Rhetorical Review

I’ve been reflecting on something deeply troubling: Donald Trump has been accused by over two dozen women of sexual harassment, assault, or rape. That’s not political spin. That’s documented fact.

Among those accusations is the 2016 federal lawsuit by a woman known as “Katie Johnson,” who alleged that Trump and Jeffrey Epstein raped her when she was just 13 years old. The lawsuit was withdrawn—not because the allegations were disproven, but because the survivor feared for her life and could not continue amid threats and media pressure (The Guardian, July 7, 2016).
We never got a trial. We never got the full truth.

And we may never get it—because this is what happens when power protects itself.

Just days ago, the federal government abruptly closed the Epstein criminal investigation, claiming there was “no Epstein client list” and that further prosecution wasn’t necessary. That’s right: after years of promises and piles of evidence, the Justice Department dropped the case and walked away (The Daily Beast, July 8, 2025).

We now know that Trump was listed on Epstein’s flight logs multiple times, that he called Epstein a “terrific guy” in 2002, and that their social circles overlapped for years. We know Epstein ran a vast trafficking network that included high-profile men across business, media, and politics. But when it came time for accountability, the case vanished—and the survivors were left with silence.

And what about Epstein’s death?

Officials insist it was suicide. But the circumstances are more than suspicious:

• Cameras mysteriously failed, and guards fell asleep.
• There’s a “missing minute” in the surveillance footage from outside his cell (The Sun, July 8, 2025).
• Two forensic pathologists—including Epstein’s brother’s expert—said the injuries were more consistent with homicide than hanging (New York Post, July 9, 2025).

Epstein died in federal custody while awaiting trial. He carried secrets tied to billionaires, celebrities, and politicians. And just like that—his case vanished, his co-conspirators walked free, and the public was told to move on.

What message does that send?

That money matters more than justice.
That victims don’t count when the abuser is powerful.
That rape, trafficking, and abuse can be erased if you have enough lawyers and headlines to bury it.

I believe Donald Trump is guilty—not just because of one case, but because of an overwhelming pattern. Over 26 women have come forward with accounts of violence, coercion, and violation (Business Insider, May 9, 2023). In May 2023, a federal jury in Manhattan determined that Donald J. Trump was legally liable for both sexual abuse and defamation against author and journalist E. Jean Carroll. The jury’s findings included:

• Sexual abuse: Trump was found to have forcibly digital penetrated Carroll in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the mid-1990s. The jury awarded her $2 million in compensatory damages plus $20,000 in punitive damages (People).
• Defamation: Trump was also held responsible for defamatory statements he made in October 2022—specifically, calling Carroll a liar. The jury awarded an additional $1 million for that statement, $1.7 million for reputational harm overall, and $280,000 in punitive damages Associated Press News. For a full account of her experience and the broader cultural reckoning it sparked, read Carroll’s memoir: What Do We Need Men For? A Modest Proposal. The jury deliberated for less than three hours, underscoring the clarity of the evidence (AP News).
• His own history of objectifying and incriminating comments about women and girls.
• And his multiple appearances in Epstein’s social and travel circles (People, July 9, 2025).

So I’m saying this clearly:

This is wrong.
This is injustice.
And I will not be silent.

Too many people have been silenced.
Too many survivors retraumatized or discredited.
Too many powerful men have been allowed to walk away.

If the legal system won’t hold them accountable, we will—by speaking, by remembering, and by refusing to look away.

Trump’s words paint a clear picture—not just of casual misogyny, but of someone who normalized and joked about predatory behavior. When paired with his Epstein ties and civil verdicts like the one involving E. Jean Carroll, these comments become part of a larger, deeply disturbing pattern.

Sources

Carroll, E. J. (2019). What do we need men for? A modest proposal. St. Martin’s Press.

Missing surveillance footage fuels conspiracy – The Sun (July 8, 2025)

E. Jean Carroll verdict: Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation – AP News (May 2023)

26 women who accused Trump of sexual misconduct – Business Insider (May 9, 2023)

Attorney General Pamela Bondi Releases First Phase of Declassified Epstein Files (February 27, 2025)

Katie Johnson lawsuit coverage – The Guardian (July 7, 2016)

FBI & DOJ memo: No Epstein client list exists – The Daily Beast (July 8, 2025)

Epstein’s brother rips feds over suicide ruling – New York Post (July 9, 2025)

Trump named in Epstein flight logs – People (July 9, 2025)