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First Post
29 minutes ago
- Politics
- First Post
Trump lashes out at his Maga supporters over Epstein Files scandal, calls them 'weaklings'
US President Donald Trump slammed his Maga supporters who are questioning his administration over the Epstein Files. He described his base as 'weaklings', calling the whole client list saga a 'hoax' read more In a rare instance, US President Donald Trump lashed out against his own supporters, describing them as 'weaklings' and 'gullible' over the Epstein Files scandal. Trump slammed his 'Make America Great Again' (MAGA) supporters for questioning the transparency of a secretive government inquiry into late high-profile sex offender and British financier Jeffrey Epstein. The president has been struggling to curtail the political crisis that has emerged within his usually loyal Maga base, with his supporters suspecting that the Trump administration is hiding details regarding Epstein's crimes. Some believe that the administration is doing so to protect the rich elite Epstein is associated with, including Trump. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The American commander-in-chief took out his aggression in a lengthy post on his social media platform TruthSocial. On Wednesday, the Potus accused his voters of what he referred to as a 'radical left hoax', which is being spread by his opposition, in a bid to discredit him. 'Their 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. They haven't learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for 8 long years,' Trump wrote in his social media rant. '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 any more!' he added. Trump is upset with his own supporters In a separate interview with Real America's Voice, the far-right network created to host Steve Bannon's podcast, the American leader doubled down on his proclamation over what should be done with the details surrounding the Epstein case. On Wednesday, he said that the FBI should investigate what he called the 'Jeffrey Epstein hoax' as part of a criminal conspiracy against him. 'They could look at this Jeffrey Epstein hoax also, because that's the same stuff, that's all put out by Democrats,' Trump said. 'And you know some of the naive Republicans fall right into line.' One of the most prominent theories circulating among Trump supporters is that Epstein, who killed himself in 2019 while in federal custody, was murdered by powerful figures to cover up their roles in his sex crimes against children. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Republican voters and notable political figures have pressed Trump to release the documents related to the case publicly. Trump's recent comments were an angry departure from his previous attempts to placate his backers. On Tuesday, he attempted to divert attention by calling the infamous case 'boring softly'. He then went on to back the release of any 'credible' files, without specifying what those were. 'I don't understand why the Jeffrey Epstein case would be of interest to anybody,' Trump told reporters on Tuesday night when asked why his supporters are so interested in the case. 'It's pretty boring stuff. It's sordid, but it's boring, and I don't understand why it keeps going.' 'I think really only pretty bad people, including fake news, want to keep something like that going,' he added. 'But credible information, let them give it. Anything credible, I would say, let them have it.' The memo that sent the shockwaves Things started to spiral down last week after the US Department of Justice and FBI issued a memo stating that a review of the case files had confirmed that Epstein had killed himself, and there was no list of his clients to be made public. Conservative allies soon focused their anger on the attorney general, Pam Bondi, who was leading the case, as she previously boasted that Epstein's client list was 'sitting on my desk right now to review'. Trump himself has maintained a similar tone in the past. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD During his election campaign, Trump fuelled multiple conspiracies by his Maga movement, including that the country was controlled by shadowy 'deep state' elites. At that time, he also pledged to release the Epstein Files in their entirety. Hence, Trump's recent stance has garnered anger among his base. Even his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, a Fox News host, has been critical, saying: 'I do think that there needs to be more transparency on this.' Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Mike Johnson, the speaker of the House, called for the Justice Department to make the document public, breaking with Trump in a rare moment of friction between the allies. 'It's a very delicate subject, but we should put everything out there and let the people decide it,' Johnson told Benny Johnson, a rightwing podcaster, in an interview released on Tuesday. 'I agree with the sentiment that we need to put it out there," he added.
