Today, several of the victims of Jeffrey Epstein (and Ghislaine Maxwell) spoke, movingly, in front of the U.S. Capitol. They addressed the traumas inflicted upon them, years ago, and urged the House of Representatives to support the release of the Department of Justice's files concerning the Epstein case.
Yet, as The New York Times noted:
Even as Mr. Epstein’s accusers spoke at the Capitol, some of them growing emotional as they recounted their experiences, Mr. Trump at the White House dismissed the effort to get more files released as a “Democrat hoax that never ends.”
President Trump has used the word "hoax" regularly, when talking about the Epstein case.
He said on Wednesday that "thousands of pages" from the files have been released.
Some 33,000 documents were released by the House Oversight Committee on Tuesday--a fraction of the files held by the U.S. Justice Department.
Reuters reported today: "The files released on Tuesday largely included court documents and other previously released information."
A story in today's Washington Post said the following:
Trump has spent weeks expressing exasperation about the bipartisan uproar over the Epstein case, suggesting some members of his party are being used by Democrats for political advantage.
“They’re trying to get people to talk about something that’s totally irrelevant to the success we’ve had as a nation since I’ve been president,” Trump told reporters during an Oval Office meeting with Polish President Karol Nawrocki.
“I know that no matter what you do, it’s going to keep going,” Trump later added. “Really, I think it’s enough."
In early July, of course, the Trump Justice Department announced that there was, in fact, no Epstein "client list," that Epstein had committed suicide (contradicting theories he had been murdered), and that "no further disclosure [about the Epstein case] would be appropriate or warranted."
There was immediate anger from many of Trump's prominent right-wing supporters.
Trump
sought to deflect blame from himself, and his administration. He
blamed Democrats. He
called supporters who demanded more information about the
Epstein case "stupid" and "foolish."
In a July 16th post on his Truth Social platform, he called such supporters "weaklings," who had "bought into this 'bullshit,' hook, line, and sinker." He said: "I don't want their support anymore!"
In a lengthy July 12th Truth Social post, Trump ranted about the Epstein issue, and referred to his "PERFECT administration."
What’s going on with my “boys” and, in some cases, “gals?” They’re all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! We’re on one Team, MAGA, and I don’t like what’s happening. We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and “selfish people” are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein. For years, it’s Epstein, over and over again. Why are we giving publicity to Files written by Obama, Crooked Hillary, Comey, Brennan, and the Losers and Criminals of the Biden Administration, who conned the World with the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, 51 “Intelligence” Agents, “THE LAPTOP FROM HELL,” and more? They created the Epstein Files, just like they created the FAKE Hillary Clinton/Christopher Steele Dossier that they used on me, and now my so-called “friends” are playing right into their hands.
He also wrote (referring--twice--to the "Rigged and Stolen" 2020 election):
The Left is imploding! Kash Patel, and the FBI, must be focused on investigating Voter Fraud, Political Corruption, ActBlue, The Rigged and Stolen Election of 2020, and arresting Thugs and Criminals, instead of spending month after month looking at nothing but the same old, Radical Left inspired Documents on Jeffrey Epstein. LET PAM BONDI DO HER JOB — SHE’S GREAT! The 2020 Election was Rigged and Stolen, and they tried to do the same thing in 2024 — That’s what she is looking into as AG, and much more. One year ago our Country was DEAD, now it’s the “HOTTEST” Country anywhere in the World. Let’s keep it that way, and not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about.
Over the past many weeks, Trump has been asked often, by reporters, about the Epstein case; he has also, as noted above, written about the issue on social media. His comments have, routinely, been defensive, dismissive, and bitter. During this time, to my knowledge, he has never expressed any kind of sympathy toward the victims of Epstein and Maxwell.
