The Wolff-Epstein Tapes: Interview With Michael Wolff by Jonathan Alter (Washington Monthly)

Michael Wolff is sitting on a trove of 100 hours of interviews with Jeffrey Epstein and says he sent the disgraced financier a message only hours before his death.

by Jonathan Alter
July 20, 2025

Note: This interview originally ran on the Substack Old Goats with Jonathan Alter with no paywall.

(Introduction snipped)

JONATHAN ALTER: Hi, Michael. So, before we talk about you and Epstein, I just wanted to ask where you think we are right now in the story and why. Do you think this will just blow over like everything else with Trump?

MICHAEL WOLFF: As you say, everything else does blow over. So, why wouldn’t this? The reasons this might not blow over, or might at least continue to hover around, are that, in a way, I think what’s going on here is the beginning of the lame duck phase [of the Trump presidency]. Many of the MAGA people out there are likely positioning themselves for when the action really begins over who will take over, who will be the MAGA voice. All of these aspirational people in the MAGA universe Z—from [Steve] Bannon to Tucker Carlson—have to not only distance themselves from Trump at some point, but also reposition themselves against [J.D.] Vance, who goes into this as the favorite. The more they can create a situation that ties Vance to Trump and to hiding Epstein, the more it benefits them. I think that’s one of the dynamics at play. Another dynamic is that there is a lot there, and Trump is highly vulnerable on this. He had a close relationship with Epstein for more than a decade, and I’m not sure how he can quite escape that, although, admittedly, he has until now.

JONATHAN ALTER: If what’s in there is really damaging, why do you think the Biden administration didn’t release it?

MICHAEL WOLFF: I don’t know. I can’t speak to that. While there may be damaging material about Trump, there’s probably a lot that’s damaging to other people as well.

(Read more: https://washingtonmonthly.com/2025/07/20/the-wolff-epstein-tapes/)