Democratic lawmakers are facing tough questions after failing to explain why they didn’t push for the release of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents while their party controlled both the White House and the Justice Department under President Joe Biden.
During an interview Thursday on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, host Joe Scarborough pressed Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) on why Democrats didn’t act from 2021 to 2025, despite now calling for full transparency.
“You could’ve gotten that from ’21 to ’25, when Democrats controlled DOJ. Why didn’t Democrats call for it then?” Scarborough asked.
Raskin struggled to answer, saying, “You’d have to go back and look specifically at particular prosecutorial decisions… I don’t know, we could try to reconstruct that record.”
Jayapal Also Caught Flat-Footed
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) faced a similar moment on CNN when anchor Pamela Brown asked why she didn’t call for the release of Epstein documents during Biden’s presidency, especially given her current criticism of how the Trump administration is handling the case.
“I would have been happy to raise it then as well,” Jayapal responded. “Frankly, we were focused on so many different pieces.”
A Sudden Push for Transparency
Despite staying largely silent on the issue during the Biden years, Democrats have recently ramped up calls for full disclosure of any files connected to Epstein, who died in federal custody while awaiting trial for sex trafficking minors. His ties to influential figures — including former Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, and Prince Andrew — have fueled years of public speculation and conspiracy theories.
While Republicans have long called for the release of an alleged “client list” tied to Epstein’s illicit activities, the Biden Justice Department did not disclose any such documents during his presidency.
Controversy Surrounds Bondi’s Handling
Attorney General Pam Bondi has also drawn criticism over her handling of the case. In February, she invited several conservative influencers to review documents related to Epstein at the DOJ, but the heavily redacted material revealed little new information.
Earlier this month, Bondi released a two-page DOJ memo claiming no credible evidence exists that Epstein had a “client list” or used blackmail tactics on associates. The memo ignited outrage among Trump supporters, many of whom accused the administration of a cover-up.
Trump Responds to Supporter Backlash
The backlash has reached President Trump himself. After weeks of criticism from conservative commentators and online influencers, Trump dismissed the uproar in a July post on Truth Social, calling the Epstein case “boring” and distancing himself from those still demanding answers.
“I don’t need the support of people obsessed with Epstein,” Trump wrote.
As both parties now find themselves on the defensive over the unresolved case, public frustration continues to grow. For many Americans, the question remains: who had the power to demand the truth — and why didn’t they?
