By Martha Grevatt
August 1, 2025
Few people would argue with the fact that the ultra-misogynist finance capitalist Jeffrey Epstein, who sexually abused and exploited teenaged girls, was a despicable human being. Not many tears were shed when he died in prison in 2019, supposedly by suicide, denying Epstein’s many victims their day in court.
The group Hot Mess holds photos of Epstein at a protest, New York City, July 8, 2019.
Epstein is front-page news again in 2025 because of President Donald Trump’s unwillingness to release documents known as “the Epstein files,” which are rumored to include “client lists” with the president’s name on them. Instead Trump has called for the release of the grand jury files from the case against Epstein and his romantic partner and accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in procuring underage victims for Epstein to abuse.
Democratic Party politicians are demanding the release of all of the “Epstein files” and the tapes and transcripts of a recent two-day interview the Department of Justice conducted with Maxwell.
Trump — who during his election campaign accused Democratic Party politicians of covering up evidence incriminating Epstein and suggested that former President Bill Clinton had Epstein killed — is now the one engaged in a coverup. He is downplaying his long-time friendship with the financier, saying he broke off ties after Epstein allegedly “stole” Trump’s employees, including Virginia Giuffre, who has accused Epstein of sexually abusing her as a teenager.
Earlier reports in the news media suggested there was a falling out after the two capitalists bid on the same parcel of real estate in Manhattan.
Now Trump calls Epstein “a creep.” But make no mistake about it. Trump and Epstein are both creeps of the worst kind. Trump victimized some people Epstein was associated with before the supposed dispute over property or workers or whatever. As for the immorality of sexual assault, neither man has any qualms about sexually abusing women — Trump’s record speaks for itself.
And this kind of creepiness — an understatement considering the blatant, systemic sexual exploitation of women and girls — is not restricted to either Republicans or Democrats, regardless of what accusations politicians and funders hurl at one another and regardless of any twists and turns in their relationships with one another. Epstein gave large chunks of money to Democratic candidates for public office in the 1990s and 2000s.
And speaking of Democrats who commit sexual misconduct, one need look no further than the former governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, now running as an “independent” for New York City mayor after losing in the Democratic primary to Zohran Mamdani.
Why are these sexist pigs even allowed to run in the elections, let alone hold office?
The truth is that misogyny is integral to class society. Men of the ruling classes — enslavers, feudal lords and now capitalists — have generally been free to sexually exploit women, especially of the exploited classes.
If a few perpetrators such as Epstein or Maxwell (who, it is rumored, could be pardoned by Trump) or Harvey Weinstein (one of his convictions for rape was later overturned) or Trump (who hasn’t served a day in prison for his crimes) got caught, it was because the Me Too movement pushed the state to grant some justice to the victims. The Me Too movement, founded by Tarana Burke in 2006, has given voice to millions of women, girls and gender-oppressed people –– especially those of color –– who experienced sexual trauma.
Many people, understandably, want to see all of the documentation around Epstein’s abuse released. However, the internal squabbling among sections of the ruling class over the files and transcripts won’t result in justice for those who have been subjected to sexual abuse. And it certainly won’t address the massive cuts in necessary services contained in the misnamed “Big, Beautiful Bill.” If anything, it is a diversion from that fight.
To really put an end to all forms of exploitation, including sexual exploitation, we have to abolish the system based on the exploitation of one human by another — capitalism.