New York Post
an hour ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Miranda Devine: Trump's base wants the truth about Epstein — and many other injustices — whether prez cries ‘hoax' or not
As much as President Trump and the White House would like everyone to shut up and move on from the dead pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, a new poll shows that the scandal isn't going away. Rasmussen polling this week shows Trump has suffered a sharp drop in approval over the period of the Epstein brouhaha, plummeting from a plus-4 popularity rating to a negative-4 in three weeks. The poll of 1,164 likely voters conducted on July 8-10 found that just 21% believe the Trump FBI and DOJ are telling the truth about Epstein, who was found hanged in his jail cell in 2019. Advertisement While FBI Director Kash Patel and deputy Dan Bongino insist that Epstein committed suicide, only 31% of voters believe them. 'You can't just say 'Trust me, bro,' ' says Mark Mitchell, Rasmussen's head pollster. 'Roughly two-thirds of every political category — 68% of Democrats, 66% of Republicans and 69% of unaffiliated voters — reject the idea that the Epstein case is closed and instead believe that there are dozens of powerful and wealthy offenders who need to face justice.' Advertisement Epstein is a self-inflicted wound by the administration that has Trump venting on social media at his 'PAST' supporters and 'weaklings' of the MAGA base who have bought the 'bulls–t' of the 'Jeffrey Epstein Hoax.' '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!' Echoes of Biden Mitchell says Trump's plummeting poll numbers echo Joe Biden's precipitous and permanent decline after the catastrophic Afghanistan withdrawal. 'People want criminal accountability,' he says. Advertisement 'The FBI interfered with two elections in a row.' Yet nobody has been punished. The fury is not just about Epstein. He's dead, by suicide in his jail cell, solo or assisted. Advertisement His pimp girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell is in jail. Every week, Post columnist Miranda Devine sits down for exclusive and candid conversations with the most influential disruptors in Washington. Subscribe here! But the Epstein scandal is symbolic of the absence of accountability for past crimes against the American people. The president, who won in part by echoing deep distrust in the institutions and stoking legitimate grievances, hasn't delivered heads on pikes. The FBI and DOJ act as if that's a low priority. Trump is understandably infuriated that the Epstein business is soaking up so much attention, seeing he works from dawn to midnight fixing the disasters unleashed by Biden. But all those supporters who chanted 'lock her up' at his 2016 rallies were disappointed when he broke his promise to investigate 'Crooked' Hillary Clinton and instead offered her grace, saying 'leave her alone' and praising her as 'strong and smart.' Trump supporters grudgingly accepted it as a one-off sacrifice for the good of national unity. Advertisement Fat lot of good that did! What ensued was the Clinton campaign-inspired Russia hoax, a weaponized FBI and CIA targeting Trump and his allies for the next eight years and an array of fake controversies peddled to an all too eager media. There was the 'pee tape,' the 'Very Fine People' Hoax, the 'Suckers and Losers' Hoax, the Russian Bounties Hoax, the 'Drinking Bleach' Hoax, the 'Lafayette Square Tear Gas' Hoax and, of course, the 'Hunter Biden Laptop is Russian Disinfo' Hoax. Two impeachments later it was obvious that extending grace to deceitful Democrats is a mug's game, so this time everyone thought that Trump would come back into office and eke out retribution. Business as usual Advertisement Six months on, it's business as usual. Kash Patel wasted no time putting on an FBI cap, jetting around to hockey games in the FBI private jet and pledging allegiance to the troops he had so recently castigated. Now he claims they deserve more than anything an expensive new headquarters. No. They don' FBI is rotten. Advertisement That was the mantra of the Trump campaign, and certainly of Patel and Bongino. They were going to crack down on everyone involved in the weaponization efforts against Trump and his supporters. 'Lock them up' was the chant. And again nothing happened. Advertisement In fact, worse than nothing. Steven Jensen, the architect of the FBI's overzealous Jan. 6 investigations, was appointed to lead the Washington Field Office. Get Miranda's latest take Sign up for Devine Online, the newsletter from Miranda Devine Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Want even more news? Check out more newsletters We were promised a good reason would soon be revealed. Three months later, crickets. There has been zero accountability for the FBI targeting traditional Catholics as incipient domestic terrorists. The 'Radical Traditionalist Catholics' memo of 2023 was not an isolated error as former Director Chris Wray claimed. Sen. Chuck Grassley has revealed it was an action item pumped out to more than 1,000 FBI employees over multiple field offices. Meanwhile, the handful of valiant whistleblowers