Trump lashes out at Republicans questioning his handling of Jeffrey Epstein case

President Donald Trump on Wednesday attacked fellow Republicans who have been raising questions about his administration’s handling of the case of deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

In a social media post, Trump suggested that the GOP skeptics were playing into the hands of Democrats, who he said “stick together like glue,” in contrast with Republicans.

Democrats’ “new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this ‘bullshit,’ hook, line, and sinker,” Trump wrote. “They haven’t learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for 8 long years.”

Trump echoed those comments while speaking to reporters later Wednesday in the Oval Office, saying the “hoax” surrounding Epstein has been “perpetrated by the Democrats and some stupid Republicans, and foolish Republicans fall into the net.”

Trump has spent recent days trying to quell criticism from some of his supporters over his administration’s decision not to release files from the case. Democrats have sought to deepen the divide among Republicans by amplifying the criticism and suggesting Trump has a personal motivation to keep the information from the public, despite his campaign promises last year to release it.

The president argued Wednesday that the Republicans questioning his handling of the case were distracting from the success of his administration in other areas.

“Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work, don’t even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I don’t want their support anymore!” Trump said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) said Tuesday that he supported the release of the files. He said in a podcast interview that it was a “very delicate subject, but we should put everything out there and let the people decide it.”

Democrats in the House have sought to put the GOP on the record on the issue, trying procedural maneuvers to pave the way for a vote to release the files. They have been unsuccessful.

In the Senate, Arizona Democrat Ruben Gallego introduced a resolution seeking the release of information about the Epstein case. Gallego said in a statement that Trump “owes an explanation to America, was he lying to America for the last 8 years or is he covering up for his rich elite friends?”

A CNN poll released Tuesday found that half of Americans were dissatisfied with the amount of information the federal government has put out about the case. Only 3 percent said they were satisfied, while 46 percent said it did not matter either way or they had not heard enough about the matter to have an opinion.

Trump’s post attacking fellow Republicans came a day after he seemed to soften his attitude toward the controversy after days of digging in. He told reporters Tuesday he thought Attorney General Pam Bondi should release “whatever she thinks is credible” from the case files. Trump repeated that Wednesday.

“Whatever’s credible, she can release,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office during a meeting with Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa.