Starmer and Trump – a Contrast in Epstein Accountability

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer never met Jeffrey Epstein. And, unlike Donald Trump, he wasn’t friends with the sexual predator, never sent him a lewd birthday card, never indicated that he was aware of his fondness for young women, and he doesn’t appear in the Epstein files in any relevant manner. His name certainly doesn’t come up thousands of times.

Between the two of them, Starmer is also the only one who apologized to the women who were trafficked and abused by Epstein and his friends and associates.

“The victims of Epstein have lived with trauma that most of us can barely comprehend. And they’ve had to relive it again and again. They have had to see accountability delayed — and too often denied,” the prime minister said at an event this week. “To them, I want to say this. I am sorry. Sorry for what was done to you. Sorry that so many people with power failed you.”

And yet, in a topsy-turvy world, Starmer is the one at risk of losing his job over a scandal in which his only involvement was appointing Peter Mandelson, who had ties to Epstein, as UK ambassador to the US.

Mandelson has since been fired… not because he is accused of being involved in any of Epstein’s sex crimes but rather because he is being investigated for leaking sensitive financial information to him.

In his public mea culpa, which Americans should really watch, Starmer apologized for having believed Mandelson’s lies.

“He had portrayed Epstein as someone he barely knew. And when that became clear and it was not true, I sacked him,” Starmer said. “Such deceit is incompatible with public service. Let me be clear: no one is above accountability. And no one — however well-connected, however experienced, however senior, should hold public office if they cannot meet the basic test of honesty.”

To Americans, that must sound terribly naïve.

Because, in the US, beginning with the president, it seems that there are lots of people above accountability, and even more who cannot meet a basic test of honesty.

Trump’s name litters the Epstein files. Furthermore, his conduct with regard to the disclosure of the documents and his relationship with his former pal is highly suspicious.

At every turn, the president’s behavior makes him appear like someone who has something to hide. And most Republicans, with a couple of noteworthy exceptions, are helping him – whether by defending him publicly or doing his bidding, as in the case of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. The president’s former personal lawyer famously met with Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for her role in his sex trafficking crimes. After saying that she didn’t witness Trump committing any crimes, she was moved to a cushy low-security facility that she should not be eligible for.

Then there is Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who apparently also lied about the extent of his contact with Epstein and had far more significant ties than he previously acknowledged.

And yet, nobody is talking about him getting fired or Trump resigning… certainly not Republicans.

Meanwhile, over in the UK, even members of Starmer’s own party are saying he should call it quits.

It is a contrast that could not be more stark… and that should make Americans think about why there is such a lack of accountability in the US.

One obvious answer is tribalism.

For years, Trump’s core supporters have been most vocal about demanding transparency in the case. They correctly viewed it as an example of the rich and powerful getting away with heinous crimes and covering up for each other.

However, once it became clear that their hero had no interest in such disclosures, and once he began acting suspiciously, their appetite for truly getting to the bottom of Epstein’s crimes and who else was involved diminished in the interest of partisanship.

Starmer, who isn’t implicated in any way himself, and who seems to care about the victims and transparency a lot more than Trump, may wish that were also the case in the UK. Seeing how it is not, however, it remains to be seen if he will still lead his country next month.