Epstein Files are Herpes For Trump [View all]
He thinks he will put the story behind him as a "Democratic hoax." This week, we learned he can't.
Jonathan Alter
Sep 04, 2025
A couple of weeks ago, I was fatalistic about the outrageous Epstein cover-up. As the story faded from the headlines, it looked as if Donald Trump’s patented combination of delay, distraction, and denial would work once again. Aargh!
No more. Now I think Trump is scared, and the Epstein story is like a bad case of herpes that lies dormant for weeks but doesn’t go away for a long time. Why else would he pull out all the stops with House Republicans and warn that anyone pushing for the release of the Epstein files would be seen by him as engaging in a “very hostile act”?
The New York Times reports that efforts to circumvent House leadership with a discharge petition and bring this matter to the floor have “stalled” two votes shy of the six Republicans needed. So maybe Trump’s thuggish threats have once again bought him some breathing room. As Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern told the New Republic, “The Rules Committee Republicans are scared shitless of Donald Trump, to put it bluntly.”
Continued on substack https://open.substack.com/pub/oldgoats/p/epstein-files-are-herpes-for-trump
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