Trump attacks Republicans for demanding Epstein files

US president Donald Trump yesterday continued to lash out at some of his most fervent supporters amid continuing calls for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release case files on multimillionaire sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, telling reporters in the Oval Office that those in his party who are refusing to drop the matter are “stupid” and “foolish”.

- ANDREW FEINBERG IN WASHINGTON DC

The comments to reporters came about two hours after he posted a screed on his Truth Social platform ripping into what he called his “PAST supporters” for continuing to press for the release of the Epstein DOJ files in full.

Speaking alongside Bahraini crown prince and prime minister Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa during a media availability at the top of a bilateral meeting, Mr Trump was asked if he has evidence to support his recent claim that the fervor over the late disgraced financier, who died from suicide in a Manhattan jail cell during his first term, is part of a Democratic “hoax” against him.

He declined to say there is any such evidence, but he repeated his dubious claim that there’s nothing to the Epstein matter and accused those in his camp who still want to see documents from the case of having been taken in by duplicitous Democrats.

“I know it’s a hoax. It was started by Democrats. It’s been run by the Democrats for four years ... it’s perpetrated by the Democrats, and some stupid Republicans and foolish Republicans fall into the net, and so they try and do the Democrats’ work,” he said.