White House Condemns Epstein Document Release as Political/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The White House is pushing back after House Democrats released emails linking Donald Trump to Jeffrey Epstein. Democrats say the emails suggest deeper involvement, while Republicans claim the release was politically motivated. A key House vote could soon force the full release of Epstein-related files.
Epstein File Controversy Quick Looks
- Democrats released new Epstein emails implicating Donald Trump
- White House calls the release a “fake narrative” and distraction
- Emails suggest Trump spent extended time with a trafficking victim
- Rep. Garcia demands full DOJ release of Epstein records
- Republicans accuse Democrats of cherry-picking documents
- Virginia Giuffre identified as “victim” in emails, per White House
- Discharge petition to force Epstein file vote gains momentum
- Adelita Grijalva’s swearing-in expected to enable vote
- Over 20,000 pages of documents submitted by Epstein estate
- Trump has denied any wrongdoing or knowledge of Epstein’s crimes
Deep Look: Trump, Epstein, and the Escalating Battle Over File Transparency in Congress
WASHINGTON — A renewed battle over the release of Jeffrey Epstein’s confidential communications reached a political boiling point Wednesday, as the White House denounced House Democrats for what it called a “bad-faith” effort to smear President Donald Trump.
At the heart of the clash are newly public emails from Epstein — one of which alleges that Trump spent hours with a victim of Epstein’s sex trafficking operation. The correspondence was disclosed by House Democrats on the Oversight Committee, intensifying demands for full public access to the trove of Epstein estate documents, totaling over 20,000 pages.
White House Pushes Back
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt fired back immediately, accusing Democrats of distorting facts to create a “fake narrative.”
“The Democrats selectively leaked emails to the liberal media to create a fake narrative to smear President Trump,” Leavitt said in a statement.
She identified the unnamed victim referenced in Epstein’s 2011 email to Ghislaine Maxwell as Virginia Giuffre, a known accuser who previously stated that Trump had no involvement in any wrongdoing.
“President Trump was not involved in any misconduct and even banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago decades ago for inappropriate behavior,” Leavitt said. “These stories are bad-faith efforts to distract from President Trump’s historic accomplishments.”
The Email at the Center of Controversy
One 2011 email from Epstein to Maxwell reads:
“I want you to realize that that dog that hasn’t barked is Trump. [Redacted name] spent hours at my house with him, has never once been mentioned.”
The Oversight Committee identified the redacted person as a victim, suggesting this implies Trump had more intimate knowledge of Epstein’s operations than previously acknowledged. A separate 2019 email from Epstein to journalist Michael Wolff said, “Of course [Trump] knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop.”
Democrats argue the emails warrant deeper investigation.
“The more Donald Trump tries to cover up the Epstein files, the more we uncover,” said Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., ranking member of the Oversight Committee. “The DOJ must release the full Epstein files now. We won’t stop until we get justice for the victims.”
Republicans: ‘Cherry-Picked’ and Politicized
Republicans slammed the document release, calling it political theater.
“Democrats continue to cherry-pick files to generate clickbait,” said a spokesperson for Oversight Republicans. “They’re withholding records that name Democrat officials while rushing to implicate Trump without context.”
GOP lawmakers argue the full document dump includes many names and communications from across the political spectrum, and accuse Democrats of strategically withholding sensitive content to control the narrative.
Discharge Petition Gains Momentum
The political tension is rising as a discharge petition in the House nears a critical tipping point. If passed, it would force a floor vote on legislation requiring the Department of Justice to release all unclassified Epstein-related documents.
The deciding moment could come as early as this week, with Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) expected to be sworn in on Wednesday, providing the 218th signature needed to bring the bill to the House floor.
House Democratic leaders back the petition as a transparency measure. Republicans, while supportive of parts of the effort, have expressed concern over protecting victims’ identities and maintaining legal integrity.
Background: Epstein’s Death and Lingering Questions
Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender, https://www.foxnews.com/politics/white-house-slams-dems-bad-faith-epstein-doc-release-demand-files-intensifiesdied in federal custody in 2019, in what was officially ruled a suicide. He was awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges involving minors. Epstein’s ties to global elites — including Trump, Bill Clinton, and Prince Andrew — have long fueled public suspicion and demands for transparency.
Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate, was convicted of sex trafficking and is currently serving a 20-year federal prison sentence.
The push for file transparency has gained bipartisan support, with multiple lawmakers — including Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) — sponsoring legislation titled the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
“The American public has a right to know who was involved and how deep this operation went,” one bipartisan backer said.
You must Register or Login to post a comment.