Trump fumes as GOP’s Epstein headache grows |
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The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Evening Report newsletter Subscribe *{box-sizing:border-box}body{margin:0;padding:0}a[x-apple-data-detectors]{color:inherit!important;text-decoration:inherit!important}#MessageViewBody a{color:inherit;text-decoration:none}p{line-height:inherit}.desktop_hide,.desktop_hide table{mso-hide:all;display:none;max-height:0;overflow:hidden}.image_block img div{display:none}sub,sup{font-size:75%;line-height:0} @media (max-width:620px){.image_block div.fullWidth{max-width:100%!important}.mobile_hide,.row .side{display:none}.row-content{width:100%!important}.stack .column{width:100%;display:block}.mobile_hide{min-height:0;max-height:0;max-width:0;overflow:hidden;font-size:0}.desktop_hide,.desktop_hide table{display:table!important;max-height:none!important}} 📺 Plus: C-Span coming to YouTube TV, Hulu{beacon}PRESIDENT TRUMP vented Wednesday at efforts by a small but vocal group of Republicans seeking full transparency in the case of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as victims of the disgraced financier appeared on Capitol Hill to urge lawmakers to continue investigating.
The controversy has pit Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) against a handful of GOP House members who are pushing for the full, unredacted release of all government documents pertaining to the Epstein investigation.
Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) are leading the push for a discharge petition, which would need six Republicans to join all Democrats for passage.
So far, four Republicans are officially on board: Massie and Reps. Lauren Boebert (Colo.), Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) and Nancy Mace (S.C.). Mace left a private meeting with the victims in tears Tuesday.
Trump insists the government has released everything that can be publicly disclosed and that there’s no larger conspiracy involving associates or friends of Epstein.
“This is a Democratic hoax that never ends …thousands of pages of documents have been given,” Trump said Wednesday in the Oval Office, likening it conspiracy theories around former President John F. Kennedy’s assassination.
“I understand we were subpoenaed to get files, and we’ve given thousands of pages of files ...it’s going to keep going and really I think it’s enough,” he added.
House Republicans on Wednesday approved a measure to show support for the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s investigation into Epstein. The vote was scheduled this week to offer an alternative to Massie and Khanna's discharge petition.
On Tuesday, the panel released thousands of files totaling more than 33,000 pages of material it received from the Department of Justice in response to the Oversight subpoenas.
Johnson believes that should suffice.
In a private meeting at the Capitol, Johnson urged GOP lawmakers to not sign on to Massie’s discharge petition and to instead focus on the Oversight investigation.
“We have a very positive alternative,” Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) said as he left the meeting.
Democrats dismissed the new release of documents, with Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) saying that 97 percent of the documents were already made public.
SURVIVORS PUSH FOR TRANSPARENCY
A group of women victimized by Epstein gave emotional testimony at a press conference Wednesday on Capitol Hill that was arranged by Massie and Khanna to promote their discharge petition.
“As much as this bill is about shining a light on truth, it’s not just about the bill,” said Sky Roberts, whose sister, Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre, died by suicide earlier this year. “This is about justice. This is about survivors. This is about justice against the rich and powerful who have stolen something from these women and many children, at the time: their freedom.”
“If you vote no, your stance will be clear,” Roberts added. “You will be choosing to stand on the side of the rich and powerful, allowing money to buy your way out of the consequence.”
Some Democrats have alleged that Trump wants to end the inquiry because he might be implicated.
Massie said Tuesday he doesn't believe the president has "done anything criminal" but suggested Trump "may be covering for some rich and powerful people” by trying to end the investigation.
During a panel on NBC, anchor Hallie Jackson asked a group of Epstein survivors if they’d ever heard of Trump doing anything inappropriate with Epstein.
“No,” they replied.
Brad Edwards, a lawyer for the victims, expounded on what he hopes to discover in the push for transparency. He said they’ve “created somewhat of a list” implicating people beyond Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
“Most of these victims are very scared to say any of these names because they could get sued, they’re going to get attacked, and nobody protected them the first time,” Edwards said.
“So, is there a list?,” he added. “There is a list, but just to dispel the common theme here — every one of these women was abused by Jeffery Epstein and his scheme was to personally abuse women. When they reached a certain age, he did farm a section of them out to some of his friends. That doesn’t mean all of his friends.”
SHUTDOWN LATEST
House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) is pushing for a stopgap funding bill to extend the deadline to fund the government into November, seeking to give lawmakers more time for funding talks.
Trump on Wednesday seemed to endorse that idea.
“I think the Republicans will vote for an extension,” the president said, before railing against Democrats.
“We won’t have any Democrat votes,” Trump continued. “We could give the greatest budget ever — tax cut of 50 percent, every body taken care of, perfect for women, perfect for men, perfect for minorities, perfect for everything and we wouldn’t get one vote for the Democrats. Because they’ve lost their minds, they are so deranged. They have Trump derangement syndrome.”
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