Transparency or Theater? My Thoughts on the Epstein Client List and the Crisis of Government Trust
Like many Americans, I once believed that a Trump presidency would crack open long-standing secrets, lift the veil on entrenched corruption, and finally deliver long-overdue answers to questions our government has avoided for decades. Chief among those was the full, uncensored truth about Jeffrey Epstein…his crimes, his connections, and more importantly, his clients.
So imagine my frustration when I learned that both Attorney General Pam Bondi and President Trump are now saying there isn’t an Epstein client list. After months of Bondi claiming she had the list “on her desk” and that it was “shocking,” we’re now told there’s nothing to see here? Either she was lying then, or she’s lying now. And frankly, either possibility is disqualifying.
If Pam Bondi deliberately misled the public to build support, she should be removed from her position. If President Trump knew the truth and chose to bury it, his administration is no different than the ones that came before…more invested in preserving power than in exposing it. That’s not what we were promised. Many of us, myself included, supported Trump because we believed he would challenge the status quo, pull back the curtain on the deep dysfunction in Washington, and force long-overdue transparency. But if this latest denial is to be believed, the Epstein case is just one more example of how even outsider candidates become insiders when the truth gets too dangerous.
And maybe that’s the point.
What if the truth about Epstein isn’t just about individual perversions…but about strategic complicity? What if the U.S. government knowingly turned a blind eye to his crimes because he was useful? It’s not hard to imagine. There are credible theories suggesting Epstein was used to compromise foreign leaders, launder influence, or even assist in arms deals with both allies and adversaries. If that’s even partially true, it’s a national disgrace…an embarrassment to our intelligence agencies and a betrayal of the values we claim to uphold.
Worse, it means our foreign policy, which affects real lives and international stability, may have been shaped in part by blackmail and criminal cover-ups. That should outrage every American, no matter your political party.
But Epstein isn’t the only open wound festering in the dark.
We still don’t have real answers on who was behind the Nord Stream pipeline attack. We’ve received no accountability from NORAD about how multiple Chinese spy balloons flew unimpeded across American airspace. And the news cycle has conveniently moved on from both. If our government can't…or won't…explain these failures, why should anyone trust it to protect us?
This is why so many in my generation…and increasingly, Gen Z…have given up on party loyalty altogether. We’re told to pick a side, but both sides seem to serve the same interests: secrecy, self-preservation, and the quiet burial of uncomfortable truths.
So where do we go from here?
We need more than outrage. We need action. Here are just a few ideas:
Codify transparency into law. Agencies must be required to release records and findings within a set timeframe, especially in cases involving national security where no lives are currently at risk.
Protect whistleblowers. Real accountability often begins with insiders who risk everything to tell the truth. We must stop criminalizing those who expose corruption and start celebrating them.
Demand declassification reform. Far too much information is stamped “classified” for reasons of political convenience. We need a streamlined and public-facing process to challenge and review over-classified material.
Rebuild trust through honesty. Leaders need to admit what they know…and what they don’t. The American people can handle the truth. What we can’t handle is being lied to.
If we want to restore integrity to our political system, we need leaders with the courage to tell the truth…even when it’s ugly, even when it implicates people we once supported. And we need citizens who are willing to hold every administration, regardless of party, to the same standard.
Silence is not strength. Denial is not patriotism. Transparency is the only way forward.
Until then, I will keep asking questions. And I will not stop demanding answers.
