US Politics
How Trump could still prevent release of Epstein files
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A significant cache of Jeffrey Epstein’s email exchanges was released on Wednesday, piling yet more pressure on the Trump administration for greater transparency and widening a growing rift in MAGA’s base.
Three exchanges were initially shared by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, containing correspondence between the pedophile financier, his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and the journalist Michael Wolff. In one, Epstein alleged that Trump “knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop.”
Subsequently, House Republicans released a colossal body of emails attributed to Epstein in an effort to counter what they said was a Democratic effort to “cherry-pick documents.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the emails prove “absolutely nothing other than the fact that President Trump did nothing wrong.”
The release of the documents has amplified calls to release the so-called Epstein files. A petition forcing a vote on the release of more files gathered enough signatures to move forward on Wednesday. Still, skepticism remains around what it could realistically produce.
Unanswered questions around the Epstein files, and the Trump administration’s reluctance for full disclosure, have seen even MAGA loyalists break ranks. While a vote is now expected as soon as next week, the lingering Epstein crisis continues to prove a major challenge for Donald Trump.
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House to vote on release of Epstein files
Mike Johnson, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, stated on Wednesday that he intends to hold a House vote next week on a measure that would mandate the full release of files related to Epstein held by the Department of Justice.
The announcement came after newly sworn-in Democrat Rep. Adelita Grijalva added her name to a discharge petition to release the Epstein files, saying “justice cannot wait another day”. Republicans had delayed her swearing in for some two months. But now, that final signature forces a vote.
Aides had said a vote could be expected in December, before the Speaker announced his plans to move it forward.
Republicans have faced months of backlash from the Democrats over the awaited release of files held on Jeffrey Epstein. Constituents, too, have called for more transparency over the files, piling pressure on Republicans offering fealty to Trump.
Johnson insisted that Trump wants “maximum transparency” and supported “everything coming out”, after months of playing down the importance of the files. But only a minority of Republicans have joined the Democrats in pushing for a House vote on releasing the files.
Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.
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What could Trump do?
Even if the vote does find in favour of releasing the files, there is no guarantee it will become law.
The bill would then have to get through the Senate. Leaders there have shown no indication that they would table it for a vote.
Trump also has the power to veto it. The House could only force cooperation by holding the attorney general in contempt of Congress, which is unlikely.
Such a move would do little to assuage growing concerns about the public perception of not releasing the remaining files. Four Republicans have already joined the Democrats in pushing for the House vote. Senior Republicans privately believe that ‘dozens’ of Republicans will vote for the disclosure bill, five anonymous sources told Politico.
Among those publicly lending their support is Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has campaigned for the files to be released. She told CNN last week: “Pretty much everyone across the board agrees – release the Epstein files.”
“This is something that I get calls into my office almost every day about,” she said. “I think that’s extremely important, whether they come from the district or out of district, and it’s – it’s all over the country. People just want this information released.”
MAGA divided
During his election campaign, Trump had promised to release the files. The circumstances around Epstein’s death – he took his own life in prison while awaiting trial – and the wide-reaching array of high-profile names implicated have fuelled speculation and conspiracy around the case.
What has been released so far has not been deemed sufficient by campaigners and politicians. Trump’s MAGA base has split over whether to back the President’s claim that the files are a Democrat-inspired “hoax” or demand their release.
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An FBI memo concluding there was no “client list” did not help the rift, nor ambiguities around surveillance footage from a camera near Epstein’s prison cell the night before he was found dead.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Rep. Nancy Mace, and Rep. Lauren Boebert all signed the petition back in September, leaving it one short until Grijalva’s arrival.
Trump’s loyalist base is not easily moved. But the Epstein files threaten to create a fissure between the president and key elements of his party.
