Washington, D.C., USA— Donald Trump, the President of the United States, has strongly denied the issue over how his administration handled the Jeffrey Epstein papers. He called it a “con job” and said that Democrats were trying to divert people for political reasons.
Trump said on Truth Social, “The Radical Left Democrats are doing everything they can to distract and cover up our GREAT six months of service to America, which many say is the BEST six months in Presidential history.” He also said, “They have gone completely insane and are playing another Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, but this time it’s under the name of the Jeffrey Epstein SCAM.”
Trump called the investigation a “Democrat CON JOB” and said he hoped that “the Grand Jury Files will put an end to this HOAX.”
Push for openness and legal problems
The President had recently told Attorney General Pam Bondi to try to get the grand jury testimonies of Epstein and his supposed accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, released. This choice was made at a time when both Democrats and some of Trump’s own MAGA supporters were calling for more openness.
But US District Judge Robin Rosenberg turned down the Department of Justice’s motion on Wednesday, saying, “The Court’s hands are tied.” After this legal defeat, Trump asked why Democrats hadn’t sought to unseal the documents when they were in charge of the Senate during Biden’s presidency.
Questions That Have Not Been Answered and Public Opinion
A memo from the Trump administration that came out lately said that Epstein did not have a “client list.” It also said that the official cause of the financier’s death in jail in 2019 is still suicide. These results have just made people want the Department of Justice to be more clear, especially because the public doesn’t seem happy with the way the administration is handling things right now.
More over half of those who took an Emerson College Polling study said they did not like how the administration handled the Epstein investigation. Another Fox News survey indicated that 60% of Republican respondents think the government isn’t being honest about the case files.
Ongoing Investigations and Divisions Within the Republican Party
The Epstein scandal has also shown that there are tensions within the Republican Party. House Speaker Mike Johnson told CBS News that the matter is “not a hoax,” which is far different from how Trump has been talking about it as a “witch hunt.”
Also, Representative Thomas Massie, who often criticizes Trump, has said he will draft a bipartisan resolution with the help of Democrat Ro Khanna. The goal of the legislation is to force the administration to make all papers relating to Epstein public.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Ghislaine Maxwell on Thursday and is likely to keep asking her questions. James Comer, the chair of the House Oversight Committee, has also sent Maxwell a subpoena and plans to question her on August 11.