GOP pressure mounting for Epstein files release

The Hill

6 days ago

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In today's issue:
▪ MAGA vs. the Epstein memo
▪ Senate muscles through $9B clawback
▪ Takeaways from Hill Nation Summit
▪ Fed chair in Trump's crosshairs
Furor over the Jeffrey Epstein memo is picking up steam in Washington, raising pressure on President Trump 's administration to shift tacks even as the president ramps up efforts to castigate allies demanding more info.
Trump has rebuked those on the right who have added their voice to calls for more documents to be released relating to the disgraced financier and sex offender, and escalated his reproach on Wednesday.
'Some stupid Republicans and foolish Republicans fall into the net, and so they try and do the Democrats' work,' Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, repeating his characterization that it's a Democratic-pushed 'hoax.'
The president sought to disavow his supporters who have called for the release of the files, chiding them as 'weaklings' who 'bought into this bulls—.' He pointedly wrote: 'I don't want their support anymore!'
'This has been the biggest split in the MAGA base that I've seen in my time,' Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who has joined with at least half a dozen Republicans in pushing for more documents, said at Wednesday's Hill Nation Summit.
House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said at the summit that Attorney General Pam Bondi will likely be brought before the committee after the August recess for annual oversight testimony and he expects the Epstein files will be brought up. All 19 Democrats on the committee on Tuesday sent a letter to Jordan demanding Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel testify before the panel.
▪ The Hill: 5 takeaways from the Hill Nation Summit.
▪ The Hill: Trump's coalition is a 'new Republican Party' that can answer the frustrations of voters, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Wednesday at the summit.
The controversy surrounding the Epstein saga exploded this month after Trump's Department of Justice released an unsigned memo asserting the government has no evidence that the deceased financier and sexual predator maintained a 'client list,' or attempted to blackmail powerful figures who might have committed crimes with minors. The DOJ and FBI also reaffirmed that Epstein died by suicide.
Despite Trump's latest comments, The Hill's Niall Stanage writes in The Memo that the president's attempts to quell the Epstein story may not be successful. Republicans and Democrats continue to press for more disclosure.
Former Vice President Mike Pence called on the Trump administration to release all records, saying 'the time has come' for transparency and he knows of 'no reason' to not release additional material.
MAGA influencer Laura Loomer called on the president to appoint a special counsel to investigate the matter, a topic Trump sidestepped when questioned by reporters.
Rep. Robert Garcia (Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, urged his colleagues Wednesday to 'demand answers' regarding the Epstein files.
'It's obvious to the American public, someone is lying, and someone is trying to hide something,' Garcia said on the House floor Wednesday. 'The truth is we don't know what the facts are in this case.'
Meanwhile, Maurene Comey, a Manhattan federal prosecutor who worked on the criminal cases against Epstein and his associate G hislaine Maxwell, was fired on Wednesday. The details of her dismissal are unclear. Comey is the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, who was fired by Trump during his first term.
▪ NPR: Is Trump's MAGA coalition splintering over the Epstein case?
▪ The Hill: The Epstein situation has put a spotlight on Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino, who encouraged conspiracy theories about Epstein as a private citizen and clashed with Bondi over the issue.
▪ NBC News: MAGA-friendly media has been torn over how to respond to a base that wants more on the Epstein files and a president who wants it to move on.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is seeking to close the distance between himself and the president when it comes to the Epstein files.
On Tuesday, the House GOP leader broke with Trump when he said the administration 'should put everything out there and let the people decide.'
But on Wednesday, the Speaker said his words were 'misrepresented' and insisted there's no daylight between his position and that of Trump.
'We're for transparency,' Johnson told reporters at the Capitol. 'I'm saying the same thing the president is, that, I mean, you need to have all of the credible information released for the American people to make their decision. We trust the American people. And I know the president does, as well, that's an important principle to abide by here.'
