Home Democratic leaders on Wednesday stepped up their hardball criticism of President Trump and the GOP over the Jeffrey Epstein controversy, accusing their rivals of protecting pedophiles by not releasing federal recordsdata surrounding the case.
The Democrats say the choice of GOP leaders to go away Washington a day early for the lengthy summer season recess — a transfer precipitated by Democratic efforts to pressure votes compelling the Trump administration to launch these recordsdata — is indication that Republicans don’t need the small print of the Epstein case revealed as a result of they may implicate rich GOP donors, and even President Trump himself.
“What a becoming finish to those six months of Republican management in Washington,” Rep. Katherine Clark (Mass.), the Democratic whip, stated throughout a press briefing within the Capitol. “As a substitute of doing their jobs — as an alternative of standing up for teenagers, for households, as an alternative of standing on the facet of transparency and accountability — Republicans are operating away, all to keep away from the discharge of the Epstein consumer listing, all to cover-up for pedophiles.”
The fiery rhetoric comes because the Home has been successfully shutdown by Democrats searching for votes on Epstein-related measures, which have divided Republicans. Some Republicans have backed releasing all recordsdata held by the Division of Justice, whereas others have argued for some discretion.
Democrats, who’ve been on their heels for a lot of Trump’s six months in workplace, have rallied across the subject.
Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) stated the administration’s refusal to launch the recordsdata — mixed with the efforts by Home Republicans to keep away from votes on the problem — are a part of a broader GOP effort to prioritize insurance policies that profit the wealthy and highly effective.
“Within the context of this Jeffrey Epstein scandal, and their refusal to share info to the American individuals regardless of promising to take action, one should ponder the query: What are they hiding from the American individuals? And what billionaires, what well-connected donors, what elite persons are they attempting to guard? Why have not Republicans launched the Epstein recordsdata to the American individuals?” Jeffries stated.
“It is cheap to conclude that Republicans are persevering with to guard the life of the wealthy and shameless — even when that features pedophiles,” he continued. “That is a conclusion that, if this continues, one will essentially be compelled to achieve.”
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) introduced Tuesday that the Home will scrap the week’s legislative plans in response to the Democrats’ technique of forcing votes within the Guidelines Committee to launch the Epstein recordsdata. The tactic divided Republicans on the Guidelines panel, paralyzing the committee. With out laws to vote on, Johnson stated the chamber will recess on Wednesday, quite than Thursday, for the beforehand scheduled summer season break.
On Wednesday, Johnson defended these strikes and rejected the Democrats’ accusations out of hand. He stated he helps each effort to punish those that dedicated crimes alongside Epstein — “We wish the complete weight of the legislation to fall upon their head,” he stated — however as a result of the Trump administration says it’s already shifting to launch the recordsdata, there’s no want for Congress to pressure its hand. He’s accusing Democrats of enjoying “political video games” for the only goal of damaging Trump.
“There isn’t a level in having a vote at this time as a result of the administration is already doing the whole lot inside their energy to launch them,” Johnson advised reporters within the Capitol. “They’ve gone to the grand jury, they’ve requested the courts to unseal the paperwork in order that they are often launched. The president himself has stated all credible proof needs to be put out to the American individuals whereas defending the harmless.
“That’s the place we stand as effectively.”
The saga surrounding Epstein, the late financier and convicted pedophile, has posed an enormous problem to Trump six months into his second time period.
On the marketing campaign path, the president had vowed to launch the Justice Division’s information on the case; Vice President Vance had stated it was “vital” to take that step; and numerous Trump supporters who had promoted the conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein — particularly, that the federal government was concealing the recordsdata to defend highly effective “elites” from legal expenses — have since assumed positions of excessive energy within the Trump administration, together with Lawyer Common Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel.
These placements led to expectations among the many MAGA trustworthy that releasing the Epstein information could be a high precedence of Trump’s second time period. As a substitute, the DOJ final week launched an unsigned memo refuting all the most damning theories surrounding the case. Epstein had no “consumer listing,” the DOJ stated, neither is there proof that he tried to blackmail highly effective figures who may need dedicated crimes with minors.
The company additionally concluded that Epstein’s 2019 demise in a Manhattan jail was by suicide, not foul play, as some far-right voices have speculated.
The DOJ memo infuriated lots of Trump’s most ardent supporters, on and off of Capitol Hill. And the outcry has posed probably the most critical risk to the unity of the MAGA motion since Trump’s entrance into the world of politics.
Democrats have been desirous to exacerbate these divisions by highlighting Trump’s previous ties to Epstein and pushing resolutions designed to pressure the discharge of the DOJ recordsdata.
However voices on the appropriate have additionally been annoyed by DOJ’s actions, and a minority have expressed criticism of Trump himself.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Inexperienced (R-Ga.), a staunch Trump ally, can be pushing to have the Epstein recordsdata publicized. And Rep. Tom Massie (R-Ky.), who steadily clashes with Trump, has taken a number one function within the effort to compel the administration to launch the paperwork.
Massie, a wildcard in his get together who has additionally feuded with Johnson, accused the Speaker of protecting pedophiles.
“@SpeakerJohnson, why are you operating cowl for an underage intercourse trafficking ring and pretending it is a partisan subject?” Massie posted on X. “MAGA voted for this.”
Mychael Schnell contributed reporting.