Spineless Republicans continue push to block Epstein files release

Congressional Cowards is a weekly collection highlighting the worst Donald Trump defenders on Capitol Hill, who refuse to criticize him—regardless of how disgraceful or lawless his actions.

Republicans proved once more this week that they’ll go to the ends of the earth to defend President Donald Trump—regardless of how disturbing his actions could also be.

After a discharge petition lastly reached the variety of signatures wanted to power a vote on releasing the Epstein information, GOP lawmakers desperately lined for Expensive Chief.

“I believe it is a large distraction by the Democrats,” Home Speaker Mike Johnson, who saved the Home out of session in an effort to dam the vote, mentioned Wednesday.

Johnson additionally dismissed the horrific emails launched Wednesday, during which Jeffrey Epstein wrote that Trump knew in regards to the women he trafficked and even frolicked with one of many victims at Epstein’s residence.

“One other publicity stunt by the Democrats. They’re attempting to mislead folks,” Johnson informed Punchbowl Information reporter Max Cohen.

Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee additionally dismissed the emails, telling Bloomberg TV that they have been merely “little items” that have been taken “out of context.”

“The Democrats have had this factor for 4 years, and let’s be sincere, if there was one thing in there detrimental to President Trump, Joe Biden would have launched it,” he mentioned. “He’s the anti-Christ to the Democrats. They need to bury him as quickly as they may.”

Equally, Rep. Pete Classes of Texas pulled the GOP’s favourite excuse: pretending he did not see the emails.

“I’ve not gone by the entire paperwork, he informed CNN.

Different Republicans complained in regards to the timing of the emails’ launch, relatively than addressing the precise—and really damning—contents.

“As a survivor I discover it deeply offensive that DEMOCRATS would use Epstein victims to bury headlines in regards to the vote to reopen the federal government in the present day. At present of all days,” Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina wrote on X. “WTH is improper with you folks. You simply hold reminding girls and survivors you don’t assist us.”

After all, Democrats launched the emails Wednesday as a result of it was the day the discharge petition was set to realize a majority of signatures after Johnson delayed swearing in Democratic Rep. Adelita Grijalva of Arizona, who was the ultimate signature wanted.

However Republicans nonetheless don’t have any good reply for why Trump will not launch the information if there’s nothing in them that’s damaging to him or his allies.

The truth is, he’s so frightened of the Epstein information getting out that he summoned Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado to the White Home in an try and persuade her to take away her identify from the petition. Boebert was one in all a handful of GOP lawmakers who joined Democrats in signing it.

And Trump is pissed about it.

“The Democrats are attempting to deliver up the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax once more as a result of they’ll do something in any respect to deflect on how badly they’ve completed on the Shutdown, and so many different topics,” he wrote on Reality Social. “Solely a really dangerous, or silly, Republican would fall into that lure. The Democrats price our Nation $1.5 Trillion {Dollars} with their current antics of viciously closing our Nation, whereas on the identical time placing many in danger — and they need to pay a good worth. There ought to be no deflections to Epstein or the rest, and any Republicans concerned ought to be targeted solely on opening up our Nation, and fixing the huge harm attributable to the Democrats!”

However regardless of his finest efforts, Trump couldn’t cease the vote, which Johnson says will occur this week.

It stays to be seen if the Senate will vote on the measure. And even when it does move, it is unlikely that Trump would signal it.

Which once more begs the query: What’s Trump hiding?