Latest news with #governmenttransparency
Fox News
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Tables turn as House GOP blasts Dems for suddenly demanding Epstein transparency from Trump admin
After years of Republicans leading the push for government transparency on Jeffrey Epstein, the notoriously well-connected sex offender who died in jail in 2019, Democrats are now leading the charge to release the so-called "Epstein files." "I'm glad they're joining the party, but they should have been a little more transparent a year ago," Rep. Mark Messmer, R-Ind., told Fox News Digital. Seizing on the Republicans' demand for transparency about Epstein during former President Joe Biden's administration, President Donald Trump campaigned in 2024 on releasing the "Epstein files" and his allegedly incriminating "client list." But Trump's Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI released a memo this week concluding that Epstein died by suicide in his cell, there is no "client list," and the supposed "Epstein files" are thousands of illegal child sex abuse material and other pornography subject to court-ordered sealing. The Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files has created a rift among the "MAGA" wing of the Republican Party, who are demanding more transparency. "We should expect transparency, no matter what administration is involved, if there was or wasn't a client list, if there was or wasn't video. I mean, we should expect transparency and full disclosure of whatever they are covering up," Messmer told Fox News Digital. Democrats have been quick to seize on the intraparty conflict. "It's pretty rich on their part," Rep. David Kustoff, R-Tenn., told Fox News Digital. "But again, if there is no new information, then that's fine. Just have the Department of Justice come out and explain that and answer questions. And if there is something, but it's not relevant, well, explain that also." House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has reiterated that "all credible evidence should come out" regarding Epstein and criticized Democrats who he said are politicizing the issue. California Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna tied a procedural vote on releasing all Epstein files to an unrelated crypto bill earlier this week, and Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Texas, announced he would be filing a resolution on Monday to demand the Trump administration release all files related to the late pedophile's case. Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee, including Jamie Raskin, D-Md., Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., and progressives like Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas., are also seizing on Republican fractures over the Epstein case, demanding a public hearing on the issue. "The Democrats will never give Donald Trump credit for anything," Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital. "Where were the questions when Biden was in office?" And Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, said Democrats' newfound investment in transparency on Epstein "proves that all along it was just political." "I respect a call for transparency," Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, added. "If it's from a Democrat or a Republican, I totally respect that. I have no idea of anything on this front. And I hope to just know that people are being transparent and that things aren't being done in any nefarious way or for any nefarious reason. I think a lot of it's overblown." "I put the Epstein matter in my don't know, don't care file," Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., told Fox News Digital.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Musk fuels clamor for Epstein files
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has continued to fuel public intrigue surrounding convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as the federal government faces growing pressure to release additional information from the criminal case against the late financier. Musk first planted the seeds of the latest Epstein controversy during his feud with President Trump last month, when the Tesla CEO alleged Trump was named in the Epstein files and said, 'That is the real reason they have not been made public' — a claim the White House has flatly rejected. But as the calls have grown louder for greater transparency on Epstein's files, from both lawmakers and the public, Musk has continued to use his social media platform to encourage their questions about the scope of the government's authority and the details of what documents likely have been preserved. He launched a series of questions at his artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, late Wednesday and early Thursday morning. 'Are there likely to be electronic records in any government or commercial computers recording who traveled on Epstein's plane to the US Virgin Islands?' he wrote. Grok said yes, the records 'likely exist.' Musk responded: 'Would that mean the government right now – as we speak – knows the names & ages of all those who traveled on Epstein's plane? In other words, they have a list of all unaccompanied minors on those flights, along with a list of all adults on those flights?' Grok responded by noting the Justice Department and Federal Aviation Administration hold 'extensive passenger manifests and flight logs from Epstein's jets.' The chatbot said names are often included, but ages are not always listed. Grok, in a subsequent post, noted the Justice Department recently said there are likely hundreds of victims in the criminal cases related to Epstein and Ghislane Maxwell. 'Over 1000 confirmed young victims is a shockingly large and tragic number! In order for the government to confirm that the girls were victimized, they would have had to name or at least describe who raped them,' Musk responded in a post on X. 'This would necessarily mean that the government MUST have the list of rapists aka 'the Epstein client list' in their possession right f‑‑‑ing now!' Musk continued. In separate posts, Musk responded to other users who questioned where the evidence in the Epstein case is being held. 'Yeah, where is it?' Musk wrote in response to one post. In another post, he responded to a photo of a binder released from the Justice Department earlier this year, titled, 'The Epstein Files: Phase 1.' 