
Summary Video
On September 6, 2025, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) sharply criticized Republican Party leadership, calling their refusal to support the release of Jeffrey Epstein’s investigative files a “major misstep” that could jeopardize the GOP’s prospects in the 2026 midterms.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Greene expressed shock at the party’s stance, stating, “We campaigned on transparency issues like ‘release the Epstein files,’” and warned that the leadership’s “hard stance” risks alienating voters.
Her dissent, joined by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and a bipartisan coalition pushing the Epstein Files Transparency Act, highlights a growing rift within the Republican Party as President Donald Trump dismisses the issue as a “Democrat hoax,” despite his own past ties to the disgraced financier.
The controversy, fueled by Epstein’s survivors and a discharge petition nearing a House vote, underscores tensions as economic and political challenges mount.
Greene’s Critique and the Push for Transparency

Greene, a vocal Trump ally, told The Wall Street Journal, “And all of a sudden there’s this hard stance coming from the Republican leadership and many of the members and the administration, and I’m shocked by it,” emphasizing the GOP’s failure to deliver on transparency promises.
She described the suppression of the Epstein files as an “uncalculated error” with “ramifications directly in the midterms,” predicting voter backlash.
Greene joined Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) at a September 3 Capitol Hill press conference with nearly 100 Epstein survivors, where she vowed to “name names” on the House floor if provided a list of abusers, stating, “It’s a scary thing to name names. But I will tell you, I’m not afraid to name names,” per The Independent.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act, co-sponsored by Massie and Khanna, seeks to force the Justice Department to release all documents related to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking.
The discharge petition to bring the bill to a House vote has 216 signatures, needing just two more Republicans to reach the 218 required, with Greene, Nancy Mace, Lauren Boebert, and one other GOP member signed on.
Greene faced significant White House pushback, receiving “phone call after phone call” urging her not to sign, but she insisted Trump is poorly advised, stating, “Any president is insulated and in a cone of information based on the people that work directly with him,” per The Hill.
GOP Resistance and Trump’s Stance
Trump, who called Epstein a “terrific guy” in a 2002 New York Magazine interview and flew on his jet seven times between 1993 and 1997, has labeled the file release push a “Democrat hoax,” claiming it distracts from his administration’s successes.
On September 3, he told reporters, “It’s really a Democrat hoax, because they’re trying to get people to talk about something that’s totally irrelevant to the success we’ve had as a nation.”
The DOJ’s July 7 memo, stating no “client list” exists and confirming Epstein’s 2019 suicide, has fueled MAGA discontent, with figures like Laura Loomer attacking Greene as a “traitor” for supporting the petition, as earlier reported by FrankNez Media.
A Quinnipiac poll showed 83% of Republicans want the files released, with 36% disapproving of Trump’s handling.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, despite expressing support for transparency, opposed a Democratic procedural vote on July 15 to force the issue.
The House Oversight Committee released 33,000 pages of files on September 2, but Democrats noted 97% were already public, intensifying cover-up allegations.
Greene, who voted against a similar Democratic measure in July, later clarified she supports transparency but opposed giving Democrats floor control.
Trending: GOP Senators Are Now Leaving The Trump Administration
Survivors’ Plea and Party Divisions
At the September 3 press conference, Epstein survivor Haley Robson rejected Trump’s hoax claim, stating, “There is no hoax. The abuse was real.”
Survivor Lisa Phillips announced plans to compile a confidential list of abusers, saying, “We know the names. Many of us were abused by them.”
Massie praised Greene as the “bravest woman in Congress” for defying GOP leadership, noting the gender divide as female Republicans like Mace and Boebert also back the petition.
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) welcomed Greene’s support, stating, “Every day that goes by is one more day that women don’t get justice.”
The controversy highlights GOP fractures, with Massie predicting the party could “lose the majority” over the issue.
Greene’s earlier criticisms, including a July 21 X post warning that Trump’s base “will turn” without full transparency, reflect her evolving stance.
As the 2026 midterms approach, Greene’s dissent and the bipartisan push for transparency could erode Trump’s base, with the Epstein files remaining a volatile issue for the GOP.
Also Read: GOP Members Now Believe Trump Is Named First In The Epstein Files
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