By:  Russ Spencer

In a dramatic rebuttal to explosive claims made by tech mogul Elon Musk, the former criminal defense attorney for Jeffrey Epstein, David Schoen, has categorically denied that the late financier had any information that could incriminate or harm President Trump. The statement, which Schoen issued publicly on Thursday night via X (formerly Twitter), comes as the political feud between Trump and Musk continues to escalate—and as the shadow of Epstein’s legacy looms once again over America’s public discourse.

Schoen’s comments, as reported by Newsmax, were direct and forceful: “I was hired to lead Jeffrey Epstein’s defense as his criminal lawyer 9 days before he died. He sought my advice for months before that. I can say authoritatively, unequivocally, and definitively that he had no information to hurt President Trump. I specifically asked him!”

The declaration arrives just hours after Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and former head of Trump’s now-disbanded Department of Government Efficiency, posted a cryptic and incendiary allegation online: that the Department of Justice has withheld the full Epstein files because Trump is named in them. Musk did not provide evidence for the claim, sparking a flurry of speculation across social media and mainstream platforms.

According to the information provided in the Newsmax report, the allegation was particularly significant because it broke amid Musk’s increasingly hostile political rift with the former president. The two had once enjoyed a warm working relationship, particularly during Trump’s first and second terms, but tensions reached a boiling point this week after Musk publicly criticized Trump’s flagship tax and spending bill—dubbed the “Big, Beautiful Bill”—currently being debated in the Senate.

Trump, speaking to reporters from the Oval Office on Thursday afternoon, dismissed Musk’s accusations and expressed “disappointment” in the billionaire’s recent conduct. “He’s gone rogue,” Trump said. “This was a man I trusted. I gave him responsibilities in government. And now, he’s spreading nonsense about Epstein and my name. It’s shameful.”

The Newsmax report noted that the Trump-Musk feud has unfolded at a critical time in the 2025 political landscape. With Trump moving full speed ahead on his economic agenda and gearing up for the general election, the president’s allies have begun circling the wagons against what they describe as a campaign of misinformation designed to discredit Trump ahead of November.

Schoen, who is widely respected in legal and civil rights circles, reinforced this defense. A veteran criminal attorney who has represented high-profile clients and was part of Trump’s second impeachment legal team, Schoen’s unequivocal statement was interpreted by many as an effort to shut down Musk’s insinuations before they gain traction.

“This is not just a denial,” one legal analyst told Newsmax. “This is a strategic effort to debunk a narrative that could otherwise go viral. When someone like David Schoen speaks, especially in this tone and with this kind of legal certainty, it’s meant to be the final word.”

The report at Newsmax also recalled that Epstein, the disgraced financier accused of orchestrating a sex trafficking ring involving underage girls, died in a New York federal detention center in 2019 under circumstances that sparked widespread suspicion and multiple investigations. Officially ruled a suicide, his death fueled conspiracy theories about who might have had a motive to silence him. Trump, who had known Epstein socially in the early 2000s but publicly distanced himself in later years, has consistently denied any involvement in Epstein’s criminal enterprise.

For Musk, whose recent pivot into political commentary and social critique has been marked by increasingly volatile pronouncements, the Epstein comment is just the latest in a string of controversial statements. On Thursday, Musk not only endorsed a post calling for Trump’s impeachment but went so far as to suggest that Vice President J.D. Vance should replace Trump in the White House—a comment that drew immediate backlash from GOP leadership and prompted a sharp rebuttal from Vance himself.

The White House views Musk’s latest remarks as a betrayal from a former insider who once helped streamline key aspects of Trump’s government restructuring agenda, according to the Newsmax report.

“Jeffrey Epstein had many secrets,” a senior Republican strategist told Newsmax, “but this claim about President Trump isn’t one of them. And it’s irresponsible to suggest otherwise without proof.”

As the war of words between Trump and Musk plays out in full view of the public, the late Jeffrey Epstein has once again become an unwilling centerpiece in America’s political theater. But if Schoen’s declaration holds weight—and his reputation suggests it does—the effort to link Trump to Epstein’s criminal legacy may once again collapse under scrutiny.

For now, Newsmax reported that neither the DOJ nor the FBI has issued any public comment in response to Musk’s allegations. Trump’s campaign, meanwhile, continues to double down on economic messaging while casting Musk’s outbursts as politically motivated distractions.

“This is all noise,” one senior Trump adviser told Newsmax. “The American people care about inflation, safety, and jobs. Elon Musk cares about Elon Musk.”