Overview

• President Trump denounced GOP figures calling for full disclosure as “weaklings” and labeled the Epstein files controversy a “Jeffrey Epstein Hoax” after the Justice Department said no client list exists.
• He privately asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to release certain grand jury materials, stipulating that any disclosures must win court approval.
• Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republican leaders broke with the president by joining Democrats in pressing for unredacted Epstein documents, revealing deep fractures within the party.
• A Reuters/Ipsos poll finds 69% of Americans believe the government is concealing Epstein details and only 17% approve of Trump’s handling of the case.
• Trump aides have urged influential MAGA commentators to drop the issue and refocus on broader election and campaign priorities.