As the Epstein scandal engulfs Washington, Donald Trump is growing increasingly unhinged and defensive — lashing out on Truth Social and pointing fingers at Democrats in a desperate attempt to deflect attention from his own alleged ties to the notorious pedophile.
On Friday, the president made a frantic announcement that he will direct Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate a number of prominent Democrats over their ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In a post that reads more like a late-night rant than a policy directive, Trump cast the move as retaliation for what he calls the Democrats’ attempt to weaponize the Epstein scandal against him.
It was the kind of post that reads like he was pounding the table.
“Now that the Democrats are using the Epstein Hoax, involving Democrats, not Republicans, to try and deflect from their disastrous SHUTDOWN, and all of their other failures, I will be asking A.G. Pam Bondi, and the Department of Justice, together with our great patriots at the FBI, to investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s involvement and relationship with Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman, J.P. Morgan, Chase, and many other people and institutions, to determine what was going on with them, and him,” Trump wrote.
“This is another Russia, Russia, Russia Scam, with all arrows pointing to the Democrats. Records show that these men, and many others, spent large portions of their life with Epstein, and on his ‘Island.’ Stay tuned!!!”
Trump’s post comes amid a fresh wave of scrutiny following the release of Epstein estate documents and House Democrats’ disclosure of emails showing Epstein claiming in the 2010s that “of course” Trump knew about his relationship with underage girls and that Trump “spent hours” at Epstein’s home. Another email released Wednesday quoted Epstein as saying Clinton “never” visited his private island, fueling Republicans’ claims of selective disclosure by Democrats.
The political fallout is accelerating. Democrats recently secured the 218 signatures needed on a discharge petition to force the release of all government files related to Epstein, aided by the swearing-in of Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.). Speaker Mike Johnson said he plans to fast-track a House vote on the matter next week. Even so, the legislation faces an uphill climb in the Senate.
Trump’s attempts to deflect, however, have exposed cracks in his own base. Influential MAGA lawmakers such as Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) are backing the discharge petition, pushing for full transparency, and effectively challenging Trump’s narrative.
Global figures including Clinton, Trump, former Prince Andrew, and Elon Musk have all faced scrutiny over connections to Epstein, but Trump’s Truth Social tirade suggests he feels the pressure most acutely. Rather than address the questions surrounding himself, he is doubling down on blame-shifting — a move that has left allies, critics, and even parts of his own base watching closely.
In trying to turn the Epstein story into a political cudgel against Democrats, Trump may have only underscored how precarious his position is — and how far he’s willing to go to avoid confronting his own shadow.
