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Crime & Justice

Epstein Tried to Find Dirt on Trump, Found Nothing, According to New York Times Investigation

PBD Podcast · Trump’s Iran Deal, Oil Drops Hard, New Epstein Report | PBD #818 · June 17, 2026
Epstein Tried to Find Dirt on Trump, Found Nothing, According to New York Times Investigation
PBD Podcast
PBD Podcast
Trump’s Iran Deal, Oil Drops Hard, New Epstein Report | PBD #818
"Epstein was particularly preoccupied with that he might have on Donald Trump who was then serving his first term in office, jotting on a legal pad. He returned to the president again and again, trying to dredge up anything to offer prosecutors. But his scribble said Trump is a total con artist, smoke and mirror, and never had money. Nothing to do with him. Nothing to do with him with girls."
The New York Times published a second major piece on Jeffrey Epstein's death, revealing that Epstein desperately tried to find incriminating information on Donald Trump to use as leverage with prosecutors. According to previously hidden notes obtained by the Times, Epstein repeatedly tried to dredge up anything against Trump but could only write that Trump was a 'con artist' with no money. Epstein's former cellmate confirmed he asked how to make a noose and prepared for suicide twice. The reporting vindicates Trump from Epstein-related allegations despite years of speculation.

About this episode

Patrick Bet-David hosted billionaire attorney John Morgan, founder of Morgan & Morgan, alongside Adam Sosnick, Tom Ellsworth, and Vincent Oshana for a wide-ranging discussion of the Iran nuclear deal, the Epstein files, California corruption, and 2028 presidential politics. The episode's centerpiece was analysis of Trump's controversial Iran agreement signed on his 80th birthday at the UFC 350 event. Morgan praised Trump for prioritizing nuclear nonproliferation over his own poll numbers, arguing the president chose long-term global safety over midterm election concerns, even as the deal drew criticism from both Iranian dissidents and Israeli officials. The panel dissected whether JD Vance is being positioned as a scapegoat for the deal, with consensus building that Marco Rubio is the likely 2028 Republican nominee. The New York Times released bombshell reporting revealing Epstein desperately searched his own notes for dirt on Trump to offer prosecutors but found nothing, vindicating Trump after years of speculation. Morgan provided extensive commentary on Epstein as a first-principles blackmailer whose business model was compromising the powerful. The group examined federal investigations into Gavin and Jennifer Newsom involving nearly $4 million in alleged nonprofit fraud, with Morgan arguing Newsom is copying Trump's persecution playbook without the substance. Tensions emerged over whether Epstein was merely a creep or a systematic intelligence operation, with passionate debate about protecting children versus wealthy elites. Morgan promoted his new book Life Is Luck and explained first-principles thinking as Elon Musk's secret to becoming the world's first trillionaire, defending billionaire wealth creation against attacks from Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders.

Key takeaways

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