'Where is Phase 2?' Musk asked. The Justice Department and FBI issued a joint memo last week that said Epstein did not have a client list and confirmed he died by suicide — not due to foul play, as many suspected — in his New York City jail cell in 2019. The findings incensed members of the MAGA movement, who have for years pushed conspiracy theories about Epstein's death and claims that prominent Democrats would be named on a client list. Even staunch Trump supporters, such as far-right activist Laura Loomer and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), have been critical of the handling of the files and called for a special counsel to investigate. But Trump has fired back at the criticism and bashed 'foolish Republicans,' who he said were helping Democrats by focusing on the Epstein documents. 'Some stupid Republicans and foolish Republicans fall into the net, and so they try and do the Democrats' work,' Trump said Wednesday during an Oval Office meeting with the crown prince of Bahrain. 'I call it the Epstein hoax. Takes a lot of time and effort. Instead of talking about the great achievements we've had … they're wasting their time with a guy who obviously had some very serious problems, who died three, four years ago. I'd rather talk about the success we have with the economy,' Trump added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Just 3 percent satisfied with amount of Epstein information released: Survey
Just three percent of Americans say they're satisfied with the amount of information the federal government has released in the case involving disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to a CNN/SSRS survey released Tuesday. Meanwhile, 50 percent of U.S. adults say in the poll that they are dissatisfied with the amount of information released, 29 percent say it doesn't matter to them either way, and 17 percent say they haven't heard enough to say. The poll, conducted late last week into the weekend, followed the release of a July 7 memo from the Justice Department that concluded Epstein did not keep a client list to blackmail high-profile individuals, refuting popular conspiracy theories that had been circulating for years among segments of President Trump's base. The memo also reaffirmed an early finding that Epstein died by suicide in his jail cell in 2019, shooting down some right-wing suspicions that he was murdered. Some of Trump's most ardent supporters have been particularly outraged at the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein case over the last week, but the survey shows broad dissatisfaction across demographics and party lines. Republicans are slightly less likely than Democrats to say they're dissatisfied with the amount of information released in the case — at 40 percent compared to Democrats' 56 percent. Among independents, 52 percent say they're dissatisfied. But the satisfaction rate holds steady across party lines — with 3 percent of Democrats and independents saying they're satisfied, compared to 4 percent of Republicans. Republicans are more likely to say it doesn't matter to them either way — at 38 percent — compared to 27 percent of Democrats and 26 percent of independents. Broken down by partisan divides, 7 percent of conservatives say they're satisfied with the amount of information on Epstein that the federal government has released, compared to 2 percent of both liberals and moderates. Meanwhile, a striking 66 percent of liberals are dissatisfied with the amount of information released — compared to 48 percent of moderates and 42 percent of conservatives. And relatively few liberals — 18 percent — say it doesn't matter to them either way, compared to 32 percent of both moderates and conservatives. The CNN/SSRS survey includes 1,057 adults and was conducted July 10-13. The margin of error is 3.5 percentage points. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Daily Mail
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Poll: How Americans feel about info released on Epstein
CNN's resident data expert revealed that Donald Trump may be in deep trouble with voters due to his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case. Citing a new poll conducted by political research firm SSRS Tuesday, CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten showed that half of Americans are unhappy with the amount of information the government has released about Epstein. A full 43 percent of Republican-leaning respondents said they were dissatisfied with case, Enten said, with just 4 percent saying they're satisfied. 'My goodness gracious! When you only have 4 percent that is with Donald Trump on a particular issue, that is ridiculously low,' Enten said during a segment on CNN's News Central. 'I've never seen anything quite like it.' For left-leaning respondents, 60 percent said they were dissatisfied with the case as well and 3 percent said they were satisfied. Enten mentioned that Trump had leaned on the support of conspiracy theorists to get reelected and that he repeatedly promised to release Epstein's case file in full. Last week, the Justice Department released findings stating that Epstein never even kept a 'client list' and that he killed himself in jail. The announcement earned harsh criticism from leading MAGA figures and fringe theorists who Enten said helped Trump 'rise up from the dead' following his election loss in 2020. 'Donald Trump, from the very beginning, has been pushing conspiracy theories over and over and over again, and he has benefited from them historically,' the data expert said. 'And now, finally, it's coming back to actually bite him.' When asked by host Sara Sidner what the poll indicated overall, Enten replied: 'I would say that the word is dissatisfied. 