Many Republicans are dissatisfied with President Donald Trump’s approach to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, recent polling suggests, making it a rare weak spot for him within his own party.
Epstein, a financier accused of s** trafficking, died by suicide in a New York federal jail in 2019 while awaiting trial. For years, speculation has swirled around the existence of an Epstein “client list,” though no such list has ever been publicly released. During the campaign, Trump signaled openness to releasing more Epstein-related records, but his administration has drawn criticism from both conservatives and liberals for not doing so.
Trump’s handling of the issue has also renewed attention on his past social proximity to Epstein. House Democrats recently released emails from 2011 to 2019 in which Epstein mentioned Trump, reigniting questions about what Trump may have known about Epstein’s crimes. Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing or prior knowledge of Epstein’s alleged activities and says he removed Epstein from Mar-a-Lago because of Epstein’s behavior.
Polling indicates the administration’s stance on Epstein files is among Trump’s least popular issues, including with Republicans. CNN analyst Harry Enten pointed to an NPR/PBS News/Marist poll showing only about one-fifth of adults approve of Trump’s handling of the Epstein files. The numbers were even lower among Democrats, but the striking figure was on the right: fewer than half of Republicans said they approved of the administration’s approach. The same poll found broad support for releasing all Epstein files with victims’ identities redacted, including a sizable majority of Republicans.
A separate YouGov/Yahoo News poll found similarly low approval overall and showed Epstein as the only issue in which Trump failed to earn majority approval from Republican respondents. Among GOP voters, approval hovered in the mid-40s—again, far below his usual marks on other topics.
Todd Belt, a professor and director of political management at George Washington University, said some conservatives feel let down because they expected Trump to reveal wrongdoing by powerful institutions. In their view, the lack of transparency now makes it appear as if the administration is protecting someone—possibly even itself. Belt added that Trump’s strong grip on the Republican base still discourages many incumbents from directly defying him, though prolonged attention to the issue could create political pressure ahead of the midterms.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Trump after the emails became public, arguing they demonstrate no misconduct by the president. She reiterated Trump’s claim that Epstein was once a Mar-a-Lago member who was later expelled and described Epstein as a dangerous criminal.
On Capitol Hill, momentum is building for a forced vote to release Epstein-related records. A discharge petition led by Rep. Thomas Massie gained a majority of House signatures after Rep. Adelita Grijalva was sworn in, clearing the threshold needed to bring the matter to the floor. Massie argues that the public deserves full disclosure, with sensitive information about victims removed.
Democrats, meanwhile, accuse Trump of withholding information and say each delay raises more questions about the depth and nature of Epstein’s ties to influential figures.
What happens next:
With the petition reaching the required 218 signatures, the House is set to vote on releasing the Epstein files. Speaker Mike Johnson has said a bill on the issue will be brought to the floor next week.
