President Trump was dismissive Wednesday of the latest round of bipartisan pressure to release files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, calling it an effort to distract from his administration’s successes.
“So, this is a Democrat hoax that never ends. You know, it reminds me a little of the Kennedy situation,” Trump said in the Oval Office, referencing documents related to the assassination of former President Kennedy. “We gave them everything over and over again, more, and more and more. And nobody is ever satisfied. From what I understand, thousands of pages of documents have been given.
“But it’s really a Democrat hoax, because they’re trying to get people to talk about something that’s totally irrelevant to the success we’ve had as a nation since I’ve been president,” Trump added.
Trump was asked during a meeting with the president of Poland about comments from Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) suggesting the Trump administration was protecting powerful people and donors by not releasing files related to Epstein.
Massie, a frequent Trump foil in the House, has sponsored a discharge petition aiming to force the Trump administration to release all the government files on Epstein.
But House GOP leaders, including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), have instead called on lawmakers to support the efforts of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which is seeking more disclosures on the Epstein case from the Justice Department (DOJ), the Epstein estate, and former federal law enforcement officials who worked on the case.
Epstein, accused in several cases of sex trafficking young girls, ran in high-powered circles with figures that included Trump, former President Clinton, Britain’s Prince Andrew and a number of other celebrities and ultrawealthy people. Epstein’s associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, has been convicted of sex trafficking.
The House Oversight Committee on Tuesday made public a batch of files it said it received from the DOJ in response to its subpoena for documents related to Epstein. But critics have argued many of the documents the Justice Department released were already public.
Republicans and Democrats in the House have for weeks pressed for more disclosures around the Epstein case. Lawmakers this week hosted press conferences with victims of Epstein to call for more transparency.
Trump has repeatedly said he would be fine if Attorney General Pam Bondi releases additional evidence as long as it’s legitimate. But he has also expressed frustration at his own supporters for continuing to push for more information about the Epstein case, which has spawned numerous conspiracy theories and allegations the government is protecting powerful people.
Johnson was asked Tuesday about Trump describing the push for disclosures related to Epstein as a hoax.
“I’m not sure what that comment refers to, but I’ve spoken to the president myself about this many times. He is as insistent as we are,” Johnson said. “He is the most transparent president in memory, probably in the history of the country. … If he was here now, he would stand here and take your questions endlessly. That’s his mindset, and he wants the American people to have information so they can draw their own conclusions.”
“I’ve talked with him about this very subject myself, so I can tell you that his heart,” Johnson added. “Now, he also — just as we do — is insistent that we protect the innocent victims, and that’s what this has been about.”
