Donald Trump is facing the prospect of a politically damaging congressional vote on releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files after attempts to press two female members of Congress to withdraw their backing for it appeared to have failed, according to reports.
Lauren Boebert, a Republican representative from Colorado, and Nancy Mace, from South Carolina, have reportedly refused to remove their names from a discharge petition that would force a vote. The petition has now reached the necessary 218 signatures following the swearing-in of Democratic member Adelita Grijalva, who won a special election in Arizona.
According to the New York Times, Boebert stood firm after being invited to the White House in an effort to persuade her. The meeting came hours after Democrats released emails suggesting Trump may have known more about Epstein's underage sex-trafficking activities than previously acknowledged. The paper reported that the White House enlisted Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel to change Boebert's mind, then issued 'vague threats' when that failed, which backfired by convincing her there may be a conspiracy.
Trump reportedly tried to contact Mace by phone but was unsuccessful. She later wrote him a letter explaining her personal history of sexual abuse and rape, stating she could not change her mind. Two other Republicans, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie, have also signed the petition.
Democrats have accused House Speaker Mike Johnson of delaying Grijalva's oath-taking to stall the petition. Representative Ro Khanna predicted between 40 and 50 Republicans might vote to release the files. Any legislation would still need Senate approval and faces a possible Trump veto, but a House vote alone could fuel demands among Trump's base for the files to be unsealed.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the email releases as 'a distraction campaign by the Democrats and the liberal media.'
