The Republican Party is facing a full-blown crisis as its latest efforts to shield President Donald Trump from the fallout of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal have spectacularly backfired — threatening to upend the GOP’s fragile hold on Congress ahead of the midterm elections.
In a moment that’s become increasingly rare in the Republican Party, one of its most controversial firebrands is turning the heat inward. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) says she’s furious at her own party’s leadership for flipping on a key campaign promise.
“We campaigned on transparency issues like ‘release the Epstein files,’” Greene told The Wall Street Journal. “And all of a sudden there’s this hard stance coming from the Republican leadership and many of the members and the administration, and I’m shocked by it.”
The Epstein scandal — a toxic mix of sex trafficking allegations and shadowy blackmail — has long lurked in the background. Now, GOP leaders are scrambling to keep the Justice Department files under wraps, hoping to protect Trump and themselves from the fallout.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) only made things worse, claiming Trump was actually an “FBI informant” gathering dirt on Epstein — a wild assertion that left many stunned. Meanwhile, the White House openly threatening Republican lawmakers who back efforts to release the files, calling it a “hostile act” against the president.
But Republicans like Greene and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who’s pushing hard to expose the truth, aren’t backing down. Massie predicts grim consequences if the GOP keeps stonewalling: “We will lose the majority.”
Trump, who once called Epstein a “terrific guy” and “a lot of fun to be with,” dismisses the scandal as a Democrat “hoax.”
The problem? Voters aren’t buying it. The GOP’s cover-up is turning into a political nightmare. As the midterms approach, the party faces a harsh reality: burying Epstein won’t save them. It could very well bury their hold on Congress instead.
