Prominent conservative influencers on Wednesday mounted a vigorous defence of President Donald Trump after House Democrats released a batch of emails from Jeffrey Epstein suggesting Trump “knew about the girls.”
The messages, which Democrats say demand further scrutiny of Trump’s past ties to the convicted sex offender, have triggered an intense political showdown as the House prepares to vote next week on whether to force the Justice Department to release all unclassified Epstein files.
The emails revive long-standing questions about Trump’s relationship with Epstein, whom he socialised with in the 1990s and early 2000s before cutting ties. Trump has repeatedly denied knowing about Epstein’s abuse or trafficking of underage girls.
Democrats highlighted one email in which Epstein claimed Trump spent hours at his home with one of his victims. Republicans countered by releasing 20,000 Epstein-related documents in response, accusing Democrats of cherry-picking and distorting the emails for political gain.
“These emails prove absolutely nothing other than the fact that President Trump did nothing wrong,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
Some of Trump’s most influential supporters quickly sought to reframe the controversy. Right-wing commentator Jack Posobiec pointed to messages between Epstein and journalists, claiming they showed the “regime media” conspiring to create hoaxes about Trump.
MAGA influencer Rogan O’Handley dismissed the revelations as “drip-drip Democrat disclosures” intended to smear Trump, while Newsmax host Rob Schmitt blasted coverage by major outlets as “vile reporting.”
The controversy erupted as Trump abruptly canceled a planned press availability while dining with financial executives.
Later, during an Oval Office signing event to end the government shutdown, he declined to take questions, an unusual move for the former president. Reporters shouted Epstein-related queries as they were ushered out.
The scandal has been politically sensitive for Trump, who has repeatedly amplified conspiracy theories about Epstein and promised full transparency regarding the Justice Department’s files.
Many of his supporters believe the government has covered up key details about Epstein’s connections and his 2019 death in a Manhattan jail.
The House is set to vote next week on a bipartisan resolution introduced by Republican Representative Thomas Massie, which would compel the Justice Department to release unclassified Epstein documents.
The measure has 50 co-sponsors, 11 Republicans and 39 Democrats, and has caused months of friction within GOP leadership.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who had resisted the measure, brought it forward after Massie secured enough signatures to force a vote.
Johnson attempted to approve it by unanimous consent on Wednesday, but Democrats rejected the move, ensuring lawmakers will have to vote publicly.
The impending vote puts Republicans in a politically precarious position: opposing the release could anger some of Trump’s own base, who view transparency as essential to uncovering what they believe are government cover-ups.
“If they’re thinking about the right thing to do, that’s pretty obvious: you vote for it,” Massie told reporters. “But if they’re thinking politically, they need to look past 2028 and wonder if they want this on their record.”
The resolution would only take effect if approved by both chambers and signed by Trump. Whether it will advance in the Senate remains unclear; Republican Majority Leader John Thune has not indicated whether he will bring it to the floor.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a strong supporter of the measure, expressed doubt that GOP leadership would welcome a robust vote. “I think most of my colleagues are taking their marching orders, and that comes from the top,” she said.
As the House braces for a politically charged showdown, the renewed focus on Epstein, and Trump’s proximity to the scandal, threatens to deepen partisan divides and reshape the debate over transparency, accountability and the lingering shadows of one of America’s most explosive criminal cases.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
