As Epstein conspiracy theories abound, remember this is about both partisan politics & broader loss of confidence in govt. When I was in the Middle East (the former conspiracy theory capital) that was the fuel: folks didn’t trust authorities so assumed a plot behind every event

— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) August 10, 2019

The right is going to think the left is responsible for Epstein’s death and vice versa.

But simple fact is the left did NOT have physical control of Epstein’s person. Bill Barr did.

FACT! Pure and simple. FACT! And no one had more to lose from Epstein talking than 45. NO ONE!

— Pam Keith (@PamKeithFL) August 10, 2019

Jeffrey Epstein has turned everyone into a conspiracy theorist. My piece on a very strange Saturday, and why paranoia seems inevitable now: https://t.co/jzMEVv0CoS

— McKay Coppins (@mckaycoppins) August 11, 2019

The most prominent conspiracy-monger is the man you support as president of the United States. Why don’t you start there? https://t.co/ZVo6h0Vs94

— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) August 10, 2019

Hey @realDonaldTrump, you were friends with Jeffrey Epstein and were at parties with him. His death happened under your watch. Before you tweet out conspiracy theories, you may want to first talk with your AG Bill Barr and your head of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. https://t.co/YZXV8oaAKS

— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) August 10, 2019

Trump amplifies Epstein conspiracy theories on social mediahttps://t.co/pkXWdrYZ07

— POLITICO (@politico) August 10, 2019

With his retweets of those vile anti-Clinton conspiracy theories, Trump gave permission — or perhaps even, in effect, assigned — his supporters in right-wing media to go full steam ahead with that narrative.

— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) August 10, 2019

President Trump now retweeting his apparent favorite Epstein conspiracy theory. Epstein was in US custody. The president has the ability to find out what actually happened from those who work for him if he so chooses. Or he can retweet this without evidence. https://t.co/3g8kvpSuUz

— Eamon Javers (@EamonJavers) August 10, 2019

It is unfathomable to me that a President of the United States would retweet this. Literally unfathomable. It would be outrageous for even a member of a local city council, let alone from the person who is to Take Care that the Laws be Faithfully Executed. pic.twitter.com/wx7FCdnmp2

— Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) August 10, 2019

Uh huh, The Russian Trumpbots are working hard to make sure ClintonBodyCount is trending.#TrumpBodyCount #TrumpEpstein pic.twitter.com/ygB6vjBTCP

— Wayne's The Name!!!✝️🤚🏾🇺🇸 (@EngineerMinded) August 10, 2019

The president retweeted this. So, here we are. https://t.co/aaGhvOYTLo

— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) August 10, 2019

The Epstein saga is a perfect example of why conspiracy theories have such a stranglehold on so many people right now. It’s confirmation that the world often works exactly the way people have always suspected — that the rich and powerful and connected will always win in the end.

— Scott Bixby (@scottbix) August 10, 2019

Don Barr (Bill Barr's dad) hired Jeffrey Epstein to teach at Dalton school.

Feds release docs a few days ago implicating Dems (but not Trump! Surprised?) w/ Epstein.

Bill Barr runs the DOJ, so runs the prison where Epstein died; Barr now runs the death investigation.

Dots?

— Thom Hartmann (@Thom_Hartmann) August 10, 2019

Exactly. Well that and his history of greasing pardons for the Iran Contra crew…and getting called The Coverup General by conservative writer William Safire for tidying up Iraqgate…and not recusing on the Epstein fed case…and behaving like 'the hand to the king' not the AG. https://t.co/2QBvQJJ5es

— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) August 10, 2019

Bill Barr’s father, the soon-to-be-canned headmaster Donald Barr, hired Jeffrey Epstein to teach teenagers at NY’s Dalton School in 1970s. Even though Epstein had no college diploma. https://t.co/6SKkCGAMcv

— Frank Rich (@frankrichny) August 10, 2019

And… scene. https://t.co/jOCrldfjLs

— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) August 10, 2019

Lynne Patton—the Trump family wedding planner who lied about her qualifications on her CV and was nonetheless put in charge of all federal housing in NY/NJ—has said Epstein was “Hillary’d.” How many more reasons do you need for why she should resign & is unfit for public office?

— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) August 10, 2019

I’m with @AOC on this #Epstein mess. You don’t have to be a conspiracy theorist to see an evil coverup to protect lots of powerful men here. You’d have to be bizarrely naive not to. https://t.co/WDbek257US

— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) August 10, 2019

This is either another colossal screw up by the @realDonaldTrump Administration, or something nefarious happened. @HouseJudiciary Committee has oversight over the Fed Bureau of Prisons. Let's hope @TheJusticeDept won't obstruct Congress from looking into the death of Epstein. https://t.co/lYKFsWZ9Yj

— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) August 10, 2019

So we are to believe:

1. Hillary Clinton managed to have Seth Rich, Vince Foster & Jeffrey Epstein killed;

2. But she can't manage to win Pennsylvania or Michigan;

Mmm…k y'all.

Qballs gonna Qball…

— Tim Wise (@timjacobwise) August 10, 2019

Holy crap @LynnePattonHUD, Trump’s administrator of Dept of Housing and Urban Development Region II — and former Trump family event planner — says Hillary Clinton killed Epstein. https://t.co/nXc7E3vB5t

— Eric Columbus (@EricColumbus) August 10, 2019

Guilt has a thousand tongues. For Trump, it speaks through projecting onto those he envies sins of which he knows himself capable and may even have committed. . . https://t.co/XloKjvmiho

— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) August 11, 2019

To every Republican in America-now is your time to condemn this shit. If not you are complicit and just as bad as him. Maybe worse since you’re not nearly as mentally unstable as he is. This is judgement time. https://t.co/8q3wh4FYeS

— Joe Lockhart (@joelockhart) August 10, 2019

If you only read 1 thing about the Epstein conspiracy theories, read @cwarzel https://t.co/WaR51jf3CP

— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) August 11, 2019

Trump just fanned the flames of the Clinton-Epstein conspiracy theory again. His supporters love it. https://t.co/5hU89Eyr3l

— Mother Jones (@MotherJones) August 13, 2019

NEW — The Trump campaign released an ad with clear, noticeable QAnon signs in ithttps://t.co/8lqCiQ71Yb

Via @willsommer

— Sam Stein (@samstein) August 7, 2019

Trump shares Twitter accounts linked to conspiracy theorist QAnon https://t.co/bdz9AxiplV

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) July 30, 2019

fits w/ my theory that Qanon stuff is evolving into some combo of 'Trump is a great leader' & 'it's fun to be part of a community that triggers the libs real hard' & so the campaign will embrace. (despite fact that it's still bananas and clearly has unstable, violent followers) https://t.co/fGdIOsAUb0

— Charlie Warzel (@cwarzel) August 7, 2019

An FBI intelligence bulletin from the bureau’s Phoenix field office describes “conspiracy theory-driven domestic extremists,” as a growing threat and specifically mentions QAnon. (via @Isikoff) https://t.co/pTeJ3sMkF9

— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) August 7, 2019

This is the essence of the conspiracy theory epistemology… that it is psychologically more comforting to believe in secret hands (both good and evil) that control world events than to understand social reality as a complex and chaotic system. https://t.co/DHi9AZaqZ2

— Kate Starbird (@katestarbird) August 5, 2019

QAnon says FBI labeling them a terror threat just proves there’s a deep-state conspiracy against them https://t.co/BJqHPnNjze

— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) August 4, 2019

Before he killed a mob boss on Staten Island, a QAnon adherent tried to perform a citizen's arrest on Bill de Blasio at Gracie Mansion.

How political conspiracy theories overlap with mental illness. https://t.co/lXy2i2gM4O

— Philip Bump (@pbump) July 24, 2019

There are some new details in the QAnon Mafia boss murder — the suspect's lawyer says he was obsessed with QAnon, was convinced the victim was a member of the deep state. https://t.co/RWojHvs4Z1

— Will Sommer (@willsommer) July 21, 2019

A Republican House candidate challenging Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) has made frequent references to the pro-Trump QAnon conspiracy theory, potentially making her the latest QAnon believer to run for federal office in 2020 https://t.co/YofLt1xL4R

— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) July 23, 2019