Footage of past rallies against Trump falsely linked to Epstein files
- Published on February 20, 2026 at 06:30
- 3 min read
- By Akshita KUMARI, AFP India
Donald Trump's past ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have come under scrutiny since the recent batch of documents connected to the latter was released on January 30, 2026, but videos circulating online do not show huge protests held against the US president over the so-called Epstein files. The footage depict demonstrations in October 2025 and early January 2026 that largely called out the use of force in the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
"After Epstein files people gathered and protest against Donald Trump at trump tower," reads the caption of a Facebook post shared on February 7, 2026, with hashtags "Epstein Files" and "Donald Trump".
The video includes two different clips: the first one shows a massive crowd of people lining up the streets, while the second one reveals a group of people gathered in front of the Trump Tower chanting "shame, shame!"
The post also surfaced elsewhere on Facebook, Instagram, Threads and X after the US Justice Department released millions of documents from its investigation into Epstein, who died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking underage girls (archived link).
High-profile people have come under scrutiny for visits to Little Saint James, the private island in the US Virgin Islands where prosecutors alleged Epstein trafficked underage girls for sex (archived link).
Previous releases have shed light on the wealthy financier's ties to leading business executives, celebrities, academics and politicians, including US President Donald Trump and former leader Bill Clinton.
Trump however urged the country to move on, saying he has been cleared by the latest release of millions of documents (archived link).
The mere mention of someone's name in the Epstein files does not, in itself, imply any wrongdoing by that person.
But the documents made public show at the very least connections between Epstein or his circle and certain public figures who have often downplayed -- or even denied -- the existence of such ties.
Several comments to the circulating posts indicate people believed that the video to be true.
"Please pay attention to what's happening with Trump. Epstein's case is linked to his fate," one wrote.
"This was bound to happen, people of America are aware," said another.
The clips, however, predate the release of the latest cache of the Epstein files.
No Kings protest
A reverse image search on Google using the keyframes of the first clip led to footage uploaded on the official Facebook account of media outlet Block Club Chicago on October 19, 2025 (archived link).
The caption reads, "The scene from above the No Kings protest on Michigan Avenue."
The news website reported that on October 18, up to 250,000 Chicagoans flooded downtown in the second nationwide "No Kings" protest, condemning the Trump administration amid the country's largest immigration enforcement operation (archived link).
The video was also shared on Instagram on October 20, with the caption saying that millions of Americans took to the streets across all 50 states in the "No Kings" protests against Trump's administration (archived link).
The second part of the video can be found published on YouTube on January 16, 2026 (archived link).
The caption reads, "INSANE CROWD! Thousands STORM Trump Tower for 'No ICE No Kings No Wars' NYC March!"
The video was also shared on NewsXWorld Facebook page on January 18 (archived link).
The New York Times reported that the demonstration took place in Manhattan on January 11, drawing thousands who marched past Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue (archived link).
The protest was primarily sparked by the January 7 killing of US citizen Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis, fuelling outrage over mass deportations under Trump.
It was further driven by US military intervention in Venezuela, including the capture of Nicolas Maduro.
AFP has previously fact-checked other misinformation related to the Epstein files.
Copyright © AFP 2017-2026. Any commercial use of this content requires a subscription. Click here to find out more.
Is there content that you would like AFP to fact-check? Get in touch.
Contact us
