There Are No Girls on the Internet

Episode: “Epstein files firestorm shows the power of online conspiracy”

Host: Bridget Todd
Date: July 19, 2025
Podcast Network: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This episode, hosted by Bridget Todd, explores the recent resurgence of online conspiracy theories surrounding Jeffrey Epstein, catalyzed by the unsealing of files and a high-profile political stunt that frustrated Trump’s own supporters. Bridget lays out the tangled intersection of Epstein’s criminal legacy, political opportunism, QAnon, and how the internet both amplifies and distorts the narratives around actual abuse and the institutions meant to deliver justice. The episode also focuses on how true victims are marginalized and the broader implications for online conspiracism in modern American politics.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Who Was Jeffrey Epstein? – Context and Crash Course

[02:44 – 08:50]

• Bridget summarizes Epstein’s background, from his dubious career beginnings to establishing connections among powerful elites.
• Highlights:
  • Epstein’s mysterious financial origins, early inappropriate conduct as a teacher, first conviction in 2008 for sex crimes against minors, and death in jail (2019), ruled a suicide.
  • His “M.O.” of building influential networks as both cover and protection from accountability.
  • Examples of his reach, connecting to the MIT Media Lab, Matt Groening (the Simpsons), and the notorious Ghislaine Maxwell.
  • Foot massage anecdote involving Matt Groening and the author Virginia Giuffre illustrates the bizarre intersections between celebrities and Epstein’s operations.

2. Epstein’s Strategy: Money, Influence, and ‘Compro’

[08:50 – 12:23]

• Epstein exploited his elite connections not just for status but as a shield—sometimes even blackmailing, as per media reports.
• Bridget details Epstein’s attempted extortion of Bill Gates, leveraging knowledge of an affair for financial demands and reputation-building attempts via JP Morgan.
• Uses Melinda Gates' media appearance to underline the chilling effect Epstein had even on the powerful:
  • [11:34] Melinda Gates: “He was abhorrent. He was evil personified. I had nightmares about it afterwards... I feel terrible for those young women.”

3. The Unsealed Files: More Names, More Theories, No Clarity

[12:23 – 15:30]

• 2024 court unsealing further compromises already frayed public trust, naming high-profile individuals (Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Prince Andrew, Kevin Spacey, Alan Dershowitz, David Copperfield, Al Gore, and others).
• Trump’s prior friendly relationship with Epstein called out—Bridget plays clips and quotes, highlighting Epstein’s “closest friend” claims and Trump’s later distancing.
• Conspiracy entanglements: Epstein’s real crimes become “proof-points” within broader, often anti-Semitic, false narratives about child harm and a “cabal of global elites.”

4. Conspiracy as Glue: Trump, QAnon, and the MAGA Movement

[15:30 – 20:07]

• Trump and allies harness the cloud of suspicion around Epstein as a rhetorical weapon, branding himself the fighter against the “deep state.”
• Trump subtly, but repeatedly, gave credibility to QAnon-adjacent narratives, never directly affirming them but often signaling support.
• Bridget highlights Trump’s deliberate use of plausible deniability—promoting supporters’ QAnon content, while maintaining “distance.”

5. The “Epstein Files” Political Stunt

[20:07 – 25:30]

• Describes the February 2025 White House PR event: Attorney General Pam Bondi dramatically handing out massive “Epstein Files: Phase One” binders to right-wing influencers.
  • The binders contained nothing new—just information already public, prompting MAGA-aligned influencers to cry foul.
  • [22:43] Jack Posobiek: "They flew us to DC for this. This is PR, not justice."
  • [22:49] Chaya Raichik (Libs of TikTok): "We were promised transparency. Instead, we got a whitewashed version of the truth."
  • Pam Bondi blamed the fiasco on FBI Director Cash Patel. No substantive new Epstein information surfaced.

6. The Nonexistent “Client List” and Backlash

[25:30 – 30:40]

• Shortly after the PR event, Administration officials quietly announce there is no secret “Epstein client list,” and that there’s no evidence of blackmail.
• A supposed “full raw surveillance video” of Epstein’s jail cell is released—BUT, Wired exposes it's missing almost three critical minutes, igniting more suspicion.
  • DOJ explanation: routine technical reset—but this only fuels distrust.
• MAGA influencers and conspiracy-peddlers turn on the administration:
  • [28:49] Benny Johnson: “This is the worst response I’ve ever seen from President Trump.”
  • [28:56] Michael Flynn: “Donald Trump, please understand the ALL CAPS Epstein affair is not going away.”
  • [29:12] Matt Walsh: “[Trump’s] statement [was] extremely obtuse... we don’t accept obvious bullshit from our political leaders.”
  • Trump, bizarrely, defends Bondi, blames “selfish people...all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein.”