who exposed the corruption, like Steve Friend and Garret O'Boyle, have been abandoned by Patel, who once posed as their champion. The way to solve the disillusionment embodied in the Epstein furor is not pumping out Truth Socials calling the whole thing a hoax. It's not telling people there's nothing there. It's not releasing a doctored video of Epstein's jail cell with one minute missing — or as the lefty rag Wired claims, '2 minutes and 53 seconds.' That just added gasoline to the fire. As distasteful and time-consuming as it for a White House busy with important matters of state, someone has to grab hold of this whirling dervish and fast. Already you can bet devious Dems are concocting some new version of the 'pee tape' to bring down Trump, or at least depress his poll numbers so they win the midterms. 'No client list' Alan Dershowitz, Jeffrey Epstein's former lawyer, claims there is no 'client list' and that courts have sealed all FBI interview records of alleged victims. 'I know who they are. They don't include any current officeholders.' People have confused Epstein's 'client list' with his little black book — hundreds of names of all the rich and famous people he ever met. Dershowitz was falsely accused of being an abuser and had to fight to clear his name. But it's a pity that Dershowitz-style clarity has not come from the FBI, DOJ or White House, all of which appear to have been caught flat-footed by a conspiracy that MAGA influencers have been whipping up for a decade. One communications expert in the administration believes the FBI should release a detailed timeline and flowchart of everything known about the Epstein case and hold a press conference to answer every question. If it's really some Russiagate-style plot, then expose it. If the FBI or DOJ botched the initial Epstein investigation or acted corruptly in the sweetheart plea deal, expose it. The CIA should say whether Epstein was an intelligence asset. But beyond that tawdry case, there has to be accountability for the deep state witch hunts against Trump and his supporters. And where is the accountability on the COVID lies and censorship? Heads on pikes, nothing less.
AsiaOne
an hour ago
- Politics
- AsiaOne
Trump says supporters questioning Jeffrey Epstein case are 'weaklings', World News
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (July 16) attacked fellow Republicans critical of his administration's handling of the case of dead sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. On social media and in the Oval Office, Trump lashed out at allies he said were falling for a "hoax" pushed by Democrats, who "unlike Republicans... stick together like glue." Epstein, a wealthy financier and convicted sex offender, was facing federal charges of sex-trafficking minors when he died by suicide in jail in 2019. He had pleaded not guilty, and the case was dismissed after his death. Some of Trump's most loyal followers were enraged when the Trump administration last week reversed course on its pledge to release documents it had suggested contained major revelations about Epstein and his alleged clientele. "It's all been a big hoax," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "It's perpetrated by the Democrats and some stupid Republicans, and foolish Republicans fall into the net and so they try and do the Democrats' work." On Truth Social earlier in the day, Trump said of Republicans raising concerns about the case: "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!" The backlash over the Epstein case has laid bare tensions inside Trump's coalition and is testing one of Trump's most enduring political strengths: his ability to command loyalty and control the narrative across the right. A former Trump adviser, Mike Flynn, on Wednesday said on X that the matter was not a hoax. "With my strongest recommendation, please gather your team and figure out a way to move past this," he said. .@realDonaldTrump I hesitated to write this however, with the utmost respect and deference to you for all you've withstood (few know it better than me what the 'deep state' can do when they want to turn on a person). The EPSTEIN AFFAIR is NOT about who killed him or if he… — General Mike Flynn (@GenFlynn) July 16, 2025 The Justice Department last week concluded there was "no incriminating client list" or any evidence that Epstein may have blackmailed prominent people. The review also confirmed prior findings by the FBI that Epstein killed himself in his jail cell while awaiting trial, and that his death was not the result of a criminal act such as murder. The findings contradicted earlier suggestions — made before Trump's inauguration in January by current Trump administration officials Dan Bongino and Kash Patel — that the government was concealing key information about the Epstein case. A February comment by Attorney General Pam Bondi, which she later clarified, further amplified the speculation. In recent weeks, the rumours have gained traction as conservative influencers and media figures have continued to promote the idea of hidden bombshell disclosures. Some House Republicans, including Speaker Mike Johnson, have called for the Justice Department to release more Epstein documents. But Republicans have blocked efforts by Democratic lawmakers to push measures that would force the agency to make those documents public. Trump, who knew Epstein socially in the 1990s and early 2000s, on Wednesday again defended Bondi's handling of the matter and said she could release any credible documents related to the case. "Whatever's credible, she can release," he told reporters. "If a document's there that's credible, she can release. I think it's good." But he was also eager to move past the issue. "I'd rather talk about the success we have with the economy," he said. [[nid:717266]]
