Source: AZexpress.net

President Donald Trump lashed out at Republicans backing efforts to force the release of additional documents tied to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, deriding them as “soft and foolish” lawmakers helping Democrats revive a narrative he says is politically motivated.

In a Friday post on Truth Social, Trump accused Democrats of trying to “push the Epstein Hoax again” to shift attention away from what he described as their policy failures and the party’s “SHUTDOWN EMBARRASSMENT.” He argued that Democrats were attempting to regain footing after weeks of internal turmoil. “The Democrats are doing everything in their withering power… despite the DOJ releasing 50,000 pages of documents,” he wrote.

The attack followed a major document release earlier in the week, when thousands of pages tied to Epstein’s activities became public—including emails and notes in which Epstein mentioned Trump by name. None of the newly disclosed material accuses the president of misconduct, and the White House dismissed the renewed interest as an attempt by Democrats to “embarrass” Trump, who had once socialized with Epstein.

Epstein died by apparent suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. His longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking, which federal prosecutors said she carried out in coordination with Epstein.

Trump’s criticism comes as the House prepares to vote on a bipartisan bill compelling the release of additional Epstein-related files. The measure reached the required 218 signatures for a floor vote this week. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) is a co-sponsor, and several Republican lawmakers, including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Lauren Boebert (R-CO), and Nancy Mace (R-SC), have endorsed the push.

Calls for further disclosure have intensified since the Justice Department under Trump stated earlier this year that Epstein was not trafficking minors for friends or prominent associates—a finding that victims and advocates have long disputed.

The president argued that Republican support for the bill amounted to political naïveté. “Some Weak Republicans have fallen into their clutches because they are soft and foolish,” he wrote, insisting that Epstein “was a Democrat,” and therefore a “Democrat’s problem, not the Republican’s problem.” Trump went on to cite public figures including Bill Clinton, Reid Hoffman, and Larry Summers, saying they “know all about him,” before concluding, “Don’t waste your time with Trump. I have a Country to run!”