Ex-Trump Devotee Says Trump's Epstein Remark 'Like a Dagger in My Heart' — It Broke Her Support

Trisha Hope, a former member of the Front Row Joes — a group of ardent Donald Trump supporters that began following him in 2018 — says a dismissive remark about the Jeffrey Epstein saga at a July 2025 Cabinet meeting was the moment her faith in the president collapsed.

Hope described the exchange in an interview on Politico's "Playbook" podcast with reporter Dasha Burns. During the meeting, then-Attorney General Pam Bondi was asked about Justice Department files related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein when Trump interrupted the discussion and told officials and reporters:

"Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This guy's been talked about for years."

"It was like a dagger in my heart," Hope told Burns. She said the comment felt like a revelation: "It was like a light switch went on and a veil lifted, and I saw him for who he was, and I have not been able to unsee it since." Hope previously compiled and published a book of Trump's posts on X from his first year in office.

From Defender to Critic

Hope's past activism included weeks spent meeting with lawmakers at the U.S. Capitol to defend Trump during his first impeachment. She says she has since reversed course and become a vocal critic.

She also criticized what she described as repeated false assurances from the administration about a conflict in Iran, saying Trump had told Americans "600 different times" that the conflict was over — a claim she says was contradicted by events on the ground. A recent poll cited by Hope found that roughly 70% of Americans believe the conflict has harmed the country.

Looking ahead, Hope told Burns she would back accountability measures if they arise: "My point of that was if we do lose the midterms and if he is impeached again, I will be walking the halls of Congress in support of that impeachment."

Reflecting on her journey, Hope said she invested heavily in the MAGA movement and trusted Trump to be "the last hope for America," but concluded: "I believed what he said. I believed he cared about America, and he didn't. He cared about himself."

Hope was photographed attending an election-night watch party for Trump at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in Florida on Nov. 5, 2024, illustrating her prior public support.

Source: Interview on Politico's "Playbook" podcast with Dasha Burns; reporting and photo details as publicly available.