Will Epstein associates be investigated? Poll reveals shift in public opinion

Brendan Rascius, The Bradenton Herald on Jul 9, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

Public confidence that Jeffrey Epstein’s associates will be brought to justice has eroded over the past year and a half, according to new YouGov polling.

The survey, conducted July 8-9, also found widespread skepticism with the official government narrative surrounding his death.

It comes after President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice wrapped up a lengthy investigation into Epstein, who died in 2019 — in what was ruled a suicide — after he was arrested and charged with sex trafficking minors.

In a July memo, the DOJ reported that no Epstein “client list” was found, and no evidence emerged to justify investigating any uncharged third parties. The memo also reaffirmed that Epstein died by suicide in his New York City jail cell.

The findings contradict earlier claims by some Trump officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, who told Fox News in February that Epstein’s client list was “sitting on my desk right now to review.”

And, in October, then-vice presidential candidate JD Vance said during a podcast interview, “Seriously, we need to release the Epstein list. That is an important thing.”

Here is a breakdown of the poll’s findings.

Confidence in investigations wanes

The survey — which sampled 7,237 U.S. adults — asked respondents how much confidence they had that “all people connected with Jeffrey Epstein who are alleged to have committed sex crimes will be thoroughly investigated.”

Just 15% of respondents said they were very or somewhat confident that investigations would occur, while 67% said they were not very or not at all confident.

These results mark a significant shift in public opinion in under two years.

In a January 2024 poll, more than twice as many respondents, 32%, expressed confidence that Epstein-linked individuals would be looked into. And 50% said they lacked confidence.

Trump involvement

The poll also asked respondents if they believed Trump “was involved in crimes allegedly committed by Jeffrey Epstein.”

A plurality, 40%, said they believed the president was involved. Meanwhile 27% said he was not and 33% said they were unsure, according to the poll, which has a margin of error of 1.5 percentage points.

On this question, there was a massive partisan divide. Sixty-nine percent of Democrats said Trump was implicated, while 41% of independents and just 7% of Republicans said the same.

Trump was previously acquaintances with Epstein, who was said in a 2017 interview to have been Trump’s “closest friend,” according to Axios. In 2019, though, the president said he was “not a fan of Epstein” and had not “spoken to him for 15 years.”

When asked by a reporter about the accused sex trafficker on July 9, Trump said, “Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This guy’s been talked about for years,” according to CBS News. He added, “This creep? That is unbelievable.”

Epstein death

When asked about Epstein’s death — long a subject of controversy — respondents were divided.

Thirty-nine percent said they believed he was murdered, while 20% said they believed he died by suicide. A plurality, 40%, said they were unsure.

Republicans were the most prone to saying he was killed, with 43% saying so, while 37% of independents and 38% of Democrats said the same.

In 2019, the New York City chief medical examiner officially ruled Epstein died by suicide, stating that he hung himself in his cell.

The DOJ’s watchdog said a “combination of negligence and misconduct” led to his death, according to CBS News, citing faulty surveillance cameras and guards’ failure to conduct routine checks.

However, over the years, many Americans have cast doubt on the official findings, including the vice president.

In 2021, before serving as a senator and vice president, Vance tweeted, “Remember when we learned that our wealthiest and most powerful people were connected to a guy who ran a literal child sex trafficking ring? And then that guy died mysteriously in a jail? And now we just don’t talk about it.”

_____