7. Hoisted by Their Own Petard: Conspiracy Grips the Right

[33:34 – 37:41]

• Bridget frames Trump as ensnared by conspiracies he once encouraged:
  • Trump’s prior exploitation of distrust (“government officials as liars... deserve to be fired”) is now biting him, since his own officials are in the hot seat.
  • “Now the government officials are people he appointed and now he’s saying there’s nothing to see here.”
• Cites media and academic observers:
  • Russell Muirhead (Dartmouth): “Nobody exploited these questions more than Donald Trump.”
  • Brandy Zadrozny (NBC): “We’re about to find out if ‘get over it’ from a trusted leader can pull people away from a conspiracy theory. I’m skeptical, but you never know.” [36:35]
• Trump lashes out on Truth Social; calls followers who persist “weaklings,” tells them:
  • “Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work. Don’t even think about talking about our incredible and unprecedented success because I don’t even want their support anymore.” [35:39]

8. Ongoing Fallout and Congressional Moves

[37:42 – 41:53]

• Despite efforts to shut down the story, it refuses to die. House Republicans block a Democrat-led measure for document release.
• New Wall Street Journal report alleges Trump sent Epstein a risque birthday card; Trump immediately denies, sues for defamation, then suddenly directs Bondi to accelerate file release.
• Senate Democrats question why files took so long to summarize and why any references to Trump were flagged for extra attention.
• Bridget notes the chaos is ongoing, with no real closure or transparency.

9. Who is Lost? The Real Victims

[41:00 – end]

• Amid political games, Bridget emphasizes how victims’ voices are erased; closes with survivor Danielle Bensky’s heartbreaking reflection:
  • “It feels like the current cabinet is essentially erasing our voices after years of bravery and work to find our way out of silence. It’s actually worse than silencing. It’s rewriting a narrative as if none of us existed in the first place. What does this teach our children? That if you are wealthy and powerful enough, you can make anything disappear or play the blame game and create conspiracy theories.” [41:40]
• Bridget reiterates the need to center survivors, not spectacle.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Epstein’s reach:

  • “So I wanted to share that to illustrate the diversity of famous, powerful and wealthy people who have a connection to Epstein. And that is by design. He did this as a way of protecting himself and shielding himself from accountability for his many crimes.” – Bridget Todd [08:45]

• Melinda Gates on meeting Epstein:

  • “I met Jeffrey Epstein exactly one time… He was abhorrent. He was evil personified. I had nightmares about it afterwards.” – Melinda Gates [11:43]

• On the 'client list':

  • “They were like scamming their own people. Like, these were the worst of the worst. People like Chaya Raichik of Libs of TikTok.” – Bridget Todd [22:05]

• On conspiracy backlash:

  • “This is the worst response I’ve ever seen from President Trump.” – Benny Johnson [28:49]
  • “Donald Trump, please understand the all Caps Epstein affair is not going away.” – Michael Flynn [28:56]

• Bridget’s summary of the main theme:

  • “I think the fact that some of his supporters are so caught up in this really shows how much Epstein and QAnon and conspiracy theories in general have become intertwined with today’s Republican Party. Like these are not fringe attitudes or beliefs.” – Bridget Todd [34:30]

• On survivors being erased:

  • “It feels like the current cabinet is essentially erasing our voices after years of bravery and work to find our way out of silence. It’s actually worse than silencing. It’s rewriting a narrative as if none of us existed in the first place.” – Danielle Bensky [41:40]

Timeline of Key Segments

• [02:44] – Context: Who was Jeffrey Epstein?
• [08:50] – Epstein’s use of power, influence, and blackmail
• [11:11–12:23] – Melinda Gates reflects on Epstein
• [12:23–15:30] – Unsealing Epstein files and the “client list” myth
• [15:30–20:07] – Trump, QAnon, and weaponizing conspiracy
• [20:07–25:30] – The PR “binder stunt” and influencer backlash
• [25:30–30:40] – No “client list” found; missing surveillance footage
• [33:34–37:41] – Trump as victim of his own conspiracy-mongering
• [37:42–41:53] – Ongoing political fallout; victims sidelined
• [41:00–end] – Survivor testimony and call to center victims

Final Thoughts

Bridget Todd’s episode meticulously breaks down how the manipulations of conspiracy for political gain can quickly spiral out of control and even backfire on their exploiters—leaving actual survivors and the truth ever more marginalized. She reminds listeners that beyond sensational headlines and social media uproar are real people still facing the consequences of unchecked power and institutional neglect. This episode is a resonant critique of the culture of conspiracism and media spectacle that now shapes American political life.