(Washington) The controversy around the Epstein affair paralyzes the American room of representatives on Wednesday, to the point for its republican leader, Mike Johnson, to send elected officials on vacation a day earlier than expected to prevent an embarrassing vote for Donald Trump.
The elected representative of Republican Thomas Massie, who has already opposed the Trump administration on several subjects in recent months, is trying to force a vote on a resolution which calls for the publication of court documents on Jeffrey Epstein, a rich financial in 2019 before his trial for sexual crimes.
Thomas Massie is supported in this by the Democratic opposition, who sees it as a way to put Donald Trump even more in embarrassment on this sulphurous file.
Because anger rumbles within a part of the “magazine” base of the Republican President, who does not accept the conclusions of a memorandum published in early July by his administration, according to which Jeffrey Epstein would have died of a suicide, and did not have a list of customers for his alleged network of sexual exploitation.
Supporters of Donald Trump accuse him of returning to his campaign promises today by showing a lack of transparency.
Denouncing “political maneuvers”, the Republican President of the Lower House, Mike Johnson, makes sure to block any vote on the resolution of Thomas Massie, the justifying him by the fact that a publication would be put in block the victims of the crimes with Jeffrey Epstein.
“Make the ostrich”
The blocking imposed by the “speaker” means that the work of the lower chamber has been largely in a standstill for several days. He also decided to advance the summer vacation for deputies, who will go on leave for six weeks from Wednesday evening.
Thomas Massie answered Mike Johnson by accusing him before the press of wanting to force the Republican elected officials to “do the ostrich and let the Trump administration try to perhaps dispel all this by giving some elements in the drop”.
The White House has been trying for several weeks to turn off the fire around the Epstein case.
The Department of Justice announced Tuesday that they want to question Ghislaine Maxwell, ex-partner and accomplice of the sexual offender to the abundant address book, with whom Donald Trump has friendly relations.
The American president then assured that he was not aware of this initiative and that in any case, he “did not follow this very close”. In front of journalists in the oval office, he then embarked on virulent diatribes against Barack Obama, according to him a “gang leader” guilty of “betrayal”.
” Victim ”
Because since the bursting of anger in the base “Maga” on the Epstein affair, the Republican president has been trying to redirect it to the former Democratic president.
The director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, had published a report on Friday accusing Barack Obama and her entourage of “conspiracy” in connection with the accusations of Russian interference in the 2016 campaign, which brought Donald Trump to the White House.
And Sunday, Donald Trump had broadcast on his Truth Social network a video probably generated by artificial intelligence showing the first black president of the United States being arrested in the oval office by FBI agents.
This strategy of “diverting attention” is based on the fact that “supporters Maga like to defend their president when they consider that he is a victim,” analyzed AFP Todd Belt, professor of political science at George Washington University.
However, “it remains uncertain if this current strategy will work for the president,” he added.
The chief of the Democratic minority in the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, denounced the attitude of the Republicans on Wednesday, who “do not even manage to put themselves together with regard to the publication of the Epstein file”.
“When you have nothing to present to the Americans, the Republicans bring the hat to Barack Obama. It’s ridiculous, “he said before the press.
