After Cayden McBride finishes class in Rome, Georgia, the 19-year-old goes home, opens his laptop, and starts searching.
For the past few months, he has been spending hours at a time combing through the Jeffrey Epstein files on the US Department of Justice (DOJ) website and following others online who are doing the same.
Flight logs, transcripts, images, and videos released by the DOJ have shed light on the crimes of the late convicted sex offender and his notable connections.
McBride believes the Epstein files still matter, even if the headlines have shifted to other issues such as ongoing conflicts.
As a Christian, I don't believe anybody should endure what these women have been through, he expresses. There is so much bad stuff in these files.
Once a self-proclaimed Trump guy and a vocal supporter of his anti-establishment rhetoric, McBride now harbors feelings of disillusionment. The delays in releasing the files and the perceived lack of accountability have left many former supporters, including him, feeling jaded with the movement.
The recent dismissal of Pam Bondi, Trump's former attorney general, has sparked hope for renewed attention on the Epstein files among McBride and others in the MAGA community who feel let down.
He articulated his concerns further, suggesting that there may be a false sense of security regarding accountability in the political realm, alongside concerns that larger issues could sideline the Epstein investigation.
The conversation surrounding Epstein remains contentious, especially among those who previously supported Trump. With Epstein conspiracy theories lingering, many supporters are left pondering whether the promise of reform and accountability has been lost.
As for McBride, his commitment to justice remains, but he asserts, I am definitely not voting for anybody implicated by the Epstein files, or anybody that is sponsored by President Trump.
