Rather than get steamrolled by a House vote to compel the Department of Justice to release the files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, U.S. President Donald Trump acted like he teed it all up himself. The vote passed easily Tuesday in the House, after Trump tried everything to stop it from happening. U.S. Senators unanimously voted in favor on the same day. The U.S. president then signed the bill.
It is a reversal that was forced on him by his allies, particularly three Republican women (Rep. Nancy Mace, Rep. Lauren Boebert and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene) who refused to cave to Trump. In trying to forestall the vote, he has looked weak and error-prone, and sounded like a man who has something to hide. He is now acting like he needs the power of Congress — a branch of government he has largely ignored all year — to release more information on Epstein, the well-connected financier who committed suicide in 2019 as he awaited trial in prison on federal sex trafficking charges.
In fact, Trump — who hasn’t been accused of any crimes in connection with Epstein — could simply order Attorney General Pam Bondi to release the files, just as he has ordered her to investigate his political opponents.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.