Trump decries Epstein "hoax" despite Republicans demanding transparency
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President Trump on Friday dismissed demands for additional Jeffrey Epstein files as a Democratic "hoax" despite members of his own party demanding more transparency from the administration.
Why it matters: The House Oversight Committee released 33,000 pages of Epstein documents this week, but Trump's handling of the scandal has driven a wedge between the president and his MAGA coalition.
What they're saying: "The Department of Justice has done its job, they have given everything requested of them," the president said on Truth Social.
- "It's time to end the Democrat Epstein Hoax, and give the Republicans credit for the great, even legendary, job that they are doing."
Reality check: Epstein's survivors have repeatedly said their push for additional documents is not politically motivated, and the congressional push to release additional documents is led by multiple Republicans.
- "These women are not a hoax," Brittany Henderson, an attorney who represents multiple Epstein victims, told Axios in response to the president's post.
- "They are survivors of the most prolific sexual predator in American history, who I remind you, was once one of your very close friends," she added.
- "When reached for comment on Henderson's framing of Trump and Epstein's relationship, the White House said that "Epstein's victims deserve better than to be used by the Democrats for a political agenda."
Driving the news: Trump's comments came days after the House Oversight Committee released over 33,000 Epstein-related documents subpoenaed from the Justice Department.
- The massive release happened the same day that Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) filed a discharge petition that would force a House vote on releasing additional Epstein documents if it garners enough signatures from members.
- The White House and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) have insisted that Massie's efforts are unnecessary because the Oversight Committee released thousands of documents already and is continuing to investigate Epstein's cases.
The other side: "Some pages are entirely redacted, and 97% of this is already in the public domain," Massie said of the 33,000 files during a Wednesday press conference on Capitol Hill.
- Massie told Axios in an emailed statement that dismissing the survivors' experience as a hoax is "callous and disrespectful."
- "The President should accept the survivors' invitation to meet with them and honor their request to humanize them," he added.
- Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), a Trump loyalist, said the transparency push was "not a hoax because Jeffrey Epstein is a convicted pedophile."
What we're watching: Trump and Johnson have successfully lobbied congressional Republicans to back away from Massie's petition, but the Kentuckian still expects to garner the signatures needed to force the House to vote on the bill.
- Even if he's successful in gathering those signatures, it would still need to pass the senate and for Trump to sign it to become law.
Go deeper: GOP support erodes for Epstein files petition
Editor's note: This story has been updated with comment from Massie.
