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- Democrats claim the messages raise serious questions about Trump.
- Speaker Johnson plans a House vote to release Epstein files.
- Epstein allegedly spent hours with Trump and Maxwell with a victim.
WASHINGTON: Emails released Wednesday by Democrats suggest Jeffrey Epstein indicated that Donald Trump was aware of Epstein’s misconduct and spent hours with a victim at his home, sparking new, uncomfortable questions for the President.
Trump has consistently denied knowing about Epstein’s sex trafficking activities—Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial—and has accused Democrats of trying to distract from their own shortcomings.
Nevertheless, the controversy remains challenging for Trump. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee say the new emails “raise critical questions about Trump’s knowledge of Epstein’s horrific crimes.”
Later Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson announced an upcoming vote on forcing the Justice Department to release the remaining Epstein case files, earlier than expected.
In an April 2011 email to Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein expressed that Trump spent considerable time with a woman later identified as Virginia Giuffre, Epstein’s main accuser. Epstein wrote, “I want you to realize that the dog that hasn’t barked is Trump,” noting that she “spent hours at my house with him, yet it’s never been mentioned.” Maxwell responded, “I’ve been thinking about that…”
‘Of course he knew’
Another email from Epstein to author Michael Wolff, dated January 31, 2019, states: “Of course he knew about the girls because he asked Ghislaine to stop.”
Later, Republicans revealed thousands of emails obtained via a subpoena of Epstein’s estate. One of Epstein’s notes called Trump “dirty,” which keeps the Epstein matter in the headlines months after the Justice Department affirmed Epstein’s death by suicide and dismissed claims of a client list under review.
The Epstein scandal continues to stir debates within Trump’s administration, and House Democrats are pushing for a vote to declassify the full Epstein case files.
Trump warned Republicans against falling into a “trap,” while top officials met with far-right Republican Lauren Boebert in the White House Situation Room to persuade her to hold her signature on the petition back.
On social media, Trump claimed, “The Democrats are trying to resurrect the Jeffrey Epstein hoax because they’ll do anything to divert attention from their failures.”
Boebert refused to back down, and with the swearing-in of Democrat Adelita Grijalva after delays, the petition gained enough signatures. Johnson indicated the House will vote next week to release the files, ahead of schedule, as Republicans seek to resolve the issue quickly.
Fury among the MAGA base
The White House responded by accusing Democrats of selectively leaking messages to craft a “fake narrative” aimed at smearing Trump.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt cited statements from Virginia Giuffre, who passed away in April, claiming she said Trump was “very friendly” towards her during limited contact.
The Epstein controversy has haunted Trump for months, even after his Justice Department affirmed Epstein’s suicide and dismissed rumors of a “client list.” This has enraged MAGA supporters, who believe a “deep state” conspiracy is protecting prominent Democrats allegedly connected to Epstein.
Many of Trump’s allies, including current and former FBI officials, have perpetuated conspiracy theories, suggesting Epstein’s death was actually a murder ordered by powerful figures.
Trump had a long-standing relationship with Epstein, frequently seen partying together over 15 years until allegedly parting ways over a property issue in 2004, after which Trump distanced himself publicly from Epstein.
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