Topline
President Donald Trump railed against the probe into Jeffrey Epstein on Friday after some of the late financier’s victims came forward for a press conference, with the president calling for an “end” to the Epstein drama—as lawmakers are set to get a tranche of documents from Epstein’s estate that could be damaging to Trump.
President Donald Trump speaks to the press in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 25.
AFP via Getty Images
Key Facts
Trump decried the continued interest and investigations into Epstein as a “Democratic HOAX” on Truth Social on Friday, claiming Democrats “did nothing about Jeffrey Epstein while he was alive except befriend him, socialize with him, travel to his Island, and take his money” and questioning why Democrats are now “seeming to show such love and heartfelt concern for his victims.”
His message came a day after many of Epstein’s victims participated in a press conference Friday with lawmakers of both parties, who are seeking to force a House vote over releasing the Justice Department’s files on Epstein.
The victims of Epstein’s sexual abuse specifically rejected Trump’s suggestion that the Epstein investigation is a “hoax” during that press conference, with victim Haley Robson identifying herself as a registered Republican and telling reporters, “We are real human beings, this is real trauma.”
“It’s time to end the Democrat Epstein Hoax,” Trump wrote Friday, claiming the case against Epstein is “dying” and his Department of Justice has turned over all its Epstein files to the House Oversight Committee in response to a subpoena for those documents.
While Trump claimed his DOJ “has done its job” and has “given everything requested of them” to Congress, that’s likely not true, as the DOJ is turning over documents in batches to lawmakers, and is only reported to have turned over one tranche of documents so far.
The DOJ and House Oversight Committee have not yet responded to requests for comment, but neither has given any public indication that the DOJ has completed its handover of documents to the committee.
Chief Critic
“We are tired of looking at the news and seeing Jeffrey Epstein’s name and saying that this is a hoax,” Epstein victim Marina Lacerda told reporters Friday, as she urged lawmakers to pass the bill releasing the Epstein files. “We are tired of it.”
What To Watch For
Reports indicate the House Oversight Committee is also set to receive materials on Epstein from the financier’s estate, after lawmakers subpoenaed the estate for information. Committee staffers are set to meet with lawyers for the estate next week, Politico reported Thursday, with CNN reporting the documents will be turned over starting Sept. 8. Among the documents the estate is expected to provide is a “birthday book” that marked Epstein’s 50th birthday with letters from his friends. The Wall Street Journal previously reported the book includes a “bawdy” letter to Epstein from Trump, which the president has strongly denied. Citing anonymous sources, MSNBC reported Friday the documents are expected to redact the names of Epstein’s victims, but the names of Epstein’s friends and associates will not be redacted.
When Will The Epstein Files Be Released?
It’s unclear how long it may take for the DOJ to turn over all of its files to the House Oversight Committee, and when those files could be publicly released. The committee has said it will make the files it receives public with redactions, but it’s unclear when, and the first tranche of documents it released consisted of materials that were already largely public. It also remains to be seen if Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., can get their legislation seeking to force the files’ release passed. Even if the measure manages to get enough support to pass the House, it would still have to pass the Republican-controlled Senate, and Trump could veto the legislation.
Key Background
Trump has come under escalating scrutiny in recent months for his association with Epstein, who was arrested in 2019 for allegedly sexually assaulting more than 100 women, many of whom were minors. The financier died in prison later that year. Trump has never been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, but was known to have been friends with the financier in the 1990s and early 2000s, before the two had a falling out. Interest in the Epstein case has intensified in recent months after the DOJ released a memo announcing it would not release any further files on Epstein, reversing course after top officials had repeatedly promised to make the documents public. The memo sparked a widespread backlash among even Trump’s supporters, and intensified scrutiny of the president’s dealings with the late financier. The House Oversight Committee voted to subpoena the DOJ for its Epstein files amid the public outcry, with some Republicans joining Democrats to approve the subpoena.