Fact Check: Did Ben Shapiro say full release of Epstein files would destroy Trump's presidency?

WASHINGTON, DC: Recently, a claim circulating online attributed to conservative commentator Ben Shapiro has drawn attention.

The post suggests that Shapiro publicly said a full release of the Jeffrey Epstein files would ‘destroy’ President Donald Trump’s presidency. This fact check examines whether that statement is accurate and supported by evidence.

Claim: Ben Shapiro said full release of Epstein files would destroy Donald Trump's presidency

The​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ claim originates from online posts and discussions that Shapiro commented on the current controversy over the Epstein-related documents, saying that if they were fully disclosed to the public, it would harm Trump's political ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌career.

One Threads user wrote, "Ben Shapiro is warning us all that if the full Epstein Files are released, it could DESTROY Trump's entire presidency."

The claim also circulated on Facebook, Instagram, and X. 

Fact Check: No direct evidence Ben Shapiro made the claim

Snopes fact-check reported there is no convincing proof that Ben Shapiro made such a direct statement that the full release of the Epstein files would ‘destroy’ Trump's presidency.

In an episode of ‘The Ben Shapiro Show’ dated Nov 13, 2025, Shapiro referred to Republican US Reps Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Thomas Massie of Kentucky as individuals who were trying or would like to destroy Trump's presidency.

Shapiro said Greene was "actively going out and doing in every way that she can, campaigning against President Trump," and that Massie was "attacking" not just the Trump administration but also the FBI."

Shapiro didn't state that the release of the government files on Epstein would ruin Trump's presidency; instead, he said that Greene and Massie were the ones who intended to do so.

Therefore, we consider this statement to be ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌false.

The term Epstein files refers to a large collection of documents compiled during federal investigations into Epstein’s criminal activity, including court records, emails, contact lists, flight logs, and other material retained by the FBI and Department of Justice.

In both instances, Shapiro said specific people, Greene and Massie, were trying to destroy Trump's presidency, not that a release of documents would.

It​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ can be convincingly demonstrated that Ben Shapiro never on record said that a complete release of the Epstein files would 'destroy Trump's presidency.'

Shapiro has indeed been critical of the use of certain political tactics in the name of transparency around the files, but this particular scenario, ascribed to him, is not backed up by credible sources and has been evaluated as false.