NEED TO KNOW
- Trump warns GOP rebels not to push for Epstein file release.
- White House says such a vote would be a “hostile act.”
- Republicans accidentally release 33,000 documents, mostly menus from Trump hotels.
Trump Sees Danger in Transparency
President Donald Trump lashed out at House Republicans Tuesday, warning that full disclosure of the Jeffrey Epstein files would “destroy America’s faith in billionaires, private jets, and secret islands.” He told allies the documents were “too powerful, too dangerous, and very unfair to my friends.”
The White House issued a statement calling any move to force open the files a “hostile act” against the administration. Officials added that “patriotic Americans should trust their billionaires the way they trust their hamburgers—don’t ask what’s inside.”
Epstein Files or Hotel Menus?
The House Oversight Committee released 33,000 Epstein-related documents after a closed-door meeting. Democrats quickly pointed out that 97 percent of the materials were already public, while the rest appeared to be Trump International Hotel room service menus, including a $47 “Epstein Island Shrimp Cocktail.”
Representative Thomas Massie, who has clashed with Trump repeatedly, demanded a full release. “If the public can handle inflation, they can handle this,” Massie said. Republicans immediately labeled him a “traitor to brunch.”
Luxury Secrets at Stake
Trump privately complained that opening the files would be “worse than Watergate, worse than CNN ratings, and maybe even worse than when they canceled Celebrity Apprentice.” Sources said the president repeatedly shouted “protect the brand” while waving a Mar-a-Lago guest list like it was a sacred scroll.
Despite the warnings, lawmakers across both parties acknowledged the pressure to move forward. One aide summarized the tension: “On one side, you have the American people demanding answers. On the other, you have Trump saying billionaires deserve their privacy, especially when yachts are involved.”
If you can’t trust billionaires on private islands, who can you trust?
Randy Tupperware, Institute for Oligarchic Stability
