A batch of newly released Epstein-related documents and photographs has sent social media into overdrive and one word in a private email between two brothers is at the center of it all.
The Department of Justice released thousands of previously sealed files and images tied to Jeffrey Epstein under a congressional mandate.
Among them were photographs showing Epstein alongside Donald Trump, Ghislaine Maxwell and an unidentified woman in a swimming pool. The images went viral immediately, reigniting fierce debate about who knew what and when.
But it was an email that caused the most explosive reaction.
A 2018 email exchange between Jeffrey Epstein and his brother Mark, which had appeared in earlier document releases but resurfaced amid the renewed attention, showed Mark asking his brother to find out from former Trump adviser Steve Bannon whether Vladimir Putin held compromising material on Trump.
Specifically, Mark referenced “photos of Trump blowing Bubba.”
Jeffrey’s response was brief and sarcastic: “and I thought — I had tsuris” — using the Yiddish word for troubles.
Online users immediately seized on the word “Bubba,” which is a widely used nickname for former President Bill Clinton, who like Trump had documented social ties to Epstein. The speculation spread rapidly, with memes and theories flooding social media suggesting the email was making an allegation about Clinton.
As the rumors intensified, Mark issued a public statement through Business Insider reporter Jacob Shamsian denying any connection to Clinton.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the reference to ‘Bubba’ in this correspondence is not, in any way, a reference to former President Bill Clinton,” he said.
He described the exchange as “humorous, private” conversation between two brothers that “were never meant for public release or to be interpreted as serious remarks.”
The renewed attention on the files comes after months of criticism over how the Trump administration handled their release. Speaking on Joe Rogan’s podcast, Vice President JD Vance acknowledged things had not gone smoothly.
“We absolutely screwed up the comms of the Epstein files. Like, we just did,” Vance said, while insisting there was no attempt to hide anything.
He also defended former Attorney General Pam Bondi, saying she had overstated what the files contained while trying to respond to political pressure.
