Topline
Survivors of abuse from Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell pushed back on President Donald Trump’s characterization of the ongoing Epstein files release as a “hoax,” which he doubled down on in comments Wednesday.
Epstein survivor Marina Lacerda speaks at the press conference hosted by Rep. Thomas Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna on Wednesday.
AFP via Getty Images
Key Facts
“We are tired of looking at the news and seeing Jeffrey Epstein’s name and saying that this is a hoax,” said Marina Lacerda, who identified herself as one of the victims Epstein abused and spoke out for the first time on Wednesday.
Both Lacerda and survivor Haley Robson insisted the scandal was “not a hoax,” with Robson, who called herself a registered Republican, adding “we are real human beings, this is real trauma.”
But Trump was defiant Wednesday, renewing his attacks on what he called “a Democrat hoax that never ends” at a separate press conference with the president of Poland.
“From what I understand, thousands of pages of documents have been given, but it’s really a Democrat hoax,,” Trump said, before pivoting to brag about turning Washington, D.C., into a “totally safe zone” and “ending seven wars.”
Crucial Quote
“I talked to President Trump back in 2009 and several times after that—he didn’t think it was a hoax then,” said Brad Edwards, the attorney representing some of the victims. “In fact, he helped me,” Edwards added, noting Trump “got on the phone. He told me things that were helping our investigation. Now our investigation wasn’t looking into him, but he was helping us then. He didn’t treat this as a hoax.” Edwards said he hoped Trump would return to his old campaign position and demand more transparency in this case. “This about-face that occurred, none of us understand it. In fact, I don’t understand how this is an issue that’s even up for debate.”
Key Background
The survivors spoke out at a press conference hosted by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., two sponsors of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a bill that would require the federal government to release the remaining Epstein files. Speaking on Wednesday morning, Khanna stressed the bipartisan nature of the movement. “We begin the work of bringing this country together,” Khanna said. “Progressives, independents, moderates, and yes, MAGA supporters, to demand truth and justice.” Massie is attempting to force a floor vote on the bill using a discharge petition, which will succeed if every Democrat and at least six Republicans sign on. Only four Republicans have signed on to the discharge petition as of Wednesday morning—Massie, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C. Greene spoke after Massie and Khanna, insisting “this is an issue that doesn’t have political boundaries” and that it “grieved me to watch the arguments and debates take place among my colleagues and even the administration.”
What Is The Status Of Massie’s Discharge Petition?
As Congress returned from its recess Tuesday, Massie filed his discharge petition. The discharge petition requires a majority of members, or 218 signatures, to succeed. Khanna previously said he believed every Democratic House member would sign on to the effort, and predicted 12 Republicans would join as well. Twelve Republicans are also listed as co-sponsors of the bill, even though only four have signed the petition so far. Some Republicans have already indicated they will not sign Massie’s petition, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., who was originally a co-sponsor of the bill.
How Has Republican Leadership Responded?
Republican leadership in Congress introduced another resolution Tuesday that directs the Oversight Committee to continue its ongoing investigation into the Epstein files. So far, the government has handed over more than 33,000 files over to the committee, but Democrats noted most of these files were already in the public record or contained little new information. The Oversight Committee publicly released those files Tuesday after Massie began his discharge petition campaign. Johnson met with some of Epstein’s victims in a closed-door meeting Tuesday, but later confirmed he would not support Massie’s discharge petition. “It does not adequately protect the innocent victims, and that is a critical component,” Johnson told ABC News. The House speaker later reiterated his support for the Oversight Committee’s investigation, which he claimed was “gathering everything that was requested in the discharge petition, plus even more.” The White House also appears to be mounting a pressure campaign against Massie’s petition, telling NBC News “helping Thomas Massie and Liberal Democrats with their attention seeking, while the DOJ is supporting a more comprehensive file release effort from the Oversight Committee, would be viewed as a very hostile act to the administration.” Massie on Wednesday morning shot back at this comment, calling it “a tacit admission the Oversight Committee data release is woefully incomplete.”
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Zachary Folk