Republicans Won't Escape Voter's 'Epstein Files' Wrath During Break, Strategists Warn

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Following a series of actions by Republican lawmakers and officials to deter efforts to release the files on Jeffrey Epstein, political strategists are warning that they will likely still have to face the pressures while on break.

House Speaker Mike Johnson shut down the House floor until September amid relentless calls to release the Epstein files and for Trump administration officials to testify about how they came to their conclusion in a memo released earlier this month declaring that the disgraced financier killed himself and had no client list.

But while Johnson's move helped take some of the pressure off Republicans, strategists and advisers now look to town halls, where they believe constituents may be likely to continue the demands to release the files, as reported by Politico's Playbook.

"I don't suppose that this is the number-one issue for voters in America by any stretch, but it may be the number-one issue for the loudest voters," Brendan Buck, a former top adviser to previous Republican speakers, told the outlet. "It's very clear that there are going to be a lot of people asking a lot of questions over recess when they get back home."

Town halls became a hot spot earlier this year as constituents across the country aired their grievances about policies by the Trump administration, including mass federal layoffs and parts of the "Big, Beautiful Bill," including cuts to Medicaid.

At one point, Republicans were recommended to stop attending town halls due to the intense backlash they faced, with clips from the meetings amassing thousands of views online.

The town halls' potential has not gone unnoticed by Democrats, who are eyeing to use that to their advantage. Video trackers and Epstein-focused volunteers are some of the strategies by liberal super PAC American Bridge 21st Century to keep the momentum going and to not ease up on lawmakers, the PAC's President Pat Dennis told Playbook.

One Republican strategist told the outlet that "anything that knocks" Trump off his focus of delivering on the "Big, Beautiful Bill" and forces Republicans "onto the defensive is a hindrance."

The Epstein files have notably divided the MAGA fanbase, with several influencers and conspiracy theorists who were vocal Trump supporters have expressed outrage at its handling. Even some Republican lawmakers have pushed back against the administration, calling for the release of the files.

Pressure against Trump ramped up following a report by the Wall Street Journal alleging that Trump sent Epstein a birthday message with a drawing of a naked woman. The president has repeatedly denied the report's claims and filed a lawsuit against the publication.