America Changes Its Mind About Jeffrey Epstein’s Death—Polls
August 6, 2025
2,458
Public opinion in the United States has shifted drastically regarding the death of wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein, a new YouGov poll reporting that half of Americans now believe Epstein was murdered.
This marks a significant increase from 39 percent earlier in July 2025, making the murder theory as prevalent as any other explanation for his death as of August 2025.
Why It Matters
The surge in Americans who believe Epstein was killed, rather than died by suicide, reflects not only deep skepticism about official explanations but also continuing distrust in government transparency when powerful individuals are involved.
Epstein’s death, officially ruled a suicide by federal authorities, has fueled conspiracy theories and dominated political discourse, attracting attention across the political spectrum and leaving significant policy and reputational implications for major national institutions, including the Department of Justice, the presidency, and the federal prison system. The issue has also become a flashpoint for President Donald Trump’s administration, with frustration growing among his supporters over the perceived lack of accountability and transparency.
What To Know
The Economist/YouGov poll conducted August 1—4, found that 50 percent of Americans believe Jeffrey Epstein was murdered, while only 16 percent accept that he died by suicide, a substantial shift from earlier in the summer, when the murder view was held by just 39 percent.
The remainder of those polled are uncertain or declined to state an opinion. The poll included 1,702 adult U.S. citizens and carries a margin of error of approximately 3.5 percent.
This polling shows little difference along party lines: 53 percent of Democrats and 51 percent of Republicans said they believe Epstein was murdered. High levels of suspicion persist even after the U.S. Justice Department released a lengthy memo reiterating that Epstein died by suicide and that there had been no verified “client list.”
A billboard in Times Square calls for the release of the Epstein files on July 23, 2025 in New York City. A billboard in Times Square calls for the release of the Epstein files on July 23, 2025 in New York City. Getty Images
The memo was supported by nearly 11 hours of surveillance footage meant to back up the conclusion, though a one-minute gap in time-stamped video has continued to draw skepticism from some corners.
Epstein was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. Multiple federal investigations, including the 2025 Justice Department memo, reaffirmed the initial ruling of suicide and stated there is “no evidence” that he was murdered.
Despite saying he would release a so called Epstein client list, during the 2024 election race, President Trump has recently repeatedly pushed back against renewed scrutiny and conspiracy theories, calling the Epstein controversy a “hoax,” while his allies pressed law enforcement to publicize more details.
In February, Attorney General Pam Bondi said that the Epstein files were “sitting on my desk” and awaiting review and release. However, A DOJ memo found in July revealed that Bondi was not in possession of a client list and that the DOJ would not release any further information to the public about the investigation into Epstein, despite previous claims from the White House and the Trump campaign team.
Epstein’s family members, including his brother Mark Epstein, have publicly rejected the official suicide finding and suggested the case was mishandled at multiple levels. In July 2025, Mark Epstein called Justice Department statements “stupid” and voiced his persistent suspicion that his brother was murdered.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump, during a Cabinet meeting around the time of the Texas flooding disaster in July, said: “Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This guy’s been talked about for years. You’re asking—we have Texas. We have this. We have all of the things. And are people still talking about this guy, this creep? That is unbelievable.”
Mark Epstein, Jeffrey Epstein’s brother, speaking to NewsNation: “Kash Patel was not present when my brother was found unresponsive in his jail cell. This administration’s statements are stupid.” [The Hill, August 5, 2025]
What Happens Next
Despite the Trump administration’s insistence that all files have been released and the case is closed, skepticism appears to be rising, not falling.
Um die besten Erfahrungen zu bieten, verwenden wir Technologien wie Cookies, um Geräteinformationen zu speichern und/oder darauf zuzugreifen. Wenn Sie diesen Technologien zustimmen, können wir Daten wie das Surfverhalten oder eindeutige IDs auf dieser Website verarbeiten. Die Nichteinwilligung oder der Widerruf der Einwilligung kann bestimmte Merkmale und Funktionen beeinträchtigen.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
