The Atlantic

Why Conspiracy Theorists Will Never Believe the ‘Official’ Epstein Story

Trust in gatekeepers—from media to government—has eroded to the point of making an “official account” almost obsolete.
Source: New York State Sex Offender Registry / AP

The reaction from the online fever swamps was predictable enough. Jeffrey Epstein, the well-connected financier accused of underage sex trafficking, was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell early this morning, just one day after unsealed court documents surfaced new allegations against him and his high-powered inner circle.

The reported cause of death was suicide—but the conspiracy-mongers were already springing into action.

Within hours, #EpsteinMurder was trending on Twitter, as was #TrumpBodyCount (where liberals speculated that the president

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