- Trump urged Republicans not to engage with newly released Epstein emails, calling them a Democratic distraction from the shutdown and inflation issues.
- The White House accused Democrats of “selectively leaking” Epstein documents to shift public focus.
- A handful of GOP lawmakers joined Democrats in pushing for full Epstein file releases, defying Trump’s warning.
President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Wednesday to warn Republicans against “falling for the Epstein Hoax,” after Democrats released a set of emails referencing the president in connection with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Trump accused Democrats of trying to “deflect” from their handling of the ongoing government shutdown and broader economic issues.
He wrote that Democrats had “cost our Country $1.5 Trillion Dollars” and that Republicans should focus only on reopening the government. “Only a very bad, or stupid, Republican would fall into that trap,” Trump added, calling on his party to “fix the massive damage caused by the Democrats” rather than engage with the Epstein revelations.
Democrats Release New Epstein Emails
Earlier in the day, House Democrats on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee published several emails from Epstein’s communications with his associate Ghislaine Maxwell and writer Michael Wolff. In the messages, Epstein claimed Trump “spent hours” at his home and “knew about the girls,” statements that immediately reignited political controversy.
The White House pushed back hard, accusing Democrats of “selectively leaking” information to manipulate the narrative. Officials pointed to Trump’s prior public comments about his falling out with Epstein years before the financier’s criminal conviction and death.
GOP Divided Over Epstein Files Release
Trump’s warning came as his allies tried to stop Republican lawmakers from joining a Democratic-led discharge petition aimed at forcing a vote to release the full Epstein case files. So far, four Republicans — Thomas Massie, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, and Nancy Mace — have joined Democrats in signing the petition.
Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) is expected to become the decisive 218th signature after her swearing-in, guaranteeing enough support to move the bill forward. According to sources, the Trump administration has directly reached out to Boebert and Mace, urging them to reconsider their backing of the petition.
