The recent controversy surrounding the partial release of the Epstein files—amid public expectations of discovering whether a “client list” exists—has cast a new shadow over President Donald Trump’s administration. It has revived old doubts, fueled new criticisms, and even stirred suspicion and distrust within his party and closest base: the MAGA movement.

The most apparent problem isn’t just what the files might reveal, but what they hide. Key names remain redacted. Crucial details are still out of public reach. Despite repeated demands for complete transparency, the Department of Justice, under Trump-era directives, continues to withhold essential information. For a government that campaigned on “draining the swamp,” the Epstein case is a reminder that some of the most toxic waters remain untouched—or, as some fear, deliberately protected.

That’s why the accusations are no longer coming only from Democrats or the usual media critics, but from within the Republican Party itself. This week, digital billboards in Times Square displayed a public message, funded by conservative donors, demanding transparency and accountability—not from Biden’s administration, but from Trump and his allies. It’s rare to see internal party criticism take up such high-profile space. Still, the message was clear—and troubling—because more voices, even those once considered unconditional supporters, are joining the chorus that has long stood outside the MAGA-dominated Republican mainstream.

The Epstein scandal isn’t a partisan issue; it’s a moral one. And while no party is free from questionable ties and actions, the insistence on hiding information under Trump’s leadership only deepens the suspicions. This isn’t about gossip—it’s about justice, transparency, and trust in institutions that claim to serve the people.

Amid all this, Trump’s continued popularity remains surprising. Despite the controversies, harsh criticism of his immigration policies, and the social cuts imposed by his so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” polls show that Trump still enjoys support from 40 to 45% of Americans. A phenomenon worth reflecting on.

Trump has called for building walls—not just physical ones, but symbolic ones—between communities, between legal and undocumented immigrants, between friends and enemies of the United States. His fiscal policies are putting the most vulnerable at risk: immigrants, low-income families, and marginalized communities. Cuts to food assistance, housing, and public health programs have left millions struggling to survive in the wealthiest country in the world.

And yet, the echo persists, and the former president remains surprisingly resilient. Perhaps the answer lies in the erosion of civic education and the biased use of information, as well as in the erosion of principles and values.

The Epstein files, internal discrepancies, attacks on immigrants’ human rights, and the dismantling of the social safety net—any of these would have destroyed a traditional politician. But we live in extraordinary times.

The question now is whether the demand for transparency in the Epstein case will become a common demand that transcends party lines. Whether the “Big Beautiful Bill” will be remembered not as a fiscal triumph, but as a manual of social abandonment. Whether the Times Square messages will leave a mark, or be another multimillion-dollar investment in efforts to reclaim the Republican Party.

This country must demand more than secrets, division, and empty slogans. It must demand that leaders stop hiding the truth, protect the vulnerable, and govern with integrity.

If the polls are going to change, if political culture is going to evolve, that change won’t come from the top. It must begin with the people—with the youth, the working class, and the lived experience of older adults. We must pursue a civic maturity with electoral impact, where the essential principles and values of this nation of nations are truly reflected.