Republican megadonor Elon Musk spent the weekend trying to change the narrative about his interactions with accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein after emails surfaced showing Musk arranging to attend a party at Epstein’s notorious private island. The emails, which were sent between 2012 and 2014, were released Friday by the Department of Justice, and they show Musk discussing attending a party hosted by Epstein, who was by then a convicted sex offender. In one email, Epstein referenced making arrangements for Musk to travel to the island with actor Talulah Riley, Musk’s partner at the time. Musk then asked Epstein which nights would have the “wildest party.” Documents that were included in the U.S. Department of Justice release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. In another, Musk laments an apparent scheduling conflict preventing him from visiting Epstein. Musk wrote that he was “very disappointed” and “really looking forward to finally spending some time together with just fun as the agenda.” He concluded the email, writing, “Hopefully we can schedule another time in the near future.” Many of the women allegedly abused by Epstein and his associates have said the island in question, Little St. James, was used as a hub for where they were trafficked and assaulted. After the emails were released, Musk went into damage-control mode. He argued on his social media account that the released emails were “performative” and “nothing but a distraction.” As reports emerged on the details of his exchanges, he complained, “Legacy media lies relentlessly.” Musk argued that “nobody” had pushed for the release of the Epstein files as much as he did, and he said legacy media and “far-left propagandists” would “make counter-accusations against me” and that he would be “smeared relentlessly.” Musk also used his X account, which has over 230 million followers, to amplify posts from supporters echoing his attacks on the press and pushing his narrative that he had done nothing wrong. The chummy back-and-forth between Musk and Epstein runs contrary to Musk’s previous claims that he had summarily rejected an invitation to the island. Related | Trump's incompetent DOJ makes a mess of latest Epstein files drop The documents are also notable because of Musk’s deep involvement in Republican politics. He was a major donor to President Donald Trump’s 2024 election campaign and has donated millions meant to help Republicans preserve their control over Congress this year. Additionally, Musk’s company SpaceX is a major contractor doing business with the federal government. Musk’s emails with a suspected sex trafficker are also being released while his company xAI is under probe from multiple foreign governments for providing a service, the chatbot Grok, that has been used to generate nonconsensual sexual images. Grok was also used to produce sexual photos of children. Despite those revelations, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is moving forward with plans to integrate Grok in sensitive defensive systems. The emails show that Trump is not the only figure in the right-wing establishment now dogged by a relationship with Epstein. Read more