At Turning Point USA’s Student Action Summit in Tampa, Florida, conservative commentator Tucker Carlson suggested that Jeffrey Epstein may have been working for Israeli intelligence. Carlson claimed it was “obvious” Epstein had ties to a foreign government, specifically "Israel", though he argued people are discouraged from saying so openly.

Carlson questioned how Epstein, who began his career as a math teacher at the elite Dalton School in New York without even holding a college degree, was able to amass extraordinary wealth and assets, including private jets, a private island, and the largest private residence in Manhattan. “Where did all the money come from?” Carlson asked. “No one has ever gotten to the bottom of that because no one has ever tried.”

Carlson insisted that questioning the actions of a foreign government, hinting at the Israeli government, or its potential involvement in criminal activities, is not antisemitic. “There’s nothing antisemitic about saying that. There’s nothing even anti-Israel about saying that," he asserted, defending his remarks. Carlson questioned whether Epstein was blackmailing powerful individuals on behalf of Mossad and raised doubts about the source of Epstein’s wealth and influence.

“The real question is not ‘Was Jeffrey Epstein a weirdo who was abusing girls?’" he said, adding, "Why was he doing this, on whose behalf, and where did the money come from?"

Carlson even compared his claims about Epstein to his belief that the CIA was behind the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, arguing that holding such views doesn’t make one unpatriotic.

“Criticizing the behavior of a government agency doesn’t make you a hater; it makes you a free person. You have a right to demand that foreign governments not be allowed to act against your interests," Carlson noted.

American journalist #TuckerCarlson asked the right questions about Jeffrey #Epstein and the controversy surrounding his case.

Carlson pointed the finger at the Israeli government and its intelligence agency, claiming Epstein was part of a blackmail operation.#EpsteinClientList… pic.twitter.com/hqp4YrU8Ez

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) July 12, 2025

Public silence and suspicions around Epstein’s ties

Carlson claimed that public hesitation to question Jeffrey Epstein’s connections led to widespread frustration and confusion online, where many felt it was politically incorrect to raise such issues.

“People like they can’t say ‘What the hell is this? You have the former Israeli prime minister living in your house, you’ve had all this contact with a foreign government. Were you working on behalf of Mossad? Were you running a blackmail operation on behalf of a foreign government?'" he said.

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He told the audience that in his experience, “every single person in Washington, DC, thinks that,” adding, “I’ve never met anyone that doesn’t think that. I don’t know any of them that hate Israel.”

Carlson argued that the taboo around discussing Epstein’s alleged ties made the public discourse more confused and conspiratorial, as people sought answers they felt weren’t being addressed.

He concluded by calling for transparency, especially given the US government’s ongoing financial and military support for "Israel".

"If you are committing crimes on our soil, we have an absolute right to know; did you do this or not?" he tersely stated. 

Carlson expressed confidence that more details about the Jeffrey Epstein case would eventually come to light, despite the US Justice Department’s recent decision not to release additional information to the public.

Justice Department memo and fallout

His remarks followed the release of a memo by the Justice Department, which concluded that Epstein died by suicide and dismissed long-standing speculation about a so-called “client list". According to the memo, there was no credible evidence that Epstein blackmailed high-profile individuals or kept records for such purposes.

“There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions. We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties,” the memo stated. 

Despite these official findings, Carlson suggested that more revelations may emerge over time.

Supporters of former President Donald Trump have accused US Attorney General Pam Bondi of withholding key information related to the Jeffrey Epstein case. Critics claimed that Bondi failed to deliver on promises of transparency, despite repeated calls for accountability.

One Trump administration official told CNN that Bondi had “bungled the case from the start,” alleging she overhyped potential federal breakthroughs but ultimately produced documents that were already available to the public.

The Justice Department, however, stated that many of its findings could not be released due to federal laws designed to protect the privacy of Epstein’s numerous victims.

Tucker Carlson weighed in, arguing that the case was mishandled from the beginning and that government actions appeared more focused on shielding Epstein than exposing him. He claimed that the original search warrant was intentionally crafted to avoid uncovering damning evidence.

“The search warrant was written in such a way to make sure that the feds never got their hands on the actually incriminating evidence,” Carlson argued, adding that the coverup was "going on since 2007, almost 20 years."