- President Trump lashed out at GOP Rep. Thomas Massie for pushing a vote to release the Epstein client list.
- Massie and Democrat Ro Khanna are leading a bipartisan effort to force DOJ disclosure.
- Trump previously dismissed the Epstein case as “boring” and “not of interest.”
- Attorney General Pam Bondi reversed her February statement claiming the list existed.
- The divide marks one of MAGA’s deepest internal rifts heading into 2025.
The Big Picture
President Donald Trump launched a fiery attack Monday against Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) over the congressman’s growing campaign to force the public release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Massie, working alongside Democrat Ro Khanna (D-CA), has garnered bipartisan momentum behind the push, sparking a sharp intra-party backlash as MAGA rifts widen.
What’s New
On Truth Social, Trump called Massie “lazy, slow moving, and totally disingenuous,” adding:
Trump’s post was accompanied by a campaign-style attack branding Massie “the worst Republican Congressman” and “an embarrassment to Kentucky.”
Behind the Scenes
Trump’s eruption comes after Massie dismissed the recent grand jury transcript release, ordered by the White House, as inadequate. The public, Massie argues, deserves full access to the complete Epstein client list — believed to contain the names of high-profile sex trafficking clients connected to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
Attorney General Pam Bondi previously claimed on Fox News that the list was on her desk. But a July DOJ memo reversed course, stating that “no such list exists” and further disclosure is “not warranted.”
What They’re Saying
Rep. Massie told Axios that his upcoming discharge petition would force a vote after the August recess:
Ro Khanna echoed that the Epstein case matters deeply to the MAGA base:
“Being allowed to vote in the House is important. But the release of the Epstein files, to the MAGA base, matters 100 times more to them.”
Massie’s Reaction
Following Trump’s online tirade, Rep. Thomas Massie remained unfazed. In a conversation with Sahil Kapur, an NBC reporter, Massie said he wasn’t worried and believes the president’s efforts to unseat him will have the opposite effect.
Massie also addressed Republican concerns about crossing Trump:
According to Massie, the campaign against him is “a test of independence” within the GOP — one he believes he’s on the path to win.
Context: MAGA Cracks Appear
Trump’s 2024 campaign had promised to release the Epstein files, but his tone changed dramatically in recent months. He began labeling the case “boring” and “the work of bad people,” even as the MAGA base demands transparency.
Billionaire Elon Musk, during a public spat with Trump, claimed on X in June that the former president’s name was on the list — explaining the hesitation. And a recent Wall Street Journal story claimed Trump once sent a sexually suggestive birthday letter to Epstein in 2003 — a letter Trump has dismissed as fake.
What’s Next
Massie’s bill has nearly a dozen GOP co-sponsors and growing Democratic support. If he gathers 218 signatures, it would force Speaker Mike Johnson to call a binding vote — creating more political headaches for a White House seeking to move on from the Epstein saga.
Bottom Line
The growing calls to unseal the Epstein files have exposed one of the deepest ideological fractures inside the MAGA movement. With Trump now attacking his own base’s champions, lawmakers face mounting pressure to take a side — transparency or loyalty.
🔗 Full MAGA Timeline of the Epstein Files Battle
🔗 More News on the Trump Administration
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