A growing number of MAGA-aligned Republican lawmakers are at odds with US President Donald Trump over his administration’s refusal to release more information about pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.Once some of Trump’s closest allies, several far-right members of Congress are now publicly criticising his stance on the Epstein case and accusing the administration of backtracking on promises to reveal the full truth about the disgraced financier, reports New York Times.The unrest comes as Trump also faces conservative pushback on foreign policy issues involving Iran and Ukraine.
Marjorie Taylor Greene : ‘A punch in the gut’
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who built her political career on populist rage and conspiracy theories, including those linked to Epstein, has emerged as one of the most vocal critics of the administration’s position on Epstein files.“It’s a full reversal on what was all said beforehand, and people are just not willing to accept it,” she told reporters. Referring to the Justice Department’s statement that no further disclosures about Epstein would be “appropriate or warranted,” Greene said, “I don’t accept it, and I don’t think anyone else should accept it.”She added, “It’s a punch in the gut when regular people go to jail all the time, when they mess up and do something wrong, and then it always seems the rich, powerful elites escape.”
Nancy Mace: ‘Every platform, every phone call’
Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina echoed the frustration, saying that calls for transparency on Epstein have dominated communication with her office.“It’s the only thing we’ve heard about for the last 100 hours,” she said. “It’s every social media platform, every phone call into the office.”Mace said she supported the appointment of a special counsel to investigate whether evidence had been destroyed or key figures had been shielded. “If the Justice Department can be more transparent on this, it would be best for the country,” she said. “People don’t trust the government, and we haven’t given them much reason to over the past few years.”
Mike Johnson: ‘Put everything out there’
Even Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, a close ally of Trump, has cautiously sided with those seeking more openness.“We should put everything out there and let the people decide,” he said during an appearance on The Benny Show. While Johnson added that it was “not my lane,” he made clear he supported the general call for transparency.
Tim Burchett: ‘Aggravated at Pam Bondi’
Representative Tim Burchett of Tennessee stopped short of criticising Trump directly, but voiced displeasure over Attorney General Pam Bondi’s handling of the case.“I’m aggravated at Pam Bondi, claiming the list is on her desk,” he said, referencing earlier comments from Bondi suggesting she had access to Epstein-related material. Bondi’s department later claimed no such list existed.Still, Burchett avoided placing blame on Trump, saying, “I haven’t spoken to the president about it. I don’t know the reasoning there.”
Thomas Massie and the Discharge Petition
Seeking to force the issue, Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky said he would introduce a discharge petition to compel a floor vote on releasing Epstein files. Discharge petitions, while rarely successful, can bypass leadership if they gather majority support.Massie is also co-sponsoring a bill with Democrat Ro Khanna to declassify all non-sensitive Epstein documents, while protecting the identities of victims.
Democrats aware of the split
Democrats are closely watching the Republican split. Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland said, “This is definitely not a reason for [Pam Bondi] to resign, because it’s clear that Donald Trump is the one who is calling the tune here.”While some GOP members push for transparency, the party leadership remains aligned with the president. Earlier this week, House Republicans blocked a Democratic proposal that would have forced a debate on the Epstein files. Only one Republican on the Rules Committee, Representative Ralph Norman, broke ranks to vote with Democrats.Still, lawmakers like Representative Marc Veasey, a Democrat from Texas, said the push for the files transcends party lines: “The president makes these claims, and people want to make sure children aren’t being abused.”
