Several Congressional Republicans are going against the wishes of President Donald Trump, with calls for more clarity on the administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal ramping up, a move seen by the White House as “a very hostile act.”
On Tuesday, the GOP-led House Oversight Committee released 33,000 Epstein-related documents, including videos and audio files, appearing to make good on a promise made in August. However, nearly all of the files released were previously available to the public. “House Republicans are trying to make a spectacle of releasing already-public documents,” said Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif.
Some Republicans in Congress are calling for more transparency, with one alleging that President Trump could be “covering” for “powerful” allies.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said in an interview with MSNBC on Tuesday that Trump “may be covering for some rich and powerful people.”
“I think the best way to clear President Trump’s name is to release all the files,” Massie said. “I actually don’t think he’s done anything criminal; I think he may be covering for some rich and powerful people that are friends of his. And in fact, some of those billionaires are running ads against me in Kentucky right now,” adding, “embarrassment is not a reason to conceal all of this stuff.”
Massie was joined by Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who called for a “value of trust in government” in the wake of the Epstein scandal.
“The president of the United States ran on releasing the files, and the attorney general said that there’s a client list and the files need to be released,” Khanna said.
Massie and Khanna have since filed a discharge petition to advance Massie’s transparency bill on the Epstein files. The bill would require the Trump administration to publicly disclose files and information related to Epstein. It will take 218 signatures to get things moving, requiring all of the House Democrats and some Republicans.
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Speaking with CNN, a White House official said “Helping Thomas Massie and Liberal Democrats with their attention-seeking, while the DOJ is fully supporting a more comprehensive file release effort from the Oversight Committee, would be viewed as a very hostile act to the administration.”
Already, GOP-hardliners and Trump supporters are breaking rank. Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene, R-Ga., added her name, saying she is “committed” to helping Epstein’s victims.
“Including exposing the cabal of rich and powerful elites that enabled this,” Greene wrote on X, adding she was “proud” to be signing the petition. Joining Greene are right-wing Reps. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and Lauren Boebert, R-Colo.
Greene, normally a staunch Trump ally, warned Trump in July of the consequences of “going back” on his vow to release the Epstein files.
“If you tell the base of people, who support you, of deep state treasonous crimes, election interference, blackmail, and rich, powerful elite evil cabals, then you must take down every enemy of The People,” Greene wrote in a post on X. “If not. The base will turn, and there’s no going back. Dangling bits of red meat no longer satisfies. They want the whole steak dinner and will accept nothing else.”
