Trump orders the release of the Epstein papers and tries to turn the scandal against the Democrats

WashingtonDonald Trump signed it on Wednesday night (Thursday in Catalonia). the law to publish the papers of pedophile Jeffrey EpsteinFrom now on, the Justice Department has 30 days to release all the documents. But it's important to keep in mind that the US president has purged the agency, turning it into his personal ministry to hold accountable those he considers his political enemies. Therefore, discretion regarding what is released will most likely be subject to Trump's pressure, since the law, previously passed by Congress, allows the department to withhold any documents that, among other criteria, it deems could jeopardize a federal investigation.

After days of silence, the tycoon has shown he is ready to return to the attack and, in an ad on Truth Social, has pointed the finger at the Democrats, intending to turn the scandal against them. “Jeffrey Epstein, who was indicted by the Trump Justice Department in 2019 (not by the Democrats!), was a lifelong Democrat, gave thousands of dollars to Democratic politicians, and was deeply connected to many well-known Democratic figures, such as Bill Clinton (who traveled on his plane), the pedophile’s links to Clinton’s Treasury Secretary, Larry Summers—who, following the revelation, resigned from the boards of Harvard and OpenAI—and LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman. “Perhaps the truth about these Democrats and their associations with Jeffrey Epstein will soon be revealed, because I just signed the law to release the Epstein files,” Trump warned.

Summers and Hoffman’s connection to Epstein came to light last week following the release of more than 20,000 documents by Republicans on the House committee investigating the case, in response to other Epstein emails released by Democrats implicating TrumpAccording to the communications, the US president spent "hours" with one of Epstein's victims and was aware of the child trafficking ring. To deflect attention from the scandal, Trump ordered the Justice Department and the FBI to open an investigation on "Jeffrey Epstein's involvement and relationship with Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman, JP Morgan, Chase, and many other individuals and institutions, to determine what was happening between them."

The instruction was an initial attempt to shift the focus away from his relationship with Epstein, after a birthday greeting Trump sent to the convicted sex offender was published in October, and now threatens to shield a loyalist Justice Department from revealing what information is made public.

Control of the narrative

Trump is pulling every string at his disposal to regain control of the narrative surrounding the Epstein case. The president not only wants to shift the spotlight onto the Democrats, but also to create the impression that, now more than ever, he has always been in favor of releasing the documents. After failing to pressure Republican congressmen to vote "no" on the bill, on Monday, in an unexpected turn of events, Trump yielded to the imminent insurgency of his legislators and called for a vote in favor of the legislation. This Wednesday, he wrote: "As you know, I asked Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune to pass this bill in the House and Senate, respectively. Thanks to this request, the votes were nearly unanimous in favor of its passage."

That legislators were willing to defy him demonstrates the magnitude of the earthquake that the Epstein documents have caused within Trumpism. Neither tariffs nor cuts to healthcare subsidies have caused the discrediting among MAGA supporters that the revelations of the links between Trump and Epstein have.

In the publication of Truth Social, Trump reviewed his supposed achievements and resurrected the idea of the witch hunt he used during his four criminal indictments. The only one that ultimately went to trial, the Stormy Daniels case, concluded with the jury convicting Trump on 34 counts. The tycoon's victimhood and the faith of his followers were such that the outcome was practically only reflected in the screen prints on Trump T-shirts. "Yes, I voted for a convict" was the slogan that could be read on some Republican merchandise.

Even so, the Epstein case has created a schism within the Republican ranks that Trump does not seem able to erase so quickly. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene's metamorphosis from Trump devotee to maverick reflects the internal divisions. On Tuesday, before the congressional vote, she rebuked the president for the attacks he leveled against her over the weekend. "I was branded a traitor by a man I fought for six years and to whom I gave my loyalty freely," she said, adding, "I owe him nothing."

Mamdani at the White House

In another post, Trump announced that he will meet with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani at the White House this Friday. "New York City's communist mayor, Zohran Kwame Mamdani, has requested a meeting. We have agreed that this meeting will take place in the Oval Office on Friday, November 21," he wrote shortly after announcing the signing of the Epstein Papers. Trump has acknowledged a rival in the socialist, who has experienced a meteoric rise to power. an overwhelming victory in the elections on November 4. The meeting promises to be a test for both the young mayor and the elderly president, who has recognized the socialist's charisma.