Reference News Network, July 17 report: The Bloomberg News website published an article titled "Trump Team's Handling of Epstein Files Deepens Division Within the Republican Party" on July 15, authored by Katherine Lucier.

The article states that the division within the Republican Party over whether to disclose Epstein-related documents continues to widen. Senior Trump allies in Congress, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have called on the Trump administration to increase transparency.

More and more controversies may undermine Trump's governance foundation, damaging his image as a fearless reformer in the eyes of his fervent supporters, while providing Democrats with an opportunity to exploit.

As Trump tries to quell the increasingly intense controversy surrounding the Epstein case, signs from Capitol Hill on the 15th indicated that this turmoil is far from over. Thomas Massie, a conservative Republican congressman from Kentucky who often disagrees with Trump, stated he will submit a petition to demand the release of the documents, which may force Congress to vote on whether to disclose them. Ralph Norman, a Republican from South Carolina, also demanded the release of all documents related to the Epstein case.

House Speaker Johnson had told right-wing podcast host Benny Johnson that Attorney General Barr should "step forward and explain" her views on the so-called Epstein client list.

After the Department of Justice announced that there was no further information to be released regarding the Epstein case, many Trump supporters became angry. They pointed out that Barr had earlier stated that the list of Epstein's clients was on her desk waiting for review.

Since his first term, Trump has enjoyed strong support from his own voters. However, his handling of the Epstein case has become a point of tension, as it has been a focal point for Trump supporters and a source of many conspiracy theories. Since last weekend, Trump has been trying to suppress this trend.

Trump said that Barr "very quickly" briefed him on the investigation by the Department of Justice and the FBI into the Epstein case. Then, Trump baselessly implied that the documents related to the Epstein case were "fabricated" by former FBI Director James Comey, former President Obama, and the Biden administration.

Most of Trump's weekend was spent defending Barr and trying to calm the unrest caused by the Epstein case. According to sources, he called participants at the "American Turnout" student action summit in Florida, urging them to drop the topic.

On the 15th, Democratic members of the House tried to force Republicans to vote on this issue. The day before, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stated that if the government did not voluntarily release these documents, Congress should compel it to do so.

He said, "The American people have the right to know the truth, whether or not there are problems. What is the Trump administration and the Department of Justice hiding?"

The New York Times website published an article titled "For Far-Right Legislators, Trump's Shift on the Epstein Case Is Just His Latest Betrayal" on July 15, authored by Annie Karni.

The article states that Marjorie Taylor Greene, a right-wing Republican congresswoman from Georgia, has been one of the most fervent supporters of U.S. President Trump in Congress. But lately, she finds herself having a lot to criticize about her "favorite president," especially his shift in disclosing information about the Epstein case.

"It's completely opposite to what was said before, and people don't want to accept it," Greene said. Previously, the Department of Justice stated that its decision not to release any further information about the financier, who died in prison while awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges in 2019, was "appropriate and reasonable."

This is the latest frustration emerging within the far-right faction of the Republican Party in Congress. The already fragmented Republican Party had barely maintained unity through almost unconditional loyalty to Trump, but now, it seems that Trump's political alliance is beginning to crack.

Over the past few weeks, Greene and other right-wing Republicans have criticized the government's belligerent stance on Iran, the president's reversal on supporting Ukraine against Russia, and the Department of Justice's shift on the Epstein issue. They say that in each of these issues, Trump has betrayed the voters who voted for him.

Recently, Democrats found themselves nodding along with those they usually dislike - the Republicans who are now angry and dissatisfied with certain positions taken by Trump and his administration.

In the Senate debate on Trump's comprehensive domestic policies, Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley repeatedly expressed "life-or-death" concerns because the bill significantly cut back on Medicaid. In the end, his criticism of the bill was sharper than even the wording written by Democrats themselves.

This is a common scene in Washington, once a new president takes office and achieves several victories, intra-party conflicts reach a boiling point. In Trump's case, the fact that he will no longer face re-election, while many of his allies in Congress will face voters in just 16 months, has intensified the current situation.

For years, Trump and his Republican allies in Congress have promised voters that they would release a large number of documents related to the Epstein case and allow the conspiracy theories sparked by these documents to spread.

Some Republican lawmakers have spent most of the past six months handing power over to the White House, and now they are trying to find a way to maintain loyalty to Trump while keeping some distance from the president's major decisions. (Translated by Pan Xiaoyan, Guo Jun)

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7527993769019425321/

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