A new investigation from The New York Times Magazine into Jeffrey Epstein’s final days has had an unexpected side effect. While the story set out to revisit lingering questions about Epstein’s 2019 death, it also surfaced details that challenge a claim that has circulated for years: that Donald Trump was deeply connected to Epstein’s criminal activities.
The article, which runs nearly 150 paragraphs, mentions Trump only a handful of times. More interestingly, those references describe Epstein trying to come up with information about Trump that he could potentially offer federal prosecutors in exchange for leniency.
According to the magazine, reporters obtained previously unpublished handwritten notes Epstein made while in jail.
“We obtained about a dozen pages of other notes handwritten by Epstein in jail that were also previously unseen — including some in which he tried and failed to come up with significant information he might have on Donald Trump to offer to prosecutors,” the report states.
The article goes on to describe discussions between Epstein’s attorneys and federal prosecutors about a possible proffer agreement. Under such arrangements, defendants can provide information that may help ongoing investigations in hopes of receiving more favorable treatment.
The report says Epstein repeatedly returned to the topic of Trump while searching for anything that prosecutors might consider useful.
“Epstein was particularly preoccupied with what he might have on Donald Trump,” the magazine writes, noting that he repeatedly made references to the then-president while compiling information he believed could have value.
In the end, the effort appears to have produced little.
Jeffrey Epstein was obsessed with trying to take down Trump before suicide, report says https://t.co/N8kpqVWlG6 pic.twitter.com/Tyf4MrWbal
— New York Post (@nypost) June 16, 2026
Among the notes cited in the report are comments such as “Trump is a total con artist — smoke & mirrors” and “Never had money.” The magazine says the material amounted largely to personal opinions rather than previously unknown information or evidence.
That distinction matters. The picture that emerges is not of Epstein protecting Trump, but of a man facing serious legal jeopardy and actively searching for information that might improve his own position. According to the report, he came up empty.
Trump’s association with Epstein has long been public knowledge. The two moved in many of the same wealthy Palm Beach social circles during the 1990s and early 2000s. Reports have also indicated that their relationship soured before Epstein’s 2008 conviction involving the solicitation of a minor. Trump later spoke positively about the law enforcement investigation that led to that prosecution.
The magazine’s reporting does not uncover any new ties between Trump and Epstein’s crimes. Instead, it documents Epstein’s unsuccessful attempts to find information involving Trump while he was under federal investigation.
The main focus of the article, however, remains Epstein’s death.
The report revisits many of the issues that have fueled public skepticism for years, detailing failures at the Manhattan jail where Epstein died. Those failures included missed guard checks, problems with security cameras, and disagreements among medical experts about aspects of the autopsy.
Report: Epstein tried to offer prosecutors dirt on Trump for a deal, but he didn’t actually have anything on Trumphttps://t.co/2Tw8TuJlwl
— Not the Bee (@Not_the_Bee) June 17, 2026
“At the time of his death, Epstein was alone in his cell in spite of clear guidance to the contrary,” the report notes before outlining a series of procedural breakdowns that occurred both before and after his death.
Ultimately, the magazine argues that the available evidence points more toward institutional dysfunction than a coordinated conspiracy. It describes a cascade of administrative failures, human error, and unfortunate circumstances that created the conditions for Epstein to take his own life.
At the same time, the article does not claim that every question has been answered.
“In the end, the autopsy photos were like everything else in the Epstein case, offering more possibilities than conclusions,” the report concludes.