'That is how Americans feel in terms of the releases so far in the Epstein case.' He highlighted how QAnon's support for Trump in last year's election proved crucial to his win over Kamala Harris, when the Republican repeatedly suggested there was more to the case than meets the eye. Such claims stoked the interests of many, especially on the right. Both Democrats and Republicans are now calling on Trump to make good on his promise. House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday said that the files should be released. The Justice Department's announcement on the findings earned harsh criticism from leading MAGA figures, including Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly and Laura Loomer. Attorney General Pam Bondi had insisted in February that the Epstein list was 'sitting on my desk right now to review.' She subsequently released Epstein documents to right-wing influencers that turned out to contain no new information. Some critics have called for Bondi to be fired while pointing to the announcement as proof of a conspiracy surrounding Epstein and his associates. Epstein and Trump have were pictured together several times in the '90s and 2000s. Both carved out presences in Manhattan and Palm Beach. In a Saturday Truth Social post, Trump blamed Barack Obama, Hilly Clinton, former FBI boss James Comey and 'the Losers and Criminals of the Biden Administration' for the Epstein files, painting it as unreliable. He also reiterated the Justice Department's stance that a list of Epstein's old clients did not exist, angering many who voted for him in the process. Enten hit this home with data from a series of older polls, including one of registered voters who believed in conspiracy theories peddled by QAnon. The poll, conducted by nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute two months before the election, showed Trump beating Harris by a margin of +61. The same poll found registered voters who rejected such conspiracies preferred Harris over Trump by a margin of +16. Another poll showed how registered GOP voters and right-leaning independents who picked Trump in 2024 and 2016 have repeatedly sided with conspiracy theories the president has pushed for years. 'Trump swam in the conspiracy theorist waters for years, and now, finally, the sharks in those waters are coming to try and get him,' Enten said in response. On Saturday, Trump tried to wave off disgruntled voters clamoring for the full case file with a widely ridiculed post to Truth Social. 'What's going on with my "boys" and, in some cases, "gals"?' asked the president. 'We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and "selfish people' are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein.' A report from Wired last week found the surveillance footage released to back up the Justice Department's claim that Epstein killed himself in a New York City prison cell in 2019 was likely edited. Further analysis from the publication revealed a full three minutes of the footage was cut out. Daily Mail contacted the Federal Bureau of Prisons for comment.
CNN
15-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Half of Americans dissatisfied with how much Epstein info government has released, CNN poll finds
Half of Americans say they are dissatisfied with the amount of information the federal government has released about the Jeffrey Epstein case, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS in the days after the Justice Department released a memo saying there is no evidence the convicted sex offender kept a so-called client list or was murdered. Almost no one is content with the amount the government has shared: Just 3% of Americans say they are satisfied with it. A sizable chunk of the public either says it doesn't matter to them either way (29%) or that they haven't heard enough about the case to say (17%). Trump's most ardent supporters online have been in revolt since the Justice Department memo's release, even as the president has implored them to move on from Epstein and publicly backed Attorney General Pam Bondi. The poll shows Republicans at large are less likely to say they are dissatisfied with the information shared than Democrats or independents. Overall, 56% of Democrats and 52% of independents say they are dissatisfied. Among Republicans, 40% are dissatisfied. Nearly as many Republicans say it doesn't matter to them either way (38%), a larger group than the roughly one-quarter who felt that way among Democrats (27%) or independents (26%). That follows a pattern going back to Trump's first term: Polling has often found large shares of Republicans saying they don't know or don't care about a particular issue when a Trump position has proved broadly unpopular. Epstein was a disgraced financier and convicted sex offender whose criminal case has long captured significant public attention in part because of his ties to wealthy and high-profile people. In August 2019, while he was awaiting trial in a federal criminal case, Epstein was found unresponsive in his New York City jail cell. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His death was ruled a suicide. The death was heavily scrutinized, and during his 2024 campaign, Trump said he would consider releasing additional government files on the case. Many of the president's supporters hoped that release would implicate other high-profile figures or undercut the notion that Epstein killed himself. But FBI Director Kash Patel, who suggested before taking office that there was hidden evidence, has since said Epstein committed suicide. And Bondi denied the existence of an Epstein 'client list' despite answering a question in an earlier interview about whether a list would be released by saying it was on her desk to review. Men express deeper dissatisfaction with the information released than women (55% vs. 45%). Younger Americans are more likely to be dissatisfied than are older people (56% younger than 35 say they are dissatisfied vs. 47% among those age 35 or older). There are divides within both parties that suggest dissatisfaction with what's been released on Epstein links the far ideological ends on each side. Very conservative Republicans and Republican-leaning independents are far more likely to be dissatisfied than are those who consider themselves somewhat conservative (48% vs. 40%). At the same time, Democratic-aligned liberals are also more likely than moderates or conservatives who at least lean toward the party to express dissatisfaction (70% vs. 52%). And in both parties, independents who lean toward either party are more dissatisfied than are self-identified partisans: 68% of Democratic-leaning independents are dissatisfied and 53% of Republican-leaning independents are dissatisfied. In both cases, dissatisfaction among independents leaning toward a party outpaces dissatisfaction among self-identified partisans by double digits. The CNN poll was conducted by SSRS from July 10-13 among a random national sample of 1,057 US adults drawn from a probability-based panel. Surveys were either conducted online or by telephone with a live interviewer. Results among all adults have a margin of sampling error of ±3.5 percentage points.
