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Right-leaning podcasters call out the Trump administration’s 2016 election claims as a “distraction” from Jeffrey Epstein

Hosts of right-leaning online shows have called DNI Tulsi Gabbard’s report a “distraction” meant to make Trump supporters “stop paying attention to Epstein”

Written by Noah Dowe & Reed McMaster

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Following weeks of outrage from right-wing media over the Trump administration’s handling of files relating to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard recently declassified multiple documents relating to Russian interference in the 2016 election, arguing they prove a “treasonous conspiracy” to interfere with the results by Obama administration officials. However, hosts of right-leaning online shows — including many who helped promote President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign — have argued that Gabbard’s report and Trump’s subsequent rhetoric are a “distraction” meant “to appease the Trump base” and change the narrative away from the Epstein case.
 

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  • Gabbard’s unsubstantiated memo came amid outrage over the Epstein case from right-leaning media, including podcasts Trump used to promote his campaign

    • Gabbard alleged that the Obama administration engaged in a “treasonous conspiracy” to undermine the 2016 election by “manufacturing” intelligence assessments of Russia’s efforts to help Trump win. On July 23, CNN wrote: “The release of the redacted report, written during the first Trump term by Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee, was the latest step in a multi-faceted effort from Gabbard and other Trump allies to attack the FBI’s Russia investigation and the intelligence community’s assessment on Russian election interference.” That same day, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the Department of Justice would create a “strike force” to assess the evidence Gabbard released. [Politico, 7/18/25; CNN, 7/23/25]
    • The Associated Press: “Gabbard’s claims of an anti-Trump conspiracy are not supported by declassified documents.” The AP went through Gabbard’s claims regarding Russian interference, the intelligence assessment, Vladimir Putin's intentions, and the role of the Steele dossier — noting multiple times that Gabbard's released materials do not back up her claims of a “treasonous conspiracy.” [The Associated Press, 7/24/25]
    • Right-leaning podcasters responded to recent Epstein case developments by claiming Trump administration officials appear to be involved in a “cover-up” and warning that the president is “potentially destroying his entire base,” while Fox has largely moved on from the story. Podcasters Joe Rogan, Andrew Schulz, Patrick Bet-David, and Shawn Ryan were among those critical of the administration over Epstein’s case. Fox News hosts, however, seemingly “followed President Donald Trump’s order to move on from coverage.” [Media Matters, 7/9/25, 7/16/25, 7/18/25]
    • With Americans increasingly getting their news from online shows and influencers — particularly those that lean politically right — Trump relied heavily on those spaces to promote his 2024 campaign. Media Matters reported in March, “Right-leaning online shows had at least 480.6 million total followers and subscribers — nearly five times as many as left-leaning.” These include shows that claim to focus on entertainment, comedy, and other supposedly nonpolitical categories, but which regularly discuss news and politics and hosted Trump or Vice President JD Vance prior to the election — including The Joe Rogan Experience, This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von, Flagrant, Impaulsive, and the Full Send Podcast. [Nielsen, accessed 7/17/25; Pew Research Center, 9/17/24; Media Matters, 3/14/25; Podchaser, accessed 7/17/25, 7/17/25]
       

  • Right-leaning podcast hosts have suggested the administration’s Russia narrative is a “distraction” from the Epstein case

    • White nationalist Nick Fuentes said Trump’s “new big diversion” from Epstein “is to tell everybody that he's going to arrest Barack Obama.” Fuentes said the administration was on its “third week of damage control on the Department of Justice memo, which is effectively a cover-up of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.” He also complained about Gabbard’s report, saying, “OK, this was nine years ago. For anybody keeping score, this was nine years ago.” [Rumble, America First with Nick Fuentes, 7/23/25]
    • Flagrant host Andrew Schulz decried the administration’s “bullshit distractions” and said “the second he started talking about Obama, I was like, ‘Oh, he's guilty.’” Schulz continued, “Why are you talking about Obama and treason? You got a guy who has sex with teenagers that you are protecting.” Co-host Akaash Singh commented, “The more they're doing to hide it, the more I'm like, 'Oh, they're hiding something crazy.'” [YouTube, Flagrant, 7/24/25]
    • PBD Podcast panelist Vincent Oshana said of Gabbard’s report: “I think it's a distraction.” Oshana added, “The Barack thing … I think it's a distraction.” [YouTube, PBD Podcast, 7/24/25]
    • Podcaster Brett Cooper said her “conspiratorial brain” wonders if the investigation is “just a distraction from Epstein because you guys fumbled so hard.” Cooper said there was “no transparency” with the Epstein case and asked, “Is anything actually going to happen with Obama? You're accusing him of treason. Are we actually going to see arrests?” [YouTube, The Brett Cooper Show, 7/24/25]
    • Daily Wire host Andrew Klavan: “There's no question that Tulsi Gabbard has brought on this Obama scandal to appease the Trump base and hope that they stop paying attention to Epstein.” Klavan added that the idea “is not going to work. But still, that's probably why they did it.” [The Daily Wire, The Andrew Klavan Show, 7/25/25]