One thing is clear: As the Epstein saga drags on, the president's most loyal supporters — who leaned into conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein and the 'deep state' ahead of the 2024 election — aren't letting up in their calls for accountability and the answers they have been promised for years.
Smart Take with Blake Burman
At Wednesday's Hill Nation Summit, I interviewed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Our conversation lasted about 20 minutes, and we covered everything from immigration, to cyberterrorism, to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. I ended the interview by asking about the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) decision to stop requiring passengers to take off their shoes for screening.
The audience broke out into applause at the first mention of the topic. Noem also teased several potential announcements we could see in the future, including an easier TSA screening process and a change to size limitations for carry-on liquids.
For a secretary who is in the news often on account of the many agencies she oversees (Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and the Secret Service, just to name a few), the TSA reforms are clear political winners that will cross the aisle, whether you're on a plane or following politics.
Burman hosts 'The Hill' weeknights, 6p/5c on NewsNation.
3 Things to Know Today
' REAL cane sugar in Coke' in the U.S., Trump trumpeted on social media, saying the recipe will change. Coca-Cola, which has used corn syrup to defray costs, said 'more details' will be shared soon.
Auction oddities on Wednesday fetched enormous bids. A piece of Mars went for $5 million and a dinosaur skeleton fetched more than $30 million in a bidding frenzy.
States and mental health organizations are bracing for the closure of a specialized service for LGBTQ youth within the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Leading the Day
SENATE PASSES RESCISSIONS, TOSSING TO HOUSE: In another win for Trump and Republicans, the Senate muscled through amendment votes overnight to pass a slightly modified rescissions measure that would claw back $9 billion that Congress previously approved for foreign aid and public broadcasting.
The vote was 51-48. Moderate Republicans Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) joined their Democratic colleagues in opposing the bill, which heads to the House today in a race toward a possible floor vote within hours to comply with a Friday midnight deadline.
Democrats, leaning into the 60-vote Senate leverage they have by September to keep the government funded, have threatened to abandon any bipartisan spending deal for the next fiscal year's budget, which begins in October, if Republicans move ahead to rescind funding Congress agreed to. They have called it a question of trust.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) warned during the Hill Nation Summit on Wednesday that radio stations would be significantly impacted by funding cuts to rescind $1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
'These rural stations are often the lifeblood of these communities when it comes to emergency alerts,' Klobuchar said, citing coverage of air quality and wildfires in Canada as an example. 'These are things that, they sound small, but they would bring the community together.'
▪ The Hill: Trump funding cuts to PBS set to hit free educational content for kids.
▪ Politico: The White House is eyeing candidate alternatives to Collins if she does not seek reelection next year. She previously said she will run.
▪ The Hill: Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) was hospitalized overnight Wednesday in Washington for tests after feeling ill.
CRYPTO MOVEMENT: House Republicans cleared a key procedural hurdle Wednesday night to unlock consideration of a trio of cryptocurrency bills, unfreezing the floor after a two-day saga, The Hill's Mychael Schnell and Julia Shapero report.
In a 217-212 vote, the chamber adopted a rule to govern debate on the legislation after most of the Republicans who opposed the procedural effort on Tuesday flipped their position.
The vote Wednesday remained open for well over eight hours as lawmakers negotiated behind the scenes, making history as the longest vote in the House two weeks after the previous record was set amid negotiations over Trump's 'big, beautiful bill.'
▪ The Hill: Trump on Wednesday signed a measure into law to toughen fentanyl-related drug penalties.
PUMMELING POWELL: The president may yet change his mind, but on Wednesday afternoon said it was 'highly unlikely' he would fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell before his term in that role ends in May.
Still, the president conceded he polled a group of House conservatives on Tuesday at the White House, reportedly with a letter of termination in hand, to gauge their thinking about the central banker he calls a 'knucklehead' for not lowering interest rates.
'I think he does a terrible job,' Trump told reporters when asked about news reports that he was preparing to ' soon' fire the chair he appointed in 2017. Those headlines briefly caused market jitters and rekindled an unprecedented ongoing drama about politics, presidential authority and who gets to steer monetary policy.
