Epstein: A boon for Democrats?
Democrats' push to release the Epstein files splits the GOP, sending the House into an early summer recess
As a "MAGA-fueled conspiracy theory" upends Washington, Democrats "have finally found their mojo," said Rachael Bade in Politico. For months, panicked Democrats have lamented party leaders' "sluggish reflexes" and failure to drive home a coherent, winning message. But they've finally found President Trump's "kryptonite" in the Epstein affair—and are exploiting it skillfully. The Democrats' push to force a House vote on releasing the Epstein files split Republicans, and forced a panicked Speaker Mike Johnson to shut down the House for an early summer recess. The clamoring for a vote embarrassed not just Johnson but Trump, as it exposed "the surprising limits of his sway" on a party he has long gripped in a stranglehold. When the House returns in September, the clamoring for a vote on releasing all of the Epstein material—including mentions of Trump—will resume. The MAGA base is angry, a frustrated Trump is on the defensive, and "Democrats will have plenty of opportunity to continue to stir the pot."
Democrats need a "reality check," said Noah Rothman in National Review. In Epstein, they think they've found the magic wand that will "finally vanquish their MAGA tormentors." But a recent Fox News poll shows the issue has barely dented Trump's approval ratings among Republicans, even though 60% of them don't believe the administration has been "open and transparent" in this case. The allegiance of the party's base to Trump is not "conditional," and in the end, Republicans will not abandon him over a contrived scandal demagogued "by Democrats in Democratic-leaning media venues to Democratic audiences."
You're in deep denial, said Joe Perticone in The Bulwark. The Epstein affair has wrought "panic among GOP lawmakers unlike anything I've seen in a decade of reporting on Congress." That's because MAGA is extremely unhappy over the administration's bungled cover-up of a pedophile scandal that's been a longtime MAGA obsession, and unlike with past Trump scandals, Republicans "can't keep their heads down and trust that the base will keep holding them up." Democrats should make the most of this opportunity, said Nick Catoggio in The Dispatch. If they want to win elections, they need to get down in the mud, like Trump and the Republicans do. It's hardly "a distraction" from more serious concerns to ask "whether the president was an accomplice to the most notorious child molester in American history—and is now trying to cover it up."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Why Britain is struggling to stop the ransomware cyberattacksThe Explainer New business models have greatly lowered barriers to entry for criminal hackers
-
Greene’s rebellion: a Maga hardliner turns against TrumpIn the Spotlight The Georgia congresswoman’s independent streak has ‘not gone unnoticed’ by the president
-
Crossword: October 26, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Marjorie Taylor Greene’s rebellion: Maga hardliner turns on TrumpIn the Spotlight The Georgia congresswoman’s independent streak has ‘not gone unnoticed’ by the president
-
‘Congratulations on your house, but maybe try a greyhound instead’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump wants to exert control over federal architectureThe Explainer Beyond his ballroom, Trump has several other architectural plans in mind
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Whistles emerge as Chicago’s tool to fight ICEIN THE SPOTLIGHT As federal agents continue raiding the city, communities have turned to noisemakers to create a warning system
-
Will California’s Proposition 50 kill gerrymandering reform?Talking Points Or is opposing Trump the greater priority for voters?
-
‘The trickle of shutdowns could soon become a flood’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day