The ongoing saga of the Epstein files seems to be coming to a head, with a vote this week in the House of Representatives likely to approve that the material on the deceased sex offender be released. Now, after months of President Donald Trump opposing the release of material relating to Jeffrey Epstein, his former friend, the president suddenly changed his tune and called on House Republicans to support the release. But the president’s support may not be what it seems.
Trump now says ‘House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files’
On Sunday, Trump posted a long message to social media calling on Republicans in the House of Representatives to support an upcoming vote to release files relating to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“As I said on Friday night aboard Air Force One to the Fake News Media, House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by the Radical Left Lunatics,” Trump wrote. He attempted to paint the debate over the files as a distraction from GOP successes, mentioning policies such as tax cuts and border patrol, in addition to making dubious claims that Republicans are “winning BIG” on issues of “Affordability.” Trump also repeated comments he made elsewhere that his Justice Department has been ordered to investigate Epstein’s ties to Democrats such as former President Bill Clinton and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers.
Failed attempts to block the release of files
Even with these repeated talking points from Trump, the call by the president for Republican members of Congress to vote to release the files is a 180-degree change from the efforts Trump and other Republicans have taken to block or delay such a release. His new stance comes only after failures to block the House vote. Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson of Louisiana spent weeks delaying the swearing-in of recently elected Democratic Rep. Adelita Grijalva of Arizona, with many believing the delay was due to the fact that she gave Democrats the final vote needed to force a vote on publishing the Epstein material. With Grijalva taking her seat and signing the discharge petition on the Epstein files, Trump and other White House officials appeared to apply pressure on Republicans who supported the effort, Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Nancy Mace of South Carolina. Trump has also publicly feuded with Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former MAGA diehard who has supported the Epstein files release and spent weeks distancing herself from Trump. The three GOP congresswomen maintained their support for the petition, as did Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, giving Democrats just enough support to force this week’s vote.
Could Trump and the GOP block the files in other ways?
Trump’s about-face comes after House members released thousands of Epstein documents from a separate set of files from the ones being debated. Those already-released files have proven embarrassing for Trump, calling into question his denials that he knew about Epstein’s crimes with teenage girls and even spawning a salacious rumor about Trump and Clinton. Although Trump seems to have changed his strategy, he may be planning to block the Epstein file release in other ways. He could ultimately veto any measure passed by Congress unless both the House and Senate approve the proposal by a two-thirds majority. Observers have noted that Trump is choosing his words carefully. As MeidasTouch editor-in-chief Ron Filipkowski pointed out, Trump may be counting on the Senate to reject the proposal to release the Justice Department files, and he may also try to argue that the investigations he has ordered against Clinton and others now prevent him from releasing the documents.
It is unclear whether any of these tactics will prevent the ultimate release of the Epstein files. Momentum appears to grow even within the GOP for the information to be made public. Although we may not have seen the last effort by Trump and his supporters to limit the information made public about the Epstein case, Democrats and even some Republicans are ready to publish information on Epstein, including any additional references to Trump that may be in those files.