House Nears Vote on Epstein Files Amid Trump Opposition

President Donald Trump faces mounting pressure over the handling and release of documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, with bipartisan congressional efforts led by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna seeking full transparency. Despite an initial release of over 33,000 pages of documents by the House Oversight Committee, most of these files were already public and heavily redacted, fueling skepticism and outrage from Epstein victims and some lawmakers. Trump has threatened House Republicans with consequences for pushing the Epstein files' release, reflecting his administration's reluctance to fully disclose the records. The political dynamics are complex, with divisions within the MAGA base and accusations that the Justice Department may redact names of implicated Republicans while revealing those of Democrats, further complicating the issue. Meanwhile, Trump plans to discuss the stalled Ukraine conflict with President Zelensky during a Paris meeting of allied nations, amid his expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who continues to consolidate ties with other authoritarian leaders. These developments illustrate Trump’s challenging balancing act between internal political pressures and international diplomacy.