President Donald Trump railed against the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein on Friday, after some of the late financier’s victims appeared for a press conference, calling for a “end” to the Epstein drama—as lawmakers prepare to receive documents from Epstein’s estate that could be damaging to Trump.
On Truth Social on Friday, Trump denounced the ongoing interest and investigations into Epstein as a “Democratic HOAX,” 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 held a press conference with lawmakers from both parties seeking to force a House vote on releasing the Justice Department’s Epstein files.
During that press conference, the victims of Epstein’s sexual abuse explicitly rejected Trump’s claim that the Epstein investigation is a “hoax,” 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 on Friday, claiming the case against Epstein is “dying” and that his Department of Justice has turned over all Epstein files to the House Oversight Committee in response to a subpoena for those documents.
While Trump claimed that his DOJ “has done its job” and has “given everything requested of them” to Congress, this is likely not true, as the DOJ is turning over documents to lawmakers in batches and has only turned over one tranche of documents thus far.
The DOJ and the House Oversight Committee have yet to respond to requests for comment, but neither has provided any public indication that the DOJ has completed the document handover 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, urging lawmakers to pass the bill releasing the Epstein files. “We are tired of it.”
What To Watch For
According to reports, the House Oversight Committee will also receive Epstein-related materials from the financier’s estate, which was subpoenaed by lawmakers for information. Politico reported Thursday that committee staffers will meet with estate lawyers next week, while CNN reported that documents will be turned over beginning September 8. The estate is expected to provide documents such as a “birthday book” filled with letters from Epstein’s friends to commemorate his 50th birthday. The Wall Street Journal previously reported that the book includes Trump’s “bawdy” letter to Epstein, which the president has strongly denied. According to anonymous sources, MSNBC reported Friday that the documents will redact the names of Epstein’s victims, but not his friends and associates.
When Will The Epstein Files Be Released?
It is unclear how long it will take for the Department of Justice to turn over all of its files to the House Oversight Committee, or when those files will be made public. The committee has stated that it will make the files it receives public with redactions, but it is unclear when, and the first batch of documents released included materials that were already widely available. It remains to be seen whether Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., can pass legislation to force the files’ release. Even if the measure receives enough support in the House, it must still pass through the Republican-controlled Senate, and Trump has the authority to veto it.
Key Background
Trump has faced increased scrutiny in recent months for his association with Epstein, who was arrested in 2019 for allegedly sexually assaulting over 100 women, many of whom were minors. The financier died in prison later that year. Trump has never been accused of any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein, but he was known to be friends with the financier in the 1990s and early 2000s before the two fell out. Interest in the Epstein case has grown in recent months, after the DOJ issued a memo announcing that no additional files on Epstein would be released, reversing course after top officials repeatedly promised to make the documents public. The memo sparked widespread outrage, even among Trump supporters, and increased scrutiny of the president’s interactions with the late financier. Despite the public outcry, the House Oversight Committee voted to subpoena the DOJ for its Epstein files, with some Republicans joining Democrats in supporting the subpoena.