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Maurene Comey fired by Pam Bondi over Epstein files row with James Comey? What we know
Maurene Comey, the former United States prosecutor and the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, was fired from her role in the Southern District of New York on Wednesday, Politico reported citing sources. Maurene Comey, former Assistant U.S. Attorney.(REUTERS) Comey, who oversaw many high-profile cases as a prosecutor, was reportedly fired by the Justice Department amid an ongoing feud between US Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Trump administration, and James Comey, over Trump's allegations that Comey fabricated evidence on the Epstein case during his time as the Director of the FBI. As of now, no official word exists from either the DOJ or Maurene Comey regarding the reported firing. Comey has worked with the Department of Justice for over a decade, and the cases she prosecuted include embattled music mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs, and key Epstein witness, Ghislaine Maxwell. The news of Maurene Comey's reported firing comes shortly after a massive row between FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, FBI Director Kash Patel, and US Attorney General Pam Bondi last week over the Epstein files disclosure. Notably, James Comey has remained silent since the DOJ's July 6 memo, making no public statements about the Epstein files row. Yet, President Donald Trump, speaking about it to the press, reasserted the DOJ's stance that Epstein's client list does not exist, and called it a hoax fabricated by former President Barack Obama and James Comey. Also read: Epstein Files can still become public despite House Republicans blocking Democrats' move. Here's how 'I would say that, you know, these files were made up by Comey, they were made up by Obama, they were made up by the Biden ... ,' he said. However, the POTUS, thus far, has not presented any evidence to substantiate the claim that Comey fabricated documents in the Epstein case during his time as FBI Director. Despite criticism from within his own MAGA camp, Donald Trump has stood behind Pam Bondi over the DOJ's handling of the Epstein files. The criticism erupted after the DOJ, in a July 6 memo, said no more of the Epstein files would be released and denied that a list of clients (the 'black book') actually exists, and was used to blackmail people. James Comey was fired by Donald Trump as the FBI Director in 2017, two years before the arrest of Jeffrey Epstein in July 2019.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump-Epstein controversy fractures GOP
The battle over the Jeffrey Epstein files that's severed the MAGA faithful is also surfacing on Capitol Hill, where GOP lawmakers are torn over President Trump's refusal to release government records related to the deceased financier and sex offender. The debate is fracturing the House GOP conference, with hardline conservatives — ardent MAGA allies — echoing the base's demands to make the documents public, while other Republicans are joining Trump's calls to 'not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about.' Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) stunned Washington on Tuesday when — after initially deferring to the administration — he sided squarely with the first group, urging the Justice Department to release all the files related to Epstein in its possession. 'It's a very delicate subject, but we should put everything out there and let the people decide,' Johnson said in an interview with the conservative podcaster Benny Johnson. But his remarks have only thrown a brighter spotlight on the administration's refusal to release the files, and the conservative frustrations that followed. By defying Trump, Johnson also risks a backlash from the president, who was crucial to Johnson's rise to the Speakership and has helped him survive tough internal battles since then. Just a few hours later, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who has seemingly delighted in being a thorn on the president's side, said he would try to use a long-shot procedural gambit known as a discharge petition to force a vote on requiring the Department of Justice to release the Epstein files. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) cosponsored the resolution. Democrats are only happy to exploit the GOP divisions. They're embracing the Epstein saga — and hoping to foster public disillusionment with Trump — by pressing the administration to disclose the files, and using a variety of procedural tools to try to force a vote on the matter. 