Latest Epstein Files Jolt Washington as New Disclosures Put White House Under Intensifying Pressure

Freshly released House documents alleging Epstein claimed Trump “knew about the girls” shake an already fractured GOP, triggering infighting, media battles, and renewed scrutiny over why Democrats never released the information during four years under Biden.

WASHINGTON | The political earthquake surrounding Jeffrey Epstein has returned at the worst possible moment for President Donald Trump. After a bruising week that saw Republican losses at the ballot box, skepticism from the Supreme Court over Trump’s signature tariffs, and escalating GOP infighting over accusations of antisemitism, the White House is now facing a new crisis: the release of fresh Epstein files.

On Wednesday, House Democrats published documents revealing that Epstein allegedly told associates that Trump “knew about the girls” he was trafficking. The release—landing just as the administration hoped to celebrate the end of the 43-day government shutdown—has knocked the White House off balance and further fractured a party already splintered this year over the so-called Epstein files.

One Trump ally described the moment bluntly: “It takes things that are already complicated for the president and brings them to the surface… It accentuates everything.”

White House on Defense Mode

In response, Trump lashed out at Republicans who are cooperating with Democrats on a bipartisan effort to force a public vote on releasing all Epstein files. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt framed the entire controversy as a political diversion.

“This is another distraction campaign by the Democrats and the liberal media,” she said, expressing frustration that reporters asked more questions about Epstein than the reopening of the government.

Privately, aides reject the framing that this has been a “bad week,” insisting the election losses were expected and that the Supreme Court’s tariff case remains undecided. One senior official went so far as to call the Epstein developments merely “annoying,” saying the team has learned not to be rattled after working for a president who “was indicted and almost killed.”

A GOP Coalition Pulling Apart

But the strain inside the Republican Party is unmistakable.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) say 40 to 50 Republicans may back the vote to force the release of the files—an extraordinary development given the internal resistance. The White House is now pressuring at least three GOP women who signed the petition to withdraw their support.

The uproar mirrors chaos from earlier this year, when high-profile MAGA allies—including Steve Bannon, Tucker Carlson, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene—ignited weeks of firestorms after the Justice Department announced no Epstein documents would be made public.

Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, and no evidence has surfaced that he participated in Epstein’s trafficking operation. The president has said he distanced himself from Epstein years before the scandal erupted.

Why Now? The Timing Raises New Questions

“On the 'TELL IT LIKE IT IS' Talk Show, Host James Thomas asked several Democrats a pressing question: Why now? If these Epstein-related materials were accessible during four years under the Biden administration, why are they only being released after President Trump has returned to the White House?”

The timing of the release has added an additional layer of controversy. Many Republicans and some independents are openly asking why Democrats, who had access to federal investigative files for four years under President Biden, waited until now to reveal these specific communications.

Democratic staffers say the documents are part of an ongoing review; Republicans argue the timing is strategic.

“It’s strange,” said one GOP strategist. “If Democrats had this information for years, why wasn’t it released until Trump returned to the White House?”

The question is now fueling suspicion among conservatives that the disclosures are politically timed to weaken Trump’s legislative agenda, splinter the GOP coalition, and re-ignite a narrative Democrats once used to damage MAGA candidates.

Policy Agenda at Risk

The resurrection of Epstein’s name comes as Trump faces deep challenges on economic and foreign policy fronts. Polls continue to show the public does not feel better off financially, despite administration claims of progress. Abroad, the president is grappling with global instability and the collapse of several diplomatic initiatives.

Meanwhile, the conservative universe is feuding over Carlson’s recent podcast interview with Holocaust-denier Nick Fuentes—an episode defended by the leader of the Heritage Foundation, triggering outrage even within traditional Republican circles.

Is the Epstein Scandal Shifting Public Opinion?

Despite the noise, polling shows minimal damage to Trump’s support within the right. If anything, his approval among conservative voters is steady or slightly higher than when the first wave of Epstein chatter broke.

“A lot of this is online chatter,” one Trump insider said. “It’s pushed by people with ulterior motives who think talking about Epstein will undermine his power.”

What Comes Next

The House is expected to vote during the first week of December. If the measure passes the Senate and reaches Trump’s desk, the Justice Department would be required to release nearly all Epstein-related records—including documents on Epstein’s co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell—within 30 days.

Some Republicans believe transparency is the only path forward. Others fear the political fallout could dominate Trump’s agenda for months.

Far-right activist Laura Loomer, long warning the administration about the issue, summed up her stance bluntly:

“It will consume the presidency—not because he’s guilty, but because Democrats won’t allow him to have a successful term.”

Whether this renewed controversy becomes a defining crisis—or another political flare-up that fizzles—is now one of Washington’s most closely watched questions.

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-- By James W. Thomas and Andréa Mochida

© Copyright 2025 JWT Communications. All rights reserved. This article cannot be republished, rebroadcast, rewritten, or distributed in any form without written permission.

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