Iranians on Trump, the Epstein case, and US media coverage

Sep 04, 2026

Interviews from inside Iran show ordinary Iranians drawing a sharp line between the American government and the American people — a nuance largely missing from US coverage of the conflict.

  • Iranians interviewed say "death to America" chants target US foreign policy, not Americans themselves.
  • The Epstein case is widely discussed inside Iran and heavily covered by Iranian state media, while US outlets have mostly moved on.
  • Millions of Epstein documents remain unreleased, and Ghislaine Maxwell's prison transfer paperwork came back almost fully redacted under a records request.
  • US officials now handling the case — Todd Blanche, Kash Patel, Dan Bongino, Pam Bondi — previously downplayed the Epstein story.
  • The broader charge: American media pushes a blunter, less honest line on Iran than Iranian state media does on America, echoing the false Iraq–9/11 link sold to the public two decades ago.

Outlook: Expect continued stonewalling on Epstein records and little change in how US media frames the Iranian public.

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