Trump’s ‘Epstein Hoax’ Remark Firmly Rejected in Republican’s Online Poll
Even Republican voters dismiss Trump’s claim, signaling deep divisions within his own base.
An online poll conducted by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky found that a large majority of the 76,500 respondents disagree with President Donald Trump’s view that the Epstein case is a hoax.
We contacted Massie’s office by email after hours Saturday for comment.
Why It Matters
Trump continues to face intense criticism over his administration’s handling of the release of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Many believe the files will reveal the involvement of wealthy and powerful people in or profiting from Epstein’s sex trafficking operations.
Earlier this week, the House Oversight Committee released more than 30,000 pages of documents related to the case, most of which have already been made public, and which has not dampened calls for greater answers and transparency regarding the files.
What To Know
On Friday, Massie launched a poll on the website X to gauge public opinion on the Epstein case, repeatedly calling it a “hoax” by Trump.
One user asked, “Is Jeffrey Epstein’s involvement in the sex trafficking of minors a hoax? Is there unpublished evidence that could expose wealthy and politically powerful perpetrators to indictment or conviction?”
By the time the poll closed Saturday morning, 76,714 users had voted. While 6.3% agreed that “the Epstein case is a hoax,” 93.7% said, “No. The Epstein files should be made public.”
Massie has emerged as a leading voice among Republicans in Congress demanding the release of the Epstein files, putting him in direct conflict with Trump in recent weeks.
While the Kentucky Republican pressured the government to release all the records, House Speaker Mike Johnson urged him to drop the case, saying this week that the House Oversight Committee’s subpoena power would be sufficient to reveal any relevant information.
Nevertheless, Massie stood his ground, gaining growing support from Democrats, while Republicans balked at Johnson’s insistence.
In July, the congressman submitted his proposal on the case to the House of Representatives, co-sponsored by Democratic Representative Ro Khanna of California. In the absence of progress, he pushed for an exoneration petition, which opened for signatures on September 2 and quickly garnered 215 of the 218 signatures needed to be presented to the House floor.
On Thursday, Democratic Representative Daniel Goldman of New York became the latest lawmaker to sign the petition. Representatives Nancy Mace of South Carolina, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia are the only Republicans to have signed it so far, along with Massie.
On Friday, Trump again called for an end to any attempts to compel the release of the files, saying it was “time to end the Democrat Epstein hoax.”
In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump compared the matter to Democrats’ attempts to link him to Russia, claiming they were doing so “to distract from the great success of a Republican president.” He added that the Justice Department had “done its duty” and “delivered everything requested.”
What Is a Discharge Petition?
A waiver request, as defined by the House of Representatives, is a mechanism “for Members to submit a bill or public resolution referred to a committee, but not submitted to the House for consideration.”
This mechanism is the only way for members to ensure consideration of their proposal without the assistance of a committee or the majority. The Congressional website states that this mechanism is “designed to be difficult to implement.”
How Does the Discharge Petition Work?
A member can only request an override after a measure has been referred to committee for at least 30 legislative days. That is, only while the House is in session. The House Clerk closely tracks override request signatories and publishes weekly updates on members who have added or removed their names.
The petition requires 218 signatures to pass. Once this threshold is reached, the list of names is frozen and printed, and the motion is entered into the House record. Then, seven additional legislative days must pass before the petition signer informs the House of their intention to submit the motion for consideration.
The Speaker then has two days to set a date for the motion to be introduced, but not during the last six days of the session.
What People Are Saying
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Newsweek in an email: “As the Speaker pointed out, Democrats have known about Epstein’s victims for years and have done nothing to help them. President Trump and the Republican Party have been demanding transparency for years, and now they are providing it with thousands of pages of documents. The real catch is that the Democrats are now using these victims to distract from their party’s meteoric collapse. Epstein’s victims deserve better than to be used by the Democrats to advance a political agenda. As always, President Trump was right on all counts!
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday: “The now-moribund Epstein case (after the Justice Department produced thousands of pages of documents pursuant to a comprehensive and rigorous congressional subpoena!) has only been revived by radical left Democrats because they are doing so poorly, polling at the lowest levels in party history (16%), while Republicans are doing so well, among the highest the party has ever recorded!”
“This is not a hoax,” Epstein accuser Marina Lacerda said at a Capitol Hill press conference. “This won’t go away.”