'I can't say that I'm not enjoying watching it,' said Rep. Debbie Dingell (Mich.), the head of the Democrats' messaging arm. Fueling the schadenfreude, many of the same right-wing figures who had inflamed the conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein's connections to powerful global 'elites' are now in top positions of the administration — and have abandoned the same narratives they once championed. 'The Republicans are victims of their own conspiracy theories,' said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.). 'And this conspiracy is biting them right in the ass.' The converging dynamics are making one thing certain: The Epstein controversy is unlikely to subside any time soon, despite Trump's direct orders to drop the matter. Voters, some lawmakers said, are weighing in. 'I'm unhappy about it; my constituents are unhappy about it,' Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) told The Hill Tuesday morning. 'I got four or five calls from personal friends, which is kind of unusual about any issue. Even family members were upset, didn't understand. Some of my firemen buddies were upset about it, and I am, too.' In a sign of the growing discontent with the current situation, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, called for a special counsel to be appointed to oversee the Epstein matter, joining vocal MAGA figures in making the request. She floated former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) for the job. 'Of course we want answers. Nobody is satisfied with what has been received, or lack thereof. No one is satisfied with the rollout of this,' Boebert said during another interview with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson. 'I think moving forward, we need a special counsel. That has got to happen. There has to be a special investigation into this if we aren't going to be provided information.' Some lawmakers have suggested using the power of Congress to push forward on the issue, with House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) suggesting that the panel's chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino. 'It's quite a squeeze play they're in, after creating this huge hullaballoo about it and now just wanting to sweep the whole thing under the rug,' Raskin said. Jordan, for his part, answered a peppering of reporter questions on Tuesday about those officials and the Epstein case by repeatedly saying: 'I have confidence in the president and his team.' Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), who is leading a task force in the House Oversight Committee on the declassification of federal secrets, expressed frustration with the decision, but suggested the next step would not come from Congress. 'I've done literally everything that I can do from a legislative perspective, and so unfortunately, I'm not at the DOJ — although, if I was at the DOJ, that would be a glorious time,' Luna said. But Luna added that the administration is 'aware of the want and need for transparency, so we'll see what ends up happening.' The lingering controversy is putting Republicans between a rock and a hard place. They don't want to dismiss the concerns of their loyal base that's hungry for retribution against the rich and powerful — but desperately want to avoid angering the president or criticizing his favored appointees like Bondi. Those circumstances were on full display Tuesday afternoon, when all Republicans — despite many of them wanting the files to be released — opposed a Democrat-led effort to trigger a vote on an amendment forcing the disclosure of the documents. Democrats urged their GOP colleagues to torpedo a procedural vote that would have prompted a subsequent vote on publishing the materials, but all Republicans let the referendum go forward. 'As predicted. Completely full of shit,' Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) wrote on X after the vote. '@RepMTG votes to keep Epstein Files buried. *After posting nonsense tweet saying she wants them released.' In the House Rules Committee Monday afternoon, an effort to stage a vote on the same amendment similarly failed in an 8-4 vote. Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), however, notably crossed the aisle in support of holding a vote on the measure. Some Republicans are, similarly, choosing their words carefully as they try to address the pressure of the base and Trump. 'Me personally, you know, I would release every file, I release every picture — with the exception, I'd make sure that all of the victims' names are redacted,' Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) said. But he added: 'I want to be crystal clear, I absolutely trust President Trump and Pam Bondi and Kash Patel. This is their call.' And the Speaker, too, stressed his allegiance to the president. 'I do trust the president,' Johnson said. 'I know his heart and his head is in the right place. I don't question that at all. And I'm convinced they're going to sort this out.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
