I think it's worth considering that Trump's disgusting doodle/message was actually a thinly-veiled threat.

[AZJonnie]

According to Wolff, Epstein said he'd threatened to expose Trump's Russian money-laundering scheme over that Florida estate that both of them wanted, which was auctioned to Trump in 2004. It thus seems possible that at the time of the 50th b-day (2003), things were already strained between them.

I further think it's possible that the text of that conversation is a real one that they had, which Trump recorded. He then recounted that conversation on this 'card', inside the drawing of an under-aged girl, to let Epstein know that if he fucked with Trump over Russia, Trump would expose his activities with underage girls, and that he had recordings.

I always maintained I'm SURE "the files" will show that Trump knew what Epstein was up to, and that alone may be enough to be causing Trump's reaction/desire to make it all go away. Now that I see this card, I have to add to that theory the possibility that Trump tried to blackmail Epstein with that knowledge, so that his OWN criminality could continue.

That would DEFINITELY be a bad enough look on Trump that he would desperately want the story to go away. And why he'd want to keep Maxwell quiet by arranging for her to move to the country club jail.

I may be totally off, but I think it's worth considering as a possibility. They both knew each others (separate) secrets, and this is Trump saying 'be my pal, and I'll be yours (wink-wink)'.

On edit: Also recall that Trump's infamous 'on the younger side' quote from the New Yorker magazine interview was 2022. Looked at in the light I suggest above, perhaps that public utterance was meant as part of the same intimidation effort?

[Irish_Dem]

1. Trump was part of the sex trafficking operation.

He was supplying young girls from his beauty pageants.
He was also a regular customer.

So of course he knew what was going on.

I think Trump got into trouble with the FBI for any number of ongoing crimes.
And ratted out Epstein as part of an FBI deal.

[AZJonnie]

2. Yes, I'm well aware that's another possible interpretation of the note, but I think mine is equally viable

Your last two lines I wouldn't be surprised about, but given the totality of evidence (or more importantly, lack thereof) I lean towards thinking Trump was neither supplying, nor partaking, or SOMEone would've said something in the intervening 30 or so years. Also of note, none of the known Epstein victims were associated with Trump's pageants. We know Epstein targeted girls who lacked means and parental supervision, but beauty pageant contestants often come from money, and/or have helicopter parents.

Yet he is clearly worried about something coming out, so I'm trying to reckon what that may be, without relying solely on my extreme animus towards Mango Mussolini, and strong suspicion that he WOULD partake if he thought he could get away with it. I lean towards thinking that 'the thing he's hiding' is not (necessarily) direct involvement, but rather he's worried there's evidence he knew and said nothing, and possible evidence he tried to blackmail Epstein with that knowledge rather than report it. That's sufficient, in my mind, to explain why he's acting so suspicious, wants the digging around to stop, and wants his name purged from 'the files'.

Perhaps someday we'll know all the facts, until then, we're all just guessing.

[Irish_Dem]

3. Yes but why make the blackmail threat public and implicate himself?

Well yes of course.

We are all speculating, based on logic, facts, evidence and a knowledge of human behavior patterns.

I have no agenda about any theory.
I just want the truth.
But things need to hang together.

Also a good theory can withstand close scrutiny and being torn apart.
That is the point of throwing a theory out for public scrutiny.
Keep defending your theory and see if it has legs.