files

The Justice Department’s claim that in the most recent release of the Epstein Files, they found that there is no credible evidence to keep an investigation going on Trump. These new files have shown something bigger than just one single allegation but it exposes a more in depth crisis towards the fact that people don’t trust institutions anymore. Although if the Justice Department’s conclusion is fully accurate, the number of Trump related references in the documents themselves, combined with the years of political hesitation and decision making, leaves many Americans wondering whether they are seeing the truth fully or just the version that they’re allowed to see. This reaction makes a lot of sense especially that the administration promised to be transparent then comes along dragging their feet and all of a sudden dumps millions of pages on the public all at once. Yes this does count as releasing the files but being practical it is impossible for ordinary people including journalists to meaningfully look through. When these institutions behave in such ways that make searching and looking over the files difficult, it is hard to build trust amongst the people. Being transparent only after pressure and in a sense that no one can realistically analyze doesn’t reassure anyone but does the complete opposite. At the same time, the emotional weight of the whole Epstein scandal is impossible to ignore. His crimes were horrific, and the survivors’ accounts, in which some mention having interactions with Trump, carry this heavy morality that deserves justice and to be treated in a more serious matter. Even the possibility that powerful men might have been connected to this abuse he had brought upon can bring up anger, grief and a deeper sense of being betrayed. Those feelings aren’t out of character but they come from a long history of people avoiding taking accountability for doings that were so wrong while the victims are out here just left to act like nothing really happened. Although it is very important to separate unverified evidence from what actually happened. In the end, the controversy between Trump and the Epstein files says less about one man and more about a system that just constantly fails to provide clarity. Until institutions show true transparency while also being proactive and timely, the public will keep fill in the gaps with distrust. Especially in a democracy, having distrust is not only unfortunate for everyone but it is also very dangerous