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Melania Trump dropped the political equal of a tactical nuke on Thursday when she denied any affiliation with Jeffrey Epstein, the now-dead convicted intercourse offender.
The primary girl was probably attempting to supply cowl for the pleasant e mail that got here to mild between her and Epstein’s confederate Ghislaine Maxwell. However then she took it a step additional: she known as on Congress to carry a public listening to with Epstein’s survivors.
That earned her the reward of Marjorie Taylor Greene, who stop Congress after a falling out with the president over the exact same Epstein recordsdata.
“I’m grateful to the First Girl for her courageous assertion right this moment about Epstein and his victims,” the previous Georgia congresswoman wrote on X, whereas agreeing with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) that the Division of Justice should nonetheless prosecute males who had any position in Epstein’s crimes.
The primary girl’s seemingly rogue motion Thursday stands in stark distinction to these of her husband and his White Home.
Final week, the president sacked Legal professional Basic Pam Bondi, whom each Democrats and Republicans believed had botched the investigation. And Bondi’s interim substitute, Deputy Legal professional Basic Todd Blanche, mentioned no extra recordsdata shall be launched. Then, the Division of Justice mentioned that Bondi wouldn’t testify earlier than the Home Oversight Committee regardless of a subpoena.
However Melania Trump’s phrases create a conundrum: It is lengthy been a trope, even amongst a few of the president’s followers like Joe Rogan, that Trump went to warfare with Iran to distract from Epstein. However the first girl has given ammunition to Democrats and a permission construction for Republicans to assist Epstein survivors.
That poses an actual problem for Home Speaker Mike Johnson: will he go in opposition to the primary girl and conceal behind the president to disclaim survivors a listening to ? Or does this enable him to aspect with each Epstein survivors whereas saying he helps the White Home.
Nearly instantly, Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the highest Democrat on the Home Oversight Committee, praised Melania Trump’s remarks. He additionally put the onus on Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.).
“We agree with First Girl Melania Trump’s name for a public listening to with the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein,” Garcia mentioned in an announcement. “We encourage Chairman Comer to reply to the First Girl’s request and schedule a public listening to instantly.”
So too, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), a rape survivor, thanked the president’s spouse.
“As a survivor, I’ll by no means cease preventing to reveal the reality or let highly effective folks silence victims,” she mentioned. Thanks for standing up for survivors and demanding transparency.”
Melania Trump’s phrases give Mace some respiratory room. Mace has morphed from being extra reasonable to MAGA. However she co-signed the Epstein discharge petition and joined Democrats on the Home Oversight Committee to subpoena Bondi. That makes issues messy as she runs for governor of South Carolina and seeks the president’s endorsement.
And Esptein survivor Lisa Phillips sounded optimistic after the remarks.
“The chance to testify underneath oath in entrance of Congress is a to me, is a large factor,” Phillips advised The Unbiased. “Like she has energy to make that occur. I do not know why, or if it is a entice or no matter it’s, however she’s coming off like she’s on our aspect.”
Phillips contrasted the Melania Trump’s phrases with these of Todd Blanche.
“I really feel like you already know, once they fired Pam Bondi and so they introduced in Todd Blanche, we’re not gonna get anyplace with that man,” she mentioned.
This all places Johnson, Comer and the remainder of Home GOP management in a decent spot. All of them would relatively transfer on from the Epstein investigation, because the president has known as on them to do.
They’re presently pushing for one more reconciliation invoice to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Johnson and different Republicans need to increase army spending to replenish army stockpiles that the warfare in Iran depleted.
However the first girl simply handed Democrats and a handful of rambunctious Republicans a stay grenade to pressure the problem and have testimony from survivors.
Now, Democrats may block Oversight proceedings with the assistance of Mace and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), who additionally signed the discharge petition, and different Republicans like Rep. Scott Perry (R-Penn.), who voted to subpoena Bondi and faces a troublesome re-election. And a public listening to with Epstein survivors would divert from Republican management speaking about their most popular insurance policies.
Melania Trump may need believed she was closing the e-book on the Epstein investigation, and her position, if any, in it. However by denying any connection to Epstein and Maxwell, she might have opened a complete new chapter within the probe.
