The last two weeks have been a nightmare in some ways for President Donald Trump, and it is all because of the Epstein files.
Trump has been on an amazing roll, but his administration's lack of transparency on the Epstein files has not only threatened a rift with the MAGA faithful but it has also ruined what should have been a completely positive news cycle for Trump.
The man I expect to be the frontrunner for Democrats in 2028, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, is now jumping on this narrative to take a shot at Trump and Republicans.
I really wish I could give Trump a pass on this, but I cannot, considering the narrative he and his campaign pushed during the 2024 election cycle.
It was Trump and his surrogates who constantly hammered transparency and the release of the Epstein files, but now Trump is trying to downplay the need, which I believe just makes him look like he is trying to hide something. Based on what I am seeing on social media, many within the MAGA movement feel the same way.
To that point, Trump posted again to Truth Social to try to get people off the Epstein file, writing, “Unlike Republicans, they [Democrats] stick together like glue. Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this ‘bulls—,’ hook, line, and sinker."
He continued, “Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats[‘] work, don’t even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I don’t want their support anymore! Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
JUST IN: President Trump says people demanding the Jeffrey Epstein files be released are "stupid" and "foolish."
Reporter: "You said this was a hoax. Has your attorney general told you this is a hoax?"
Trump: "No, it is not the attorney general. It is started by Democrats. It… pic.twitter.com/paJeql6MRi
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 16, 2025
It is truly sad that with all that Trump has accomplished in just five months, the one thing that is dominating the news cycle right now is these files. It is so bad that many are speculating it is serious enough to cost the GOP the House in 2026.
Newsom, who will likely be among the Democrat presidential frontrunners in 2028, is pouncing on the narrative.
He stated, "The whole thing has, to me, always been a side show. But I thought it got real interesting when Elon [Musk] put out that tweet and then all of a sudden a few weeks later, 'what file?'"
He later added, "When Elon put that out, I thought it was a big tell.”
It is not helping Trump that some powerful Republicans are breaking with the president's narrative and asking for all the files to be released, not merely the files selected by Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is among them, stating, “At some point, there is going to have to be a resolution." Thune continued, “We’re all interested in making sure that justice is served and that there is full disclosure and there’s transparency around this.”
This is right. If we want full transparency, we cannot just have files hand-selected by Bondi that do not give us a full picture of the scandal. Sadly, had Trump and his surrogates not played this issue up so much during the campaign, it would be an afterthought, but now it may define his presidency over and above all of his actual accomplishments. So, once again, the GOP is its own worst enemy. I say just release the files, and let the cards fall where they may, as I cannot imagine it being much worse for Trump than it is right now.
