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Trump uses his favorite excuse when it comes to the Epstein files [1]
['Daily Kos Staff']
Date: 2025-09-03
President Donald Trump responded to the mounting pressure from accusers and members of his own party to release the Epstein files by insisting, once again, that not only was he releasing the files, but that they were a “hoax” concocted by Democratic operatives to tarnish his accomplishments.
“So this is a Democrat hoax that never ends,” comparing it to conspiracy theorists’ dissatisfaction with the release of redacted files surrounding John F. Kennedy’s assassination. “From what I understand, I could check, but from what I understand, thousands of pages of documents have been given. But it's really a Democrat hoax because they're trying to get people to talk about something that's totally irrelevant to the success that we've had as a nation since I've been president.”
Trump’s comments came after ten survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell held a press conference on Capitol Hill, supporting bipartisan legislation that would compel the release of the long-promised documents.
“Mr. President, Donald J. Trump, I am a registered Republican—not that that matters, because this is not political,” survivor Haley Robson said, responding to Trump’s comments. “However, I cordially invite you to the Capitol to meet me in person so you can understand this is not a hoax. We are real human beings. This is real trauma.”
The bill, the Epstein Files Transparency Act, co-authored by Republican Rep.Thomas Massie and Democratic Rep. Mo Khanna, has put weasel Speaker Mike Johnson in a tough spot, forcing him to scramble for excuses to slow walk a vote on the matter.
Massie and Khanna have also introduced a discharge petition to bypass Johnson and force a vote. Reps. Nancy Mace, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Lauren Boebert are among the Republicans who have signed the discharge petition, which needs 218 votes to pass. If all 212 Democrats sign the petition, only two more GOP signatures are needed to trigger a vote.
In a closed-door meeting Wednesday, Johnson reportedly “urged” Republicans not to sign the petition.
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