Epstein Files: Gaslighting Exercise
A textbook example of gaslighting being used to cover up abuse and accountability
Since we’re having to go into Christmas 2025 bombarded by intensifying gaslighting about the Epstein files, I figured we might as well turn it into a learning exercise. It’s such a glaring example of how gaslighting works, we can use it to remain clearsighted despite the barrage of manipulation.
Let’s unpack the abuse.
Epstein, along with other wealthy and powerful men, socialized together with many young women - some underaged - who were exploited on a variety of levels including sexually. A female acted as a pander for Epstein and other men. She also participated in the exploitation including sexual.
The systems that are supposed to protect victims from exploitation failed.
The exploited girls and women tried for years to report the abuses, but were ignored. This systemic failure to hear reports, do proper investigations, halt the abuse is a form of gaslighting. It conveys to victims that they cannot be trusted. Their memories and perception are faulty, not worthy of being heard, let alone acted on. Even now they defend themselves saying we’re “not liars.”
These survivors suffered intensively which is a well-documented response to the kind of abuse they endured. The systemic gaslighting would have made it exponentially worse. When people who report abuse are called “liars,” everyone should be on high-alert that we’re being led into gaslighting’s hall of mirrors.
Let’s unpack the gaslighting
Epstein, along with other wealthy and powerful men, tried to cover up their socializing together - with young women - and especially any exploitation they may have participated in. Some presented themselves as appalled at the very notion that Epstein or anyone else would have abused girls and women. They acted outraged, and some vowed to hunt down such perpetrators in all cases, not just this one (which should confuse you because they appear to be linked to perpetrators, if not perpetrators themselves).
The complicity in abuse was bad enough before, but now it has added in more gaslighting. The first gaslighting was ignoring reports of abuse which makes survivors feel that maybe they are not worthy of being protected or somehow are imagining abuse, or exaggerating, or are hysterical, or too sensitive, or deserved it. Then add in those implicated or the perpetrators themselves posing as protectors adds to the confusion and manipulation. They point at others and say ‘they are sexual assaulters. They’re rapists.’ Everyone’s gaze turns away from them as they gaslight the populace into focusing on anyone, but themselves.
When that didn’t work, the gaslighters tried to say that their involvement was untrue. The evidence - letters, pictures, flight logs, etc. - was false. The pile of documentation was ‘a hoax.’ Remember, gaslighting is the “act or practice of grossly misleading someone (or the populace) especially for one’s own personal agenda.” The implicated powerful and wealthy men did not want to be exposed and so they used the tried and true reversal: the person who says I lied is a liar. The evidence that exposes me is a hoax.
The wealthy and powerful men are so wealthy and powerful that they control how the Department of Justice itself addresses the evidence exposing Epstein and themselves. The DOJ itself and various other powerful figures gaslight by controlling the information, to control the narrative, while telling the populace that their motivation is to - wait for it - protect survivors. The redacting is to keep the survivors safe even though the survivors have been clamouring for the information to reach the populace.
Full circle
We have come full circle whereby the original failure - to protect girls and women - is now being reversed into a dedicated mission to protect girls and women (but really it’s still to protect perpetrators). In textbook gaslighting fashion, the people offering the protection are the ones that were either socializers who failed to report, perpetrators, moral grandstanders, and attackers of those demanding the truth or all of the above.
The one thing gaslighters have failed to do each step of the way is protect or even care about the survivors. They continue to exploit them with cruelty while telling the populace they are protecting them.