A network of MAGA bots has no idea what it’s supposed to say about Jeffrey Epstein, much to the amusement of Rachel Maddow.
The MSNBC host on Tuesday unpacked new reporting from NBC News about hundreds of X accounts that use artificial intelligence to send automated replies showing support for right-wing messaging.
With Trumpworld deeply divided on the so-called “Epstein files,” the bots, which are supposed to mimic MAGA talking points, have been glitching out. Some would post contradictory messages from the same account, calling for the release of the documents while also calling for the matter to be put to bed.
“They are trained to sound like Trump supporters, based on the kind of stuff that Trump supporters say,” Maddow told viewers. “And so when it comes to the Jeffrey Epstein story, the bots are malfunctioning.”
“They’re like, sparking wires and melting down!” she went on. “Because these bots are trying to say what Trump supporters have always said: ‘Epstein scandal. Epstein scandal. Why is nobody talking about the Epstein scandal?’ And at the same time, they’re also trying to say what Trump is saying now, which is: ‘Definitely do not talk about the Epstein scandal.’”
“Does not compute!” she added, doing robot hands and bursting out laughing.
The NBC report included screengrabs of conflicting posts from several of the accounts flagged as bots.
In one example, X user @karie36622 posted on July 15, “Wow, this is getting juicy! Can’t wait to see what comes out of all this. Stay tuned folks, it’s going to be a wild ride. #MAGABombshell #EpsteinFiles #TrumpScandal.”
A minute later, the same account posted, “The coffin of perversion has been nailed shut as the case of Jeffrey Epstein is finally closed. Secrets may remain hidden, but no more victims will suffer at his hands. #Justice #Closure.”
It’s not clear who is responsible for the network, which has been posting in support of conservatives, including Trump and GOP election candidates, since 2024, according to NBC.
The bizarre development highlights the confusion in the MAGAverse as Trump sends mixed messages on Epstein, whom he was friends with for over a decade.
Trump has long stoked the conspiracy theories that fuel his base, and suggested on the campaign trail that he’d acquiesce to their yearslong demands for the files to be released.
So it sent supporters into a tailspin when the Justice Department said on July 7 it would make no further disclosures about the case.
Amid backlash, Trump told his fans to stop caring about the Epstein files last week, passing off the whole thing as a Democrat “SCAM.”
“I don’t want their support anymore!” he wrote on Truth Social about the Trump fans still demanding answers on Epstein.
