Democrats are latching on to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal , demanding records be released and trolling Republicans on social media, news shows and in the U.S. House as they revel in a rare fissure between President Donald Trump and his fiercely loyal base.
Conspiracy theories over Epstein's death in prison and potential evidence in his sex trafficking case, including an alleged "client list," have largely been a fixation for the right, one egged on by Trump himself .
But Democrats sensed an opening after the Justice Department said last week no additional evidence will be released, and some of Trump's most influential allies refused to heed his pleas to move on . They're highlighting the dramatic about-face by some Republicans, which has divided the MAGA movement and could weaken a critical following for Trump. The more in-your-face approach also may help Democrats appease elements of the party's own base, who are hungry for a more aggressive confrontation with the other side.
Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat and likely 2028 presidential candidate, was among those who joined in Tuesday. Khanna tried to put Vice President JD Vance - who has previously called for the Epstein files to be released - in the hot seat. Khanna shared an X post from 2020 GOP presidential candidate and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who called for the Trump administration to "release the Epstein files and let the chips fall where they may."
"A 2028 power move, JDVance," Khanna wrote to Vance on X . "Where do you stand on the Epstein files these days?"