Trump faces prospect of congressional vote on releasing Epstein files | Donald Trump

Donald Trump faces the prospect of a politically damaging vote in Congress on the release of the Jeffery Epstein files after attempts to pressure two female members of Congress to withdraw their support appeared to have failed.

The reported refusal of Lauren Boebert, a Republican representative from Colorado, and Nancy Macy, of South Carolina, to remove their names from a discharge petition seeking to force a vote leaves Trump exposed on an issue that carries the possibility of turning segments of his Maga base against him.

Boebert reportedly strongly supported the petition after being invited by Trump to the White House in an effort to persuade her to withdraw her signature, according to the New York Times.

The outlet reported that the meeting took place hours after Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released a trove of emails from the records suggesting that Trump may have known more about Epstein’s minor sex trafficking activities than he had previously admitted.

The late disgraced financier — who committed suicide in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial — wrote in an email that Trump, his former close friend, “knew about the girls.”

The New York Times reported that the White House sought to persuade Boebert to change his mind – appealing to Pam Bondi, the attorney general, and FBI Director Kash Patel – before issuing “vague threats” when the tactic didn’t work.

The newspaper, citing people “familiar with her thinking,” reports that the tough approach had the counterproductive effect of persuading Boebert that there might be a plot to cover up the contents of the files and led her to do some digging.

Trump reportedly tried in vain to contact Mace, candidate for governor of South Carolina, by phone. She then wrote him a letter explaining her history of sexual abuse and rape, and explaining that she could not change his mind on the petition.

She later wrote in a social media post that “Epstein’s petition is deeply personal.”

Two other Republican representatives, Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Trump loyalist and Georgia representative, and Thomas Massie of Kentucky, signed the petition.

The 218 votes needed to pass it and allow a vote in the House of Representatives were obtained this week with the swearing in of Democratic Rep. Adelita Grijalva, more than two months after winning a special election in Arizona following the death of her father, who was the sitting representative.

Democrats accused Mike Johnson, the Speaker of the House, of deliberately delaying Grijalva’s swearing-in in an effort to deny the petition enough votes to pass it and block the possibility of a vote. Trump lobbied behind the scenes to prevent a vote from reaching the House.

Ro Khanna, a Democratic representative from California, predicts that between 40 and 50 Republicans could vote to release the files in a final vote, joining forces with Democrats who vote in favor. The bill will still have to go to the Senate, where it is unlikely to pass. Trump, who was equivocal about disclosing the records during last year’s election campaign, could veto a final bill even if it passes both chambers.

However, the very prospect of a favorable vote by the Republican-controlled House could spell serious political trouble for Trump, as it could fuel clamors from his political base for the records to be unsealed and undermine his support.

Politico quoted a Trump ally as saying the latest email postings took “things that are already complicated for the president and [brought] bring them to the surface.

“It’s like adding salt to a dish: the flavors are already there, this just accentuates them,” said the anonymous ally.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the emailed statements a “distraction campaign by Democrats and the liberal media.”

“This is why I get asked about Epstein instead of the government reopening because of Republicans and President Trump,” she said.

The renewed speculation about Epstein coincided with Trump signing a congressionally approved spending package that officially ended a federal government shutdown that, at 43 days, was the longest in U.S. history. It also comes after the Supreme Court indicated it may overturn its flagship tariff policy.