Senate Republicans are warning the president and his advisers that firing the Fed chief would send ' shock waves ' through financial markets. Banking Committee member Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said he did not think any president has that authority.
Treasury Department Secretary Scott Bessent, one of a handful of candidates mentioned to be Trump's next Fed pick, said the president 'is not looking to fire Chair Powell,' adding during a Bloomberg TV interview on Tuesday that ' an independent central bank is very important for the conduct of monetary policy and we can see that in terms of the financial markets.'
By law, the president could fire the chair for 'cause,' and Trump and White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett, another potential candidate to lead the central bank, have floated the suggestion that a $2.5 billion renovation of the 1937 Federal Reserve headquarters could sink Powell on his watch if there is, as the president mentioned without any evidence, 'fraud.'
' They're laying the predicate for doing this,' Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) said at the Hill Nation Summit.
▪ The Hill: White House trade adviser Peter Navarro told the summit in Washington that Powell is the 'worst Fed chair in history.'
▪ The Hill: House GOP split over whether Trump should try to fire the Fed chair, which by law requires 'cause.'
▪ The Hill: Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) on potential Powell firing: 'I'm not there yet.'
Trump's irritation with the central bank, to some observers, is the president's way of 'playing the ref.' Powell has described the criticism as 'noise' and has shown no indication he plans to step down early.
Speaker Johnson on Wednesday told reporters he was 'not sure' Trump could fire Powell.
'I believe new leadership would be helpful at the Fed. And I believe interest rates need to be adjusted, and I agree with the president's assessment on some of those decisions,' Johnson said. ' So, we'll have to see.'
SOLIDLY SECURE: To recap Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem 's headline at the Hill Nation Summit on Wednesday, the Transportation Security Administration under her is working to streamline domestic air travel with new security screening that could free travelers from certain limits on the size of liquids and gels packed in carry-on baggage.
Noem said her department is in discussion with 'several' companies about making it happen. 'Hopefully the future of an airport where I'm looking to go is that you walk in the door with your carry-on suitcase, you walk through a scanner and go right to your flight.'
That walk, she suggested, could require just 'one' minute to get to a traveler's gate.
▪ The Hill: 7 key moments from the Hill Nation Summit.
When and Where
Zoom In
' NOT READY TO ENDORSE': That's the signal from Trump amid the hotly contested GOP primary in Texas between Republican Sen. John Cornyn and conservative challenger Ken Paxton, the state's attorney general, and not the message either candidate — but especially the incumbent — wants to hear.
'I've talked to him about it a number of times. He is not ready to make that endorsement,' Cornyn told NBC News. 'I think as we start advertising and closing the gap in the polls, hopefully he'll see fit to make that endorsement, but we can't wait.'
'I pointed out to him, and he knows this, that if he endorsed me, the race would be over,' the senator added.
Cornyn has lagged in recent polls as Paxton pitches his MAGA bona fides and downplays a pileup of personal controversies, including a 2023 impeachment and subsequent acquittal on 16 articles against him. And the race is becoming increasingly expensive.
Paxton raked in $2.9 million in the second quarter while Cornyn's campaign raised close to $4 million between his principal campaign committee and joint fundraising committee. Cornyn has remained competitive in the money chase, reports The Hill's Caroline Vakil. The senator's campaign reported $5.9 million in the bank compared with $2.5 million for Paxton.
Redistricting retribution?: Texas Democrats assailed Trump's plan to redraw their state's political map in the middle of the decade, The Texas Tribune reports, after the president said his party could flip a handful of congressional districts in the Lone Star State next year through 'just a very simple redrawing.'
House Democrats in Washington need to net three seats next year to seize control from Republicans, which is why Trump is turning to reliably red Texas.
