The internet erupted in disbelieving rage after a leaked Epstein email revealed a bizarre request: 'Ask him if Putin has the photos of Trump blowing Bubba.'
It is a line that has since fuelled conspiracy, mockery, and political outrage, and raised urgent questions about power, corruption, and kompromat.
A Viral Email, A Storm on Social Media
In March 2018, Mark Epstein, brother of the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, sent a private email thread that has now made global headlines. In the message, Mark writes: 'Ask him if Putin has the photos of Trump blowing Bubba.'
According to the documents, Jeffrey Epstein replied: 'and i thought-I had tsuris,' using the Yiddish term for 'trouble.'
Jeffrey Epstein asked his brother, Mark Epstein, whether Putin has photos of Trump blowing “Bubba,” which is Bill Clinton’s nickname. pic.twitter.com/Ts4Uvq3RaU
— Wally Rashid (@wallyrashid) November 13, 2025
These communications were part of a tranche of over 23,000 documents released by the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in November 2025.
The post ignited social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, and beyond, as users scrambled to interpret the meaning of "'Bubba' in the explosive query. Many immediately speculated it referred to Bill Clinton, long known by that nickname.
The Power Play — and the Alleged Kompromat
Beyond the bizarre sexual imagery, many commentators see a darker subtext: the idea of kompromat, a familiar theme in Russia-West relations. Mark Epstein's query isn't just about lurid photos; he is asking whether Vladimir Putin possesses damaging material.
For critics, this underscores longstanding fears that Epstein, who wielded influence over the rich and powerful, may have acted as a broker of kompromat. Some allege that he collected or traded in blackmail material obtained through illicit sexual relationships, financial ties, or political dealings.
This is getting juicier by the day. pic.twitter.com/7QECmrw2Z7
— Dineo (@VirgoresDineo) November 15, 2025
The email, if taken literally, implies Epstein believed Putin might be holding an explosive asset on Trump, who has long denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.
But this email raises a new, more uncomfortable question: were there secrets powerful enough to be weaponised? And did Epstein think those secrets involved Trump in deeply compromising situations?
The Internet Reacts — With Laughter and Alarm
On X, thousands reacted with disbelief and humour, questioning the reality behind the claim. On Reddit's r/JeffreyEpstein, one user posted the exact text, declaring: 'Tsuris is Yiddish for problems.'
Elsewhere, threads speculated wildly: was this a crude joke, an inside reference, or the tip of a darker iceberg?
Some users tied the claim to broader conspiracy theories about Epstein's role as a kompromat broker, suggesting that blackmail material on Trump might explain his strange affinity with certain political actors.
This controversy cuts to the core of how political power, sex, and secrecy intersect. If real, the implication that Trump might have been caught in a compromising act, and that Putin might have documentary evidence, strikes at the heart of geopolitical blackmail fears.
Even absent concrete proof, the email fuels deep public distrust: of Epstein, of Trump, of global power brokers. It amplifies long-standing questions about how Epstein cultivated his influence and whether he left behind a web of secrets powerful enough to shake the foundations of political systems.
