Lara Trump demands ‘more transparency' on Epstein files
Donald Trump is facing a major backlash from Maga loyalists who fear a cover up after the department of justice concluded earlier this month that the paedophile financier had no 'client list' and died by suicide, not murder, in a Manhattan jail in 2019.
The president's daughter-in-law on Monday waded into the heated row, saying she hopes the administration will soon release additional documents from the investigation into Epstein.
'I do think that there needs to be more transparency on this, and I think that that will happen,' she said during a podcast with conservative commentator Benny Johnson.
'I believe that there will probably be more coming on this. And I believe anything that they are able to release that doesn't, you know, damage any witnesses or anyone underage or anything like that, I believe they'll probably try to get out sooner rather than later.'
Her comments put her at odds with White House officials, who have ruled out releasing further records related to Epstein and claimed there is no conspiracy surrounding the sex offender's death.
Mr Trump's fiercest allies have turned on Pam Bondi, the attorney general, for over-promising how much information would be disclosed, arguing she was either lying when she drummed up anticipation for the release of the files or is now withholding details.
Ms Bondi claimed in February that Epstein's client list was 'sitting on my desk', only to later backtrack, with the White House claiming she was referencing the 'entirety of all of the paperwork and relation to Jeffrey Epstein'.
Mrs Trump, a former co-chairwoman of the Republican National Committee who is hotly tipped to run for Senate in North Carolina, sought to placate dissent among Maga supporters, claiming there was 'no great plot'.
'To everybody out there who's all worked up about it, there's no great plot to keep this information away that I'm aware of,' she said.
With the row refusing to die down, Maga hardliners including Laura Loomer warned on X that the 'lack of results at the DOJ and lack of transparency' could 'cost the GOP House and Senate seats' in next year's midterm elections.
Lt Gen Mike Flynn, Mr Trump's national security adviser from his first administration, also wrote on the platform that the Epstein affair 'is not going away'.
In a bid to clamp down on dissent, the president called Charlie Kirk on Monday after the prominent conservative activist expressed frustration with Ms Bondi.
Following the conversation, Mr Kirk told viewers of his show, Real America's Voice, that he is 'done talking about Epstein for the time being' and would trust the administration to 'solve it'.
Echoing Mrs Trump's suggestion, sources close to the administration have said that Mr Trump's team is planning to offer 'half-measure' concessions to contain the fallout.
Options under consideration include removing redactions from previously released documents, appointing a special counsel to review the case and petitioning courts to unseal records, Axios reported.
Republican lawmakers have sought to distance themselves from the scandal, with John Thune, the Senate majority leader, telling reporters: 'I'll leave that up to DoJ and to the FBI.'
'I think that's in their purview. I think the president's expressed his views on it and so I'll just leave it at that,' he said.
Asked if the justice department should provide more information about Epstein-related documents, GOP senator Chuck Grassley told The Hill: 'I think I've said all I should say.'
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