Republican response to the Epstein birthday card: ‘I am so goddamn sick of being asked’

Republicans successful nan House of Representatives would alternatively not talk astir nan “bawdy” day note that President Donald Trump supposedly sent to Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th day party.

The House Oversight Committee had released galore of nan documents related to nan precocious convicted activity offender regarding his trafficking of girls and young women. But immoderate of nan members of nan committee don’t want to talk astir nan paper that Trump is alleged to person signed and sent.

“I americium truthful goddamn sick of being asked astir a f*****g day card,” Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) told The Independent connected Tuesday.

“Give maine a break. What astir nan women who've been fighting for justness for 30 years and still don't person it? How does penning astir a day paper do thing to get them justice? It doesn't.”

Mace is 1 of only 3 Republicans who co-signed a discharge petition to merchandise files related to Epstein. She did truthful aft she met pinch victims of Epstein who visited Capitol Hill past week and was moved to tears.

Mace, who is moving for politician of South Carolina — and who could usage Trump’s endorsement to triumph nan superior — has been observant not to opportunity nan president was astatine responsibility for immoderate of Epstein’s wrongdoing.

“Donald Trump is nan 1 who banned Jeffrey Epstein from Mar-a-Lago,” she told The Independent past week. “He was an FBI informant, and he talked to nan feds to get this feline turned over. So Donald Trump is simply a leader successful this.”

Later, House Speaker Mike Johnson would repetition that Trump was an informant, though small to nary grounds exists that this was nan lawsuit and nan White House has said Johnson misspoke. Johnson would later explain his remarks.

Republicans person sought to equilibrium nan anger that their guidelines has felt astatine nan deficiency of transparency surrounding Epstein’s operations, consequent apprehension and his eventual death. In July, nan Justice Department and FBI released a two-page memo saying nary “client list” of Epstein’s patrons existed and that nan disgraced financier who agelong escaped justness apt killed himself successful his situation cell.

President Donald Trump has besides called nan investigation a “hoax” by Democrats, moreover though survivors of Epstein’s came to Capitol Hill asking for nan files to beryllium released. Trump besides denied reports from The Wall Street Journal that he sent a statement to Epstein that featured a doodle of a woman’s naked assemblage that featured his signature mimicking a woman’s pubic hair.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) focused connected different 1 of Epstein’s celebrated friends who occupied nan White House.

“I besides saw a very absorbing 1 from Bill Clinton,” she told The Independent. “But I cognize nan White House has been refuting that pinch nan signatures, and it looks for illustration nan signatures don't match.”

The committee published a statement Clinton sent successful nan infamous “birthday book” connected Monday. The statement remarked connected Epstein’s “childlike curiosity.”

Rep. Ralph Norman, who is moving against Mace successful nan Republican superior for governor, said he had not seen it.

“I person not,” he told The Independent. “I’m judge nan president will study connected it.”

Fellow House Freedom Caucus personnel Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona said he wanted to spot more.

“I haven’t been capable to spot each of them yet,” he told The Independent. When asked astir nan expected Trump card, he said “that’s chiefly what I want to see.”

After nan communicative initially published successful July, Trump sued The Wall Street Journal, nan paper’s genitor institution News Corps and its proprietor Ruper Murdoch for defamation.

“I would opportunity that nan White House has gone guardant and President Trump has a defamation lawsuit presently alleging that that paper is not real, and I'm inclined to judge that he's not, you know, playing to suffer that case,” Luna said.

Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson person opposed efforts from Khanna and Massie to merchandise nan files. The petition needs a mostly of members to motion to person a level vote. Along pinch Massie and Mace, only 2 Republicans–Reps. Lauren Bobert of Colorado and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia–have co-signed while almost each Democrat has signed nan petition.

House Oversight Committee Chairman told The Independent he planned to attraction connected financial transactions.

“Those aren’t important items of evidence,” Comer said of nan notes from Trump and Clinton. “None of nan women person implicated pinch Trump aliases Clinton.”

Comer said that Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s erstwhile partner and longtime associate, told Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche that she ne'er saw Trump do thing inappropriate.

But nan investigation is improbable to spell distant for nan clip being.

“They’re intelligibly lying,” Rep. Robert Garcia, nan apical Democrat connected nan Oversight Committee, told The Independent, calling Republicans’ behaviour “shameful.”

On Tuesday, Virginia will clasp a typical predetermination for nan precocious Rep. Gerry Connolly’s aged spot that will apt beryllium filled by a Democrat, astir assuredly giving nan discharge petition different signature. Later successful nan month, Arizona will clasp different typical predetermination to capable nan spot of nan precocious Raúl Grijalva, which will notch different signature.