UPDATE: In a dramatic escalation, President Donald Trump, aged 79, unleashed a furious tirade against members of his own party as the House of Representatives prepares to vote on the release of Jeffrey Epstein files next week. The growing bipartisan support for the release comes just days after the House released 20,000 pages of documents, including damaging emails mentioning Trump.
The vote is set to occur as soon as next week, following a successful bipartisan discharge petition that garnered enough signatures to bypass GOP leadership’s reluctance. House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed the urgency of the situation, stating that a vote is imminent despite Trump’s fervent opposition.
Trump’s anger boiled over on Friday as he accused both Democrats and “weak Republicans” of perpetuating the “Epstein Hoax” to distract from what he termed the “SHUTDOWN EMBARRASSMENT” within the Democratic party. He took to Truth Social, asserting, “Some Weak Republicans have fallen into their clutches because they are soft and foolish.”
Notably, several GOP members, including Thomas Massie, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Nancy Mace, and Lauren Boebert, have publicly supported the discharge petition. Reports indicate that around 40 to 50 Republicans may join Democrats in voting to release the files, which could further complicate Trump’s position.
In a startling turn, Trump has largely evaded questions from the media regarding the Epstein documents since their release on Wednesday. Instead, he has targeted other figures associated with Epstein, demanding investigations into their relationships with the convicted sex offender. He stated, “I will be asking A.G. Pam Bondi, and the Department of Justice, together with our great patriots at the FBI, to investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s involvement and relationship with Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman, and many other people and institutions.”
The released emails reveal that Epstein referred to Trump in derogatory terms, including “dirty” and “borderline insane.” One email dated 2018 indicated Epstein believed he could “take [Trump] down.” Although Trump has never been accused of any criminal wrongdoing related to Epstein, the implications of these documents could be damaging.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt attempted to downplay the situation, accusing Democrats of “selectively leaked emails” aimed at smearing Trump. The ongoing developments have sparked heated debates among GOP members, fracturing the party’s unity as they confront the implications of the Epstein revelations.
As the vote approaches, all eyes will be on the House, where the outcome could reshape the political landscape and further embroil Trump in controversy. Stay tuned for updates as this story develops.
