Despite breathless media speculation and partisan efforts to reignite controversy, the narrative attempting to link President Donald Trump to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has landed with a resounding thud. Even CNN’s own data analyst, Harry Enten, admitted on-air that the story has failed to gain traction with the public and has had virtually no effect on Trump’s political standing.
“This is, from at least a political point of view, quickly turning into a dud of a story,” Enten told CNN anchor Kate Bolduan during a Monday segment. He backed up the claim with hard data, noting that interest in the Epstein-Trump angle has dropped off dramatically. “Google searches for Epstein [are] down 89% versus just three weeks ago—falling through the floor,” he emphasized. “It is no longer the top term searched alongside Donald Trump’s name.”
Americans appear to be more concerned with matters such as trade policy and foreign affairs. Enten pointed out that issues like tariffs and President Trump’s upcoming meeting with Vladimir Putin have overtaken Epstein in online search trends. “The American people’s interest in this story—it’s quickly becoming something of a nothingburger,” he concluded.
Bolduan pressed further, asking if the Epstein narrative had damaged Trump in the polls. Enten was clear: “No, not really.” He noted that Trump’s approval rating in July 2025 stood at 45%, compared to 44% now—well within the margin of error and hardly a sign of political fallout. More importantly, Trump’s current approval is significantly stronger than it was during his first term at this same point in the election cycle, when it sat at just 37%.
“And more than that,” Enten added, “among Republicans, his approval rating is near a record high, hovering right at about that 90% mark. So no, he hasn’t lost any of that base. And when it comes to that center of the electorate, he’s basically holding on there.”
This level of support is remarkable considering the relentless media attacks and the weaponization of scandals that have failed to stick. While the left hoped to drag Trump down by tying him to Epstein—a man he publicly cut ties with years before his arrest—voters aren’t buying it. The numbers speak for themselves.
In the end, Americans appear to be tuning out the political noise and standing firm with a president who continues to defy expectations.
