Introduction
A protest group called "Hot Mess" hold up signs of Jeffrey Epstein and President Donald Trump in front of the Federal courthouse on July 8, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump urged House Republicans to support releasing files related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, marking a surprising reversal from his earlier opposition to the idea.
What They’re Saying
"We have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party," Trump wrote on social media shortly after landing at Joint Base Andrews following a weekend in Florida.
RELATED: Epstein emails say Trump ‘spent hours’ with one of Epstein’s victims
Trump asks DOJ to probe Epstein ties to Democrats
President Donald Trump has urged the Justice Department to launch an investigation into Bill Clinton and other notable Democrats over their alleged ties to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Will Weissert with the Associated Press joins LiveNOW’s Austin Westfall to discuss that and other White House headlines.
The Backstory
The backstory: Democrats and some Republicans have been pushing a measure that would force the Justice Department to make public more documents from the case.
RELATED: Epstein files latest: Grand jury transcript request denied
Dig deeper: The president’s shift is an implicit acknowledgement that supporters of the measure have enough votes to pass the House, although it has an unclear future in the Senate.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Johnson seems to expect the House will decisively back the Epstein bill.
The bill would force the Justice Department to release all files and communications related to Epstein, as well as any information about the investigation into his death in federal prison. Information about Epstein’s victims or ongoing federal investigations would be allowed to be redacted.
Trump and Epstein
The backstory: Trump’s association with Epstein is well-established and the president’s name was included in records that his own Justice Department released in February as part of an effort to satisfy public interest in information from the sex-trafficking investigation.
Trump has never been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein and the mere inclusion of someone’s name in files from the investigation does not imply otherwise.
Epstein, who killed himself in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial, also had many prominent acquaintances in political and celebrity circles besides Trump.
Conclusion
The move by President Trump to support the release of the Epstein files is a significant development in the case. It remains to be seen how the House and Senate will proceed with the measure, but the president’s endorsement could potentially pave the way for the release of more information about the Epstein case.
FAQs
Q: What is the Epstein case about?
A: The Epstein case refers to the sex-trafficking investigation and subsequent death of Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy financier with connections to prominent politicians and celebrities.
Q: Why is President Trump involved in the Epstein case?
A: President Trump’s name was included in records released by his own Justice Department as part of the sex-trafficking investigation, and he has been accused by some of having ties to Epstein.
Q: What does the bill to release the Epstein files propose?
A: The bill would force the Justice Department to release all files and communications related to Epstein, as well as any information about the investigation into his death in federal prison, with some exceptions for sensitive information.
Q: What is the current status of the bill?
A: The bill has an unclear future in the Senate, but President Trump’s endorsement could potentially pave the way for its passage in the House.
The Source: The information in this story appears to come from statements made by President Donald Trump on his social media platform. The Associated Press contributed. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