Pondering a sort of map-math throwdown, House Democrats, Democratic leadership and representatives for blue state governors have been meeting to discuss a plan to redistrict their own states to favor Democrats if the Texas plan goes through.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) says if Texas gerrymanders its House seats, he'll do the same in his state. 'Two can play that game,' he warned Trump and Republicans this week.
Two Democrats involved in the talks told the Tribune they are confident Democratic-controlled states will come to their aid. But some political analysts are skeptical. Los Angeles Times political columnist Mark Barabak writes that Newsom is 'all hat and no cattle' because the mapmaking in California is by law in the hands of the voters.
▪ The Hill: Democrats seek to close a social media gap with the GOP and Trump.
Elsewhere
SYRIA: Government officials and leaders in the Druze religious minority announced a ceasefire Wednesday after days of clashes threatened to unravel the country's fledgling government and resulted in military strikes by Israel — including on military sites in Damascus. Israeli strikes continued after the truce was announced.
The Trump administration had asked Israel to halt its strikes on government targets and to open direct talks with Damascus. Israel said it was intervening to defend the Druze sect, whose community straddles the border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters Wednesday that he believed Israel's strike on Damascus was 'likely a misunderstanding,' after officials in Washington expressed concern that the attacks could destabilize Syria's postwar transition.
'We've been engaged with them all morning long and all night long, with both sides,' Rubio said. 'We think we're on our way towards real de-escalation.'
▪ The New York Times: Israel and Iran usher in a new era of psychological warfare.
▪ NBC News: The Trump administration called on Israel to investigate the 'terrorist' killing of an American in the occupied West Bank.
▪ Axios: Rubio is considering eliminating the U.S. security coordinator role for the West Bank and Gaza as part of a broader staffing overhaul.
UKRAINE: Russia continued its nightly bombardment of Ukraine after Trump announced his decision to supply Ukraine with new military aid and the White House threatened further economic measures against Moscow.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin would make a decision about how to respond to Trump.
Moscow launched hundreds of drones toward four key regions in Ukraine just as lawmakers in Kyiv scrambled to approve additional defense spending. Russia's strikes pelted multiple cities — including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky 's hometown.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Wednesday repeated his warnings that Europe needs to face Russia's threat, and reiterated that Kyiv was ready for peace talks anytime.
'Having no success on the battlefield, the Kremlin is directing air terror against our peaceful cities and communities, against civilians,' he said.
▪ Reuters: Trump promised Patriots for Ukraine. Now Europe has to provide them.
AFRICAN OFFICIALS and observers are surprised by Trump's recent focus on the continent, where the U.S. has lagged behind China, Russia and Middle Eastern countries in building economic ties, The Hill's Laura Kelly reports. Trump's hosting of five West African leaders at the White House last week provided an enormous platform for attention.
'It was an interesting first step, pretty unexpected, and I hope they will be able, on both sides, to build something significant from there,' said Rama Yade, senior director of the Atlantic Council's Africa Center.
Opinion
Trump is doing something no one wants, by Lydia Polgreen, columnist, The New York Times.
Don't fire Jerome Powell, Mr. President, by the Wall Street Journal editorial board.
The Closer
And finally … It's Thursday, which means it's time for this week's Morning Report Quiz! Inspired by the rescissions package in Congress, we're eager for some smart guesses about appropriated funds.
Be sure to email your responses to [e-mail] and [e-mail] — please add 'Quiz' to your subject line. Winners who submit correct answers will enjoy some richly deserved newsletter fame on Friday.
By law, what can a president do to implement government funding bills?
1. Spend the money
2. Send a special message to Congress deferring the spending
3. Propose to cut the funding permanently through rescissions
4. All of the above
Congress has 45 days to pass a rescissions package once it's requested by the White House.
1. True
2. False
What year did Congress pass the law allowing presidents to request to cancel appropriated funds?
1. 1974
2. 1798
3. 1865
4. 1999
The 2025 rescissions package does NOT target which of these funding areas?
1. Foreign aid
2. Public media
3. The Department of Defense
4. Migration and refugee assistance