It may be the worst kind of mistaken identity — being confused for Jeffrey Epstein.

A Florida man is speaking out after a viral video of him driving a convertible sparked widespread speculation that he resembled disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The unidentified man, who calls himself “Palm Beach Pete” on social media, said he was blindsided after video of him cruising along a South Florida highway began circulating widely, fueling conspiracy theories that Epstein could still be alive.

In the clip, which has more than 10 million views, TikTok user Andrew Posey can be heard shouting, “Epstein is alive!”

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The video quickly gained traction online, with users commenting on what many described as an “uncanny” resemblance.

The viral moment taps into years of lingering public skepticism and conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein’s 2019 death.

The man later addressed the speculation directly in a video posted to Instagram with a new account called “@not.epstein,” saying: “Good morning everybody, this is Palm Beach Pete from Palm Beach, Florida.”

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He continued, “I want to thank everybody for the positive comments I got from saying I’m not Jeffrey Epstein,” adding, “I’m so not Jeffrey Epstein, I’m me being me.”

Pete also emphasized, “[Epstein is] a very bad person, what he did obviously, and he is dead. And I’m alive.”

Pete said his sudden internet fame began after he was unknowingly filmed while driving.

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“Some dude randomly filmed me while I was driving on I-95, unbeknownst to me,” he said in a separate clip that later received 1M likes, adding that his phone started “blowing up” soon after. “And the next thing I know, I’m a viral sensation.”

Social media users flooded comment sections, with many stunned by the resemblance and others joking that Epstein had somehow staged a return.

One top commenter joked, “This is his innocent twin Effrey Jepstein.”

Some commenters suggested he should change his appearance, while others referenced longstanding conspiracy theories about Epstein’s death.

Images and video of Pete show a silver-haired man with facial features that closely resemble Epstein.

Epstein, a convicted sex offender with ties to powerful figures like former President Bill Clinton, died in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019. His death was officially ruled a suicide, though it has remained the subject of widespread public speculation and conspiracy theories.

Interest in Epstein has persisted in part due to ongoing document releases by the Department of Justice (DOJ) under The Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was passed in November of last year.

Despite the viral attention, Pete maintained the situation is simply a case of mistaken identity.

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“I’m just Palm Beach Pete… going to play some tennis today, going into town, have lunch,” he said.

“Palm Beach Pete” did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

A U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS) female competitor, Angie Griffin, told Fox News Digital that a grievance has been filed against her for calling a trans athlete “a man” on a league community forum. 

USMS has confirmed that a grievance has been filed by a competitor. 

“U.S. Masters Swimming does not comment on individual member matters, including complaints or disciplinary processes,” the organization said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “We can confirm that a grievance has been filed by an individual member, not by U.S. Masters Swimming, related to the USMS Code of Conduct. As with all such matters, it is being handled in accordance with our established review processes.”

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Griffin has been outspoken about competing in USMS against a biological male trans athlete dating back to May 2025, when she told Fox News Digital she faced a trans competitor at a meet in San Antonio, but didn’t even find out the athlete’s birth sex until after the event. 

Now, she claims the grievance could cost her all of her USMS records. 

“They can possibly remove all my times, any sort of recognition I’ve had and possibly just delete me from U.S. Masters, for speaking an opinion, and honestly, speaking fact,” Griffin told Fox News Digital this week.

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Griffin said she has now hired representation as she attempts to fight the grievance. 

“I tried to file a motion to dismiss it, giving evidence that I had not been bullying anyone online, that I had just merely posted facts that were available for anyone to find,” she added. 

After USMS updated its gender eligibility policy last June to restrict biological males from competing in women’s events, the organization updated its policy again this February to comply with state and local nondiscrimination laws, mostly addressing the men/open category, which is open to all competitors regardless of birth sex.

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“All members who select the men’s/open category are eligible for National Recognition Programs in the men’s/open category, regardless of sex, gender, or gender identity/expression,” the new policy states. 

“All members who select the men’s/open category are eligible for Local Recognition Programs in the men’s/open category, regardless of sex, gender, or gender identity/expression.”

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FIRST ON FOX — The Media Research Center (MRC) urged the Federal Trade Commission to open a formal investigation into “potential unfair and deceptive trade practices and anticompetitive behavior” by Apple News. 

Apple News, a news aggregator that comes pre-installed on Apple devices, has been widely accused of favoring liberal publications and ignoring conservative outlets. 

The MRC, a conservative watchdog group, recently examined the content featured on Apple News throughout January. Of 620 stories shared between Jan. 1 and Jan. 31, 440 originated from outlets rated as left-leaning, while 180 originated from centrist outlets. Zero originated from right-leaning outlets, according to the study.

The study caught the attention of FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson, who responded by sending a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook warning that Apple News could be in violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act, which prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices.

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Now, MRC President David Bozell has sent a letter to Ferguson asking for a probe of the news aggregator. 

“This request is based on evidence suggesting that Apple has made materially misleading representations to both consumers and news publishers regarding key features and policies governing its news app, Apple News,” Bozell wrote in the letter obtained by Fox News Digital. 

Bozell said representations concern “whether users are able to block specific media outlets from appearing in their Apple News feeds,” “whether outside publishers may apply for inclusion in the Apple News application,” “whether Apple creates confusion for consumers about the diversity of viewpoints reflected in the app” and “whether Apple violated federal competition law, including potential tying or exclusionary practices, in preferencing Apple News on Apple devices.”

