Epstein Takes the Center Ring in the Swamp Today

D-Day is here for the notorious Epstein files. In what has turned out to be a contentious political hot potato, congressional action is set to take place today (Nov. 18) concerning documents related to convicted jet-setting sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The issue of releasing the voluminous pages has consumed a considerable amount of President Donald Trump's political capital, causing factions within the MAGA movement to splinter. It all came to a head last weekend with a very public falling out between Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and the president, causing an exasperated Trump to throw up his hands and call for the entire tranche of files to be released to the public.

Essentially the president did an about-face: "[H]ouse Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide, and it's time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party, including our recent Victory on the Democrat ‘Shutdown,’" Trump posted to his Truth Social account. Irritated by the ongoing firestorm over Epstein's documents, the president wrote in all caps, "I DON'T CARE! All I do care about is that Republicans get BACK ON POINT, which is the Economy … "

This reversal means that the House is likely to pass a measure today that would force the Department of Justice to release the Epstein files. At the time of this writing, it's not known when or whether the Senate will take up the Epstein bill, which the president would presumably sign if passed.

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch …

Yesterday, Fox News Digital got its hands on an internal GOP memo that revealed how Democrats planned to smear the president for alleged involvement in the Epstein scandal. The idea was to paint Trump's relationship with Epstein as nefarious despite the fact that no evidence has surfaced to support such a claim. In the dirty tricks department, Republicans contend that Democrats "selectively leaked" three emails in November, "in a bid to portray Trump in a negative light." Republicans also argue that "Democrats leaked pages of Epstein's infamous 'birthday book' that included Trump but did not publish a message purportedly written by former President Bill Clinton."

Epstein Files: Act 3

All the finger-pointing about the identities of the deranged Epstein’s close associates ignited a firestorm between longtime MAGA supporter Taylor Greene and the president. Much like the rupture between Elon Musk and Trump, the fur was flying on social media over her relentless pursuit to force the Justice Department to release all the Epstein documents. However, the public rebukes from both sides likely prompted the president to change his position. Despite the hot words, the Georgia representative extended an olive branch to the commander-in-chief, publicly acknowledging that she still supports the president and his administration. Taylor Greene made these comments on CNN's State of the Union political program, maintaining her position that the Epstein files were more a call for transparency than a disloyalty to the president.

While incarcerated in a New York City jail, disgraced financier and sex offender Epstein died on Aug. 10, 2019, and the death was ruled a suicide. Nevertheless, questions about his life, with whom he associated, and whether someone had him killed while in custody remain.