The Epstein news cycle, audience demand, and the growing MAGA rift
This week’s wild news cycle surrounding the Epstein files, the political accusations flying in its wake, and the furious response from both MAGA supporters and detractors reveals so much about our politics and media. Primarily, it exposes a deeper dynamic about who holds the real power in driving the national narrative in the rare moments when opposing political factions actually agree: the audience - and how virality can be sustained when a story captivates the attention of multiple, often unrelated echo chambers.
We live in an era when “audience demand” doesn’t just shape what gets covered; it warps the incentives for everyone from creators and cable news bookers to Congress and the presidency itself, taking a politically charged and conspiracy theory-ridden scandal and making it the dominant story over any other that actually impacts the American people. Stories that drive widespread human interest and engagement like EpsteinGate are the exact kinds of stories social media algorithms and the creators that make millions off of those platforms salivate over - usually at the cost of the truth or any alignment with what information should be rewarded and spread to the masses. What we’re seeing now with this story is interesting because it may actually help serve both purposes.
In the aftermath of the latest revelations and conspiracy theorizing around Epstein, social media has lit up with intense calls for transparency, justice, and accountability— perhaps most surprisingly from young, often disaffected men aligned with the MAGA movement and Trump’s base. Those MAGA-supporting audiences have been told for years on conservative media and the campaign trail that not only do The Epstein Files exist, but if elected, the likes of Trump, Vance, Patel, Bongino, and Bondi will boldly make them public. Their expectations were crystal clear, and stoked on by Trump’s own political operation. When figures in Trump’s administration said last week that the files do not in fact exist, even some of his most loyal supporters had a complete meltdown.
The present moment is especially volatile among young men who are increasingly suspicious over critical questions that are being ignored, belittled, or obfuscated by the very people they elected to challenge authority. When their chosen champions (be they pro-MAGA media figures like Dan Bongino or Donald Trump himself) failed to meet their demands, the backlash was swift and intense.
This scandal is driving a wedge within Trump’s base, prompting a growing number of MAGA-aligned creators and podcasters—formerly among his most influential supporters—to turn against him. This shift is intensifying divisions among the MAGA faithful and, in some cases, leading Trump himself to distance from or attack these once-loyal allies. As this narrative gains traction, it’s also compelling traditionally supportive outlets, such as the Wall Street Journal, to pursue further investigation and reporting, prolonging the news cycle and keeping the controversy in the spotlight.
For Trump, this moment is revealing the limits of one of his most trusted political strategies: distraction. His typical approach of shifting focus to unrelated issues has proven largely ineffective at quelling the story, instead reinforcing suspicions that his camp is seeking to hide damaging information.
While attention on this issue from all corners of the internet and political spectrum is helpful at keeping the story and potential cover up front and center, in this case, the credibility of the messengers is especially critical: some of the most significant criticism Trump is facing comes from loud and influential voices on the Right, delivering blows that are perhaps more damaging than any he’s encountered in recent years.
While no one can predict what Trump will do next, the deeper the wedge this story creates with his base, the more difficult it will be for him to bring back supporters he relied on to not only get him - but also his MAGA allies in Congress - elected. If EpsteinGate does continue to gain steam, it could have an effect similar to what we saw in the early days of COVID-19, when Trump claimed that concerns about the scale of the pandemic were overblown. His clear missteps back then to address the pandemic caused a lack of trust and support in Trump among even his supporters, and weakened his and MAGA’s standing in the next election cycle.
Regardless, continuing to highlight the potential Epstein cover-up as another example of the blatant corruption in this administration is a win-win - and a drum we should all keep beating until the bipartisan choir’s questions about it are answered.
- Tara
More from COURIER this week:
Deja Foxx, a Gen Z social media creator who ran for Congress in an Arizona special election on Tuesday, did not win her primary, but defied expectations with an innovative use of new media platforms. COURIER produced behind-the-scenes footage of her race via our new series REPRESENT, releasing the final episode on Monday - You can watch it here.
What I’m reading:
Adelita Grijalva defeats Deja Foxx in Arizona Primary: 3 Takeaways (WaPo, 7/15)
“Beyond her own social media, Foxx also experimented with new Democratic media including Meidas Touch, the Lincoln Project, Under the Desk News and Courier Newsroom — a media company that operates pro-Democratic local news publications that, in a new foray into long-form media, produced a docuseries on her campaign — meaning that in addition to filming herself on the trail, Foxx’s effort was captured by a documentary filmmaker. Such efforts appeared to help create some momentum toward the end of the race.”
How the rightwing sports bro conquered America (Guardian, 7/13)
“The world of sports influencers such as McAfee, which is particularly influential among young men and can be understood as an extension of the Donald Trump-aligned “manosphere”, now stands as an important bastion of the culture of insensitivity and entitlement on which Trumpism thrives.”
How Dems Should (and Should Not)Talk About the Epstein Scandal (Message Box, 7/16)
“Why are Democrats talking about Epstein instead of Medicaid cuts to pay for tax breaks for the rich? It feels silly given the desperate need to raise awareness of what the GOP Congress just did. I get it. However, in 2025, political success is tied to one's ability to get attention. Democrats have very few politicians with megaphones large enough to generate the necessary attention. So, latching on to the stories and issues that are already getting attention is a must.”
Democrats' Confidence in U.S. Institutions Sinks to New Low (Gallup, 7/17)
“Americans' average confidence in major U.S. institutions is unchanged since last year, with a near-record-low 28% of U.S. adults expressing "a great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in nine institutions tracked consistently since 1979. This is the fourth consecutive year of sub-30% averages, but this overall stability belies significant shifts in partisans’ confidence after Donald Trump replaced Joe Biden as president.”
Congress rolls back $9 billion in public media funding and foreign aid (NPR, 7/18)
“The House has approved a Trump administration plan to rescind $9 billion in previously allocated funds, including $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) — a move that cuts all federal support for NPR, PBS and their member stations — and about $7 billion in foreign aid. The vote of 216-to-213 included all but two Republicans in favor of the cuts. The bill goes next to President Trump for his signature.”
Substack Raises $100 Million, Betting on Subscriptions but Coming Around to Ads (NYT, 7/17)
“Substack began its life as a buzzy newsletter company, devoted to helping writers connect with paying subscribers. The start-up was critical of social media and dismissive of advertising. Nearly eight years later, Substack is pouring much of its effort into building a social network and warming up to the advertising business.”