Bozell then explained that evidence had “come to light” since Ferguson sent a letter to Cook. 

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“First, in response to MRC’s investigative reporting concerning content selection practices on Apple News, Apple issued a statement asserting that users ‘can tailor the app to their interests by choosing to follow or block specific publications or topics.’ MRC’s subsequent investigation revealed that this claim is inaccurate,” Bozell wrote. 

“Evidence established by MRC shows that Apple is not only aware that users cannot block outlets, but that this restriction is actually a design feature,” he continued. “Second, Apple continues to encourage news organizations to apply for inclusion in Apple News.”

Bozell said the MRC’s NewsBusters was shut out from consideration while it “continues to inaccurately claim that publishers may apply to Apple News.”

“This discrepancy raises questions as to whether Apple’s public-facing materials are designed to mislead right-leaning publishers regarding the scope, openness, and ideological diversity of Apple News. After all, Apple News chose not to publish a single right-leaning outlet for 99 days in a row, while publishing 1,369 left-leaning outlets during that same time period,” Bozell wrote.

Bozell also wrote, “MRC’s ongoing monitoring of Apple News content selection has identified patterns that strongly suggest that Apple is intentionally creating confusion for consumers about the diversity of viewpoints available on the app.”

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Bozell said the MRC is “concerned that Apple has engaged in anticompetitive trade restraints to harm its competitors.” 

“Because over 58% of smartphones used in America are manufactured by Apple and come preinstalled with its news app, Apple News often appears for users unprompted, and is always preferenced over competitor news apps. When consumers manually attempt to change their settings so Apple News is not preferenced, Apple devices often silently overrule this selection. In combination, these actions may constitute an illegal tying arrangement under federal competition law,” he wrote. 

“Apple’s representations to users and publishers have a profound influence on consumer expectations,” he continued. “Consequently, Apple’s statements and conduct warrant additional review under applicable consumer protection standards.”

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Bozell asked the Commission to investigate whether Apple has “made materially misleading representations regarding users’ ability to control or block content within the app,” “maintained or disseminated public statements that inaccurately describe opportunities for publisher participation on the app” or “engaged in conduct relating to the integration or preferential placement of Apple News on Apple devices that may raise concerns under federal competition law, including potential tying or exclusionary practices.”

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Fox News Digital’s Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.

In his statement, Abbas Araghchi referred to the Five O’Clock Follies, which was the name given to the US military’s daily press briefings in Saigon in the 1960s. In these briefings, victory in the war was claimed, whereas the actual situation was the opposite. More than 50 thousand American soldiers were killed in the Vietnam War and overall about 3 million people lost their lives.

Also read: West Asia Crisis: Mojtaba Khamenei claims victory over America-Israel; Pejeshkian spoke on nuclear weapons

What did the Iranian Foreign Minister say on Vietnam War?
The Iranian Foreign Minister said that even at that time, American General William Westmoreland had returned to the country and assured that the war was progressing and victory was near. But this perception was completely shattered after the Tet Offensive in January 1968, when North Vietnam and the Vietcong simultaneously attacked more than 100 cities.

Comparing the current situation, Araghchi said that even today a difference is visible between the American government and the ground reality. He claimed that while America is talking about the destruction of Iran’s air defense system, an F-35 fighter plane had to make an emergency landing after the Iranian attack.

What did America say on F 35 fighter plane?
On this incident, US Central Command spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins said that an F-35 aircraft has made a safe landing at a regional airbase after a mission over Iran and the matter is being investigated.

Araghchi also said that contrary to claims about the deployment of US warships, aircraft carriers such as USS Gerald R Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln have withdrawn from their forward positions. However, according to the information, after the fire in USS Gerald R Ford, it is being taken to the island of Crete in Greece for repairs. It is being said that this incident was not related to the war.

Also read: West Asia Crisis: ‘Cowards we will remember this’, Trump again angry at NATO countries for not joining Iran war

What claim does Iran make on American losses?
Iran claims that so far 13 American soldiers have died and about 200 have been injured in the current conflict. Whereas in Iran, more than 1400 people have lost their lives and 18000 people have been injured. According to the report, the US has also lost 12 MQ9 Reaper drones in this conflict and four other manned aircraft have also crashed in the month of March.

Vietnam War and Tet Offensive
This war fought between North Vietnam (leftist) and South Vietnam (supported by America) was related to the politics of the Cold War. In this, America intervened to stop the spread of leftism, while the Soviet Union and China supported North Vietnam. This war lasted from 1955 to 1975 and North Vietnam ultimately won.

Millions of people lost their lives in this war and America suffered huge losses militarily, economically and politically. At the same time, the Tet Offensive is considered to be the turning point of the Vietnam War, which decided the direction of America’s withdrawal. In 1968, a major military operation took place, which was called Tet Offensive.

In this, North Vietnam and the Vietcong suddenly launched widespread attacks on South Vietnam and American bases during the Tet festival. Although the US and South Vietnam foiled these attacks militarily, the psychological impact of the incident was profound. This shook the American public’s confidence in the war and made it clear that winning the Vietnam War was not easy.

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How do I choose the right rug size?

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What pile height is best for my space?

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