Politics
Associated Press/Evan Vucci
President Donald Trump talks to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House, Friday, Aug. 9, 2019, in Washington, as he prepares to leave Washington for his annual August holiday at his New Jersey golf club.
- President Donald Trump spread an unsubstantiated conspiracy theory suggesting the Clintons were involved in the death of the accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
- Officials said Saturday that Epstein died by suicide in his Manhattan jail cell, and that multiple investigations into the incident are ongoing.
- Saturday's retweet was not the first time Trump has pushed false or baseless conspiracy theories, particularly about the Clintons or other political rivals.
- Visit INSIDER's homepage for more stories.
President Donald Trump on Saturday retweeted an unsubstantiated conspiracy theory about the death of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein just hours after he was found dead of an apparent suicide.
The theory, pushed by the self-described comedian and commentator Terrence Williams, questioned whether Epstein's death was a suicide and implied without evidence that the Clintons were responsible for the death.
Bureau of Prisons officials told media that Epstein hanged himself in his Manhattan jail cell and was found around 6:30 a.m. Saturday.
Epstein had briefly been placed on suicide watch last month after he was found injured in his cell in a possible suicide attempt, according to The New York Times.
He spent less than a week under suicide watch and was returned to a specialized housing unit on July 29, where he was given extra security.
Associated Press
FILE - This March 28, 2017, file photo, provided by the New York State Sex Offender Registry shows Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein has died by suicide while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, says person briefed on the matter, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2019. (New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP, File)
Attorney General William Barr expressed fury at the incident on Saturday and announced a special inquiry into Epstein's death.
"I was appalled to learn that Jeffrey Epstein was found dead early this morning from an apparent suicide while in federal custody," he said. "Mr. Epstein's death raises serious questions that must be answered."
Epstein faced federal charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy, and prosecutors alleged that he targeted girls as young as 14 years old.
Since Epstein's arrest, a number of high-profile figures have faced media scrutiny over their connections with Epstein, including Trump and former President Bill Clinton.
Saturday's retweet was not the first time Trump has pushed conspiracy theories, particularly theories about the Clintons or other political rivals including former President Barack Obama, whom Trump falsely alleged for years was not born in the United States.
The FBI recently warned against the proliferation of conspiracy theories spread across the internet, which the agency said could lead to violence and criminal activity.
- Read more:
- Jeffrey Epstein has died in jail by apparent suicide, 2 weeks after he was placed on suicide watch then taken off it
- Jeffrey Epstein died by apparent suicide in jail. Here's how the prison system makes that possible.
- One of Jeffrey Epstein's accusers says his death makes her 'angry'
- Unsealed flight logs show that Donald Trump was on Epstein's private jet in 1997