn’t consider it or not consider it, I don’t know anything about it but I’ll speak to the DOJ.”
In response, writing on X, right-wing activist Laura Loomer said: “I strongly advise AGAINST anyone lobbying the Trump admin and the DOJ to Pardon Ghislaine Maxwell. Do not do it. I repeat. Do not do it.”
Patriot Princess, a MAGA account with over 12,000 followers said: “Believe it or not, Epstein was a red line for many of us back in June.”
Another account with “America First” in their bio said: “It better be worth loosing [sic] his entire base if he chooses to pardon Maxwell. Trump will destroy his reputation and loose [sic] his entire base, shills and apologists included.”
An account that shares messages in support of Republicans, said: “This would be the absolute worst thing that could happen for the current administration and Republicans in general.”
What People Are Saying
David Oscar Markus, attorney for Ghislaine Maxwell, told CNN on Monday: “We’re, of course, deeply disappointed that the Supreme Court declined to hear Ghislaine Maxwell’s case. But this fight isn’t over. Serious legal and factual issues remain, and we will continue to pursue every avenue available to ensure that justice is done.”
Warren Carpenter, a MAGA figure who previously worked for the Michigan GOP said: “This is not what I VOTED for … It’s the freaking opposite.”
Heath Brown, Associate Professor of Public Policy at City University of New York told Newsweek: “There are clear consequences of executive action, including presidential pardons and commutations. For issues that drawn a large amount of attention, especially highly polarizing issues, when the president acts, it’s likely to generate strong reactions.
What Happens Next
Whether or not Trump chooses to pardon Maxwell remains to be seen. She was moved to a minimum-security prison in Texas in July, after an interview with Justice Department officials in July.
Meanwhile, Trump also told reporters that Sean “Diddy” Combs, who has been convicted on prostitution-related charges, had asked him for a pardon.
