Composite images from Wikimedia Commons
On the day the U.S. snatched Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, social media users were saying, “Wow, that Epstein file must be a doozy.” This is a common technique of false binary framing, claiming the government pursued one action rather than another to distract from or cover up something else.
The Epstein files are a frequent tool for this tactic. When the Trump administration takes actions the left does not like, the response often becomes, “Oh, he did this to distract from the Epstein files.” This is a technique I have dubbed “the Epstein deflection.”
Examples include the Iranian nuclear facility bombing in 2025, when media coverage of the strike was cited as another attempt to distract from the Epstein files. The tactic has even been applied to matters as inconsequential as a sports team’s name.
In July 2025, when Trump demanded that the Washington Commanders reverse their name change and threatened to block a stadium deal, critics again claimed he was trying to distract from the Epstein files. Democratic strategist Sawyer Hackett and ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith both argued that Trump was using the issue to distract his base.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz employed the Epstein deflection during the recent weeks of anti-ICE riots and chaos. Rather than addressing the fact that he has allowed illegal aliens to harbor in his state and has allowed violent riots to continue, during which several of his citizens have been injured, arrested, or shot, his response to Attorney General Pam Bondi was a demand to release the Epstein files.
A White House statement on January 16, 2026, blamed Minnesota’s elected officials for the violence. “This toxic combination of ‘sanctuary’ policies and anti-ICE rhetoric has created a climate of hostility that endangers federal officers and incites violence.” The statement goes on to say, “Make no mistake: the responsibility for the enhanced enforcement operations in Minnesota — and the tension and violence — lies squarely with these officials who refuse to partner with the Trump Administration and instead put their Radical Left agenda over public safety and the rule of law.”
Walz has maintained that local police should not act as federal immigration agents, a stance the DOJ argues encourages lawlessness and protects criminal aliens.
When Bondi sent a letter to Walz on January 24 demanding that he end the chaos and riots threatening ICE officers and hand over documents in compliance with federal fraud investigations, Walz dismissed the demands as a shakedown during a January 26 press conference, stating, “There’s two million documents in the Epstein files we’re still waiting on. Go ahead and work on those.” Walz and the media characterized Bondi’s request as strong-arming Minnesota or attempting to rig the upcoming midterm election.
The fact is that Bondi’s letter demanded general cooperation on multiple fronts: ending sanctuary policies, assisting with ICE operations, providing welfare program data for fraud investigations, and complying with voter data requests tied to existing litigation. These were presented as necessary steps to “restore the rule of law,” not as a negotiated exchange in which compliance would result in ICE withdrawal.
Bondi’s letter stated, “The lawlessness in the streets is matched by the unprecedented financial fraud occurring on your watch,” adding that the out-of-control fraud also implicates election security.
The letter goes on to say, “You and your office must restore the rule of law, support ICE officers, and bring an end to the chaos in Minnesota….First, share all of Minnesota’s records on Medicaid and Food and Nutrition Service programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program data, with the federal government.”
“Allowing the federal government to efficiently investigate fraud will save Minnesota taxpayers’ money and ensure that Minnesota’s welfare funds are being used to help those in need, not enrich fraudsters.”
The fraud allegations are well documented. Minnesota faces investigations into Feeding Our Future ($250 million), housing stabilization fraud ($104 million), autism therapy fraud ($14 million), and 14 other Medicaid programs deemed high risk. The DOJ estimates total fraud could exceed $350 million, with some estimates reaching as high as $9 billion across all programs.
The voter registration investigation is separate and pre-existing. The DOJ has been suing Minnesota, along with 22 other states, since September 2025 to obtain unredacted voter rolls. This effort is nationwide and not specific to the Minnesota riots. The DOJ has stated it needs the data to verify compliance with the National Voter Registration Act and has specifically raised concerns about Minnesota’s vouching system for same-day registration.
Investigations that began in the Somali community have since expanded to elected officials. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer launched investigations in December 2025 into Walz’s administration, including allegations that Walz and his son accepted campaign contributions from individuals connected to Feeding Our Future shortly after meeting with them.
Bondi did not offer a quid pro quo. A review of her January 24, 2026 letter shows she demanded four actions: repeal sanctuary policies, cooperate with ICE, share Medicaid and SNAP records, and allow DOJ access to voter rolls. While she stated these steps would “restore the rule of law” and “bring an end to the chaos,” she did not explicitly promise to withdraw ICE agents in exchange. The media framing of these demands as conditions for ICE to leave appears to be ungrounded in Bondi’s explicit language.
In the face of so many serious issues, it is almost adolescent for Walz to deflect by invoking the mythical Epstein client list. The urban legend is that there is a list naming all of Epstein’s clients and detailing the crimes they committed.
However, despite years of public speculation and social media claims, no official investigation has confirmed the existence of such a definitive master list. On July 7, 2025, the Justice Department issued a memo stating that no client list exists and that it found no credible evidence Epstein used one for blackmail. When Walz says “work on the Epstein files,” he is pointing to a potentially non-existent issue to avoid addressing the riots and enforcement crisis unfolding on his own streets.
Governments are capable of addressing immigration, fraud, and historical investigations simultaneously. By demanding the Epstein files before addressing the Minnesota riots, Walz is using a hierarchy of issues that has no basis in law or governance. Using one issue as a prerequisite for the other is a tool to stall or delegitimize an opponent’s priorities.
Fortunately, it appears that after his recent discussion with President Trump, Walz is giving in and allowing police and the National Guard to quell the riots while ICE operations continue. At the same time, the DOJ continues its fraud investigations. Invoking the Epstein deflection did nothing to save Walz from the justice that is hopefully coming down the pipe.
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