Trump Labels Epstein Controversy ‘Irrelevant Democrat Hoax’ Amid Capitol Hill Transparency Battle
Trump Labels Epstein Controversy ‘Irrelevant Democrat Hoax’ Amid Capitol Hill Transparency Battle
President Donald Trump dismissed the Jeffrey Epstein controversy as an “irrelevant Democrat hoax” on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, even as a bipartisan effort on Capitol Hill to force the release of all related files gained significant momentum.
Speaking from the Oval Office, President Trump stated, “This is a Democrat hoax that never ends,” when questioned about the push for greater transparency surrounding the deceased sex offender. He claimed thousands of pages had already been released and characterized the issue as diverting attention from his administration’s successes.
Trump’s comments came as a group of survivors joined House members in a growing campaign to compel the Justice Department to release records currently withheld from Congress. Survivor Haley Robson strongly refuted Trump’s characterization, stating it felt like “being gutted from the inside out” and inviting the President to meet her in person to understand the trauma involved.
The push is centered around a discharge petition led by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, which had garnered 206 signatures as of Wednesday afternoon, just 12 shy of the 218 needed to force a House floor vote. Four Republicans, including Massie, Nancy Mace, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Lauren Boebert, have signed on.
However, House Speaker Mike Johnson urged Republicans to oppose the petition during a closed conference meeting, advocating instead for the ongoing investigation by the House Oversight Committee. Johnson argued that the committee’s efforts, which include subpoena authority and access to Epstein estate documents, are more comprehensive and have the “force of law.”
Johnson revealed he spoke with Trump on Tuesday night, who reportedly instructed him to “get it out there” and “put it all out there.” The Speaker dismissed Massie’s petition as “irrelevant and unnecessary” and suggested that survivors were being “misled” by members politicizing the issue.
The House Oversight Committee released tens of thousands of pages related to Epstein on Tuesday night, but Rep. Khanna highlighted that “less than 1% of these files have been released,” underscoring the demand for full disclosure. Jeffrey Epstein was arrested in July 2019 on conspiracy and child sex trafficking charges, dying in custody a month later in what was ruled a suicide.
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