Mike Johnson, the House speaker, has called on the US justice department to make public documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted child sexual abuse offender. The move marks a rare break with Donald Trump, as the president faces growing discontent from his rightwing base over the handling of the case.
Speaking to a rightwing podcaster, Johnson said: 'It's a very delicate subject, but we should put everything out there and let the people decide it.' The justice department recently announced that Epstein's death was a suicide and that no client list would be released, prompting criticism from conservative allies of Trump.
Trump, meanwhile, dismissed the issue on Truth Social, writing: 'One year ago our Country was DEAD, now it's the 'HOTTEST' Country anywhere in the World. Let's keep it that way, and not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about.'
