EFTA00041963.pdf - DataSet 9
into what happened have been launched by the Department of Justice's Bureau of Prisons, the FBI, the department's inspector general, Flag as irrelevantTrevor…Noah to Hillary Clinton: 'How Did You Kill Jeffrey Epstein?'…Noah to Hillary Clinton: 'How Did You Kill Jeffrey Epstein?
During a November 2019 interview on
The Daily Show, Trevor Noah jokingly asked Hillary Clinton, "How did you kill Jeffrey Epstein?" in a satirical jab at the persistent, baseless conspiracy theories linking her to his death.
The Context of the Question
A Joke, Not an Accusation: Noah's question was intended as a joke to highlight the absurdity of the "boogeyman" status the far-right had assigned to Clinton, where she was baselessly blamed for various nefarious events, including Epstein's death.
Clinton's Reaction: Hillary Clinton, who was on the show to promote a book she co-authored with her daughter Chelsea, laughed at the question. She responded by describing how the ridiculous nature of such conspiracy theories was a "constant surprise" to her.
Larger Discussion: The humorous question served as a segue into a more serious conversation about the nature of online conspiracy theories and political divisiveness in the United States.
Background
Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender and financier, died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019, a conclusion reached by the New York City chief medical examiner. This event sparked a wave of conspiracy theories online, with some figures, including then-President Donald Trump, sharing unsubstantiated claims accusing the Clintons of involvement. Noah had previously mocked the promotion of these theories on his show