In the affair surrounding the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, US President Donald Trump is under increasing pressure, not from political competition, but from within his own ranks. Mike Johnson, the leader of the Republicans in the House of Representatives, demanded the full disclosure of Epstein's classified files on Tuesday. In an interview with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson, Johnson stated, "We have to put everything on the table and let the people decide."
In this context, Johnson also criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi, a Trump confidant, and demanded that she explain the contradictions in her previous statements regarding the Epstein case. Trump Signals Willingness to Be Transparent Trump himself expressed openness on Tuesday, in principle, to further release of information about Epstein's compound. If there are credible leads, they should be made public, the president told reporters.
However, the decision rests with Attorney General Bondi. The latter, in turn, referred to an already published memo and did not comment on possible new revelations at a press conference: "Our memo speaks for itself." In the memo released in early July, Bondi and FBI chief Kash Patel explained that no reliable "client list" of Epstein's had been found, as such a list had been repeatedly suspected in conservative circles.
Bondi and Patel also reiterated that Epstein committed suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial in a Manhattan jail. There was no new information, it was stated at the time. Disappointment in the MAGA camp. This statement sparked outrage among many Trump supporters. Trump's team had already promised during the election campaign to fully shed light on the Epstein case. Some supporters then retweeted on social media the claim that Epstein had been the victim of a "deep state" conspiracy.
They considered the release of the memo—and the statements made in it—a breach of this promise. Trump had been mentioned several times in connection with Epstein in the past. In a 2002 interview, he had described Epstein as a "great guy" who "likes beautiful women as much as I do." Many of them were "pretty young," Trump said at the time. He later distanced himself from Epstein.
Trump's name appears in the released court documents, but he is not charged with any crime. Criticism of Trump Within the Party Is Rising On Trump's online network, Truth Social, dissatisfaction has increased significantly recently. Over the weekend, the president responded with an appeal to his followers: "We're on a team, MAGA, and I don't like what's going on," he wrote. Unlike usual, he received mostly critical comments for this statement, including from his own supporters.
