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- John Oliver Slams Trump Over Epstein Files Switch-Up: 'Distraction Is Usually Trump's Greatest Weapon. It Doesn't Seem to Be Working Here'</p>
<p>Ellise Shafer July 28, 2025 at 9:33 PM</p>
<p>John Oliver's "Last Week Tonight" returned on Sunday, just in time to join the conversation around President Donald Trump's switch-up regarding the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.</p>
<p>Despite Trump's promise to reveal the convicted sex offender's client list if he won re-election, the FBI and Department of Justice released a statement earlier this month saying the Epstein files actually do not exist. This has sparked a firestorm among Trump's supporters and many attempts by the president to distract from the backlash.</p>
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<p>Trump has also been facing renewed heat over his alleged connections to Epstein. Though he has claimed he was "not a fan" of the former financier, the Wall Street Journal recently published a story alleging that he wrote Epstein a lewd note for his 50th birthday, including a remark that the two have "certain things in common." Trump asserted the story was false and filed a $20 billion defamation lawsuit against the publication.</p>
<p>"He basically spent this week desperately trying to draw people's attention anywhere else," Oliver said on "Last Week Tonight." "He threatened the Washington Commanders' stadium deal unless they revert to their old name, posted an inexplicable three-minute highlight reel of old internet clips like a woman grabbing a snake with her bare hands and various jet-ski tricks, and accused Obama of treason for trying to steal the 2016 election."</p>
<p>Oliver then played a clip of Trump encouraging his fellow Republicans to deflect questions about Epstein, saying: "Every time they give you a question that's not appropriate, just say, 'Oh by the way, Obama cheated on the election.'"</p>
<p>"It's that easy," Oliver quipped. "And if they keep asking, just say: Hillary shot JFK, Rosie O'Donnell did 9/11 and Nancy Pelosi f—d a bat, that's how we got COVID. No further questions. And while distraction is usually one of Trump's greatest weapons, it doesn't seem to be working here."</p>
<p>The late-night host added that "it's understandable why Trump's struggling to get even his own base to take his word for it … because to do so you essentially have to believe everything we've learned about Trump over the years is irrelevant or sheer coincidence."</p>
<p>He then went down a laundry list of all Trump's reported connections to Epstein, including allegedly being a passenger on his private plane and inviting him to Mar-a-Lago and to one of his weddings. "Beyond that though, there's nothing there!" Oliver said. "Except for a jury finding him liable for sexual abuse. But other than that, there's nothing to see!"</p>
<p>Oliver even showed a video from Epstein's 2010 deposition where he was asked if he'd ever socialized with Trump and underaged girls. Instead of answering, Epstein evoked the fifth, sixth and 14th amendments.</p>
<p>"Yeah, not great," Oliver said. "If the answer's no, just say that. Instead, Epstein started listing amendments like he was ordering off the value menu. I'll have the No. 5, 6, 14, 10, 12, 3 and whatever else means I don't have to break bro code."</p>
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