Despite What Republicans Are Saying, the Epstein Investigation Has Split the GOP

Suddenly, it seems, the Republicans have gone to DefCon 2 protecting the president on the whole Epstein business. Speaker Moses has joined the defense team, as has his caucus, as well as the Department of Justice. And Steve Bannon has The New York Times, the Washington Post, and CNN all conned into believing that MAGA has repaired all its divisions and is united in one great counter-attack against the forces of the Deep State. And the Steiner army should be here any minute. From the NYT:

Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday announced he was cutting short the week’s legislative business and sending the House home early for the summer on Wednesday to avoid having to hold votes on releasing files related to the accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

He made the move to deny Democrats the chance to try to force procedural votes on measures that would call on the Justice Department to make the information public. It reflected how deep divisions among Republicans on the matter have now paralyzed the House, as Republicans seek to avoid a politically perilous vote on a matter that is confounding President Trump and roiling their MAGA base.

“We’re done being lectured on transparency,” Mr. Johnson said at a news conference, where the typically unflappable speaker appeared frustrated. He complained about “endless efforts to politicize the Epstein investigation” and added: “We’re not going to play political games with this,” as he wrapped up his final news conference before September.

Mercy me, Speaker Moses got him a mad on. So he’s sending his troops home so that the Democrats can’t remind him to do his duty, and his membership can refuse to hold town halls with their constituents. And what freak shows those would be. Speaker Moses is no fun at all.

Meanwhile, the DOJ suddenly is anxious for a sit down with Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former procurer. From CNN:

“Justice demands courage. For the first time, the Department of Justice is reaching out to Ghislaine Maxwell to ask: what do you know? At @AGPamBondi’s direction, I’ve contacted her counsel. I intend to meet with her soon. No one is above the law—and no lead is off-limits,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in an X post. [Blanche was Trump’s attorney in the Stormy Daniels hush money trial.]

Blanche added in a statement posted by Attorney General Pam Bondi on social media that if “Ghislaine Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say.” Blanche said he anticipates meeting with Maxwell soon. Maxwell’s attorney told CNN they “are in discussions with the government” on the matter. “Ghislaine will always testify truthfully. We are grateful to President Trump for his commitment to uncovering the truth in this case,” attorney David Oscar Markus said.

You’d have to have the analytical skills of a pancake not to believe that, somewhere in this story, there’s a presidential pardon for Maxwell floating around in the mix.

Maxwell would be a powerful witness to either exonerate or implicate the president in Epstein’s loathsome schemes. And, as if by magic, the Republican members of the House Oversight Committee are preparing for a big show with Maxwell in the starring role. From NBC:

A House Oversight subcommittee on Tuesday unanimously approved a motion directing the committee chair, James Comer, to issue a subpoena for Maxwell. Only four members were present. Comer, R-Ky., had directed Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., to introduce the motion after Burchett requested that the committee subpoena her. The motion allows "the Committee to formally consider whether to proceed," the committee spokesperson said. "The Committee will seek to subpoena Ms. Maxwell as expeditiously as possible," the spokesperson said. "Since Ms. Maxwell is in federal prison, the Committee will work with the Department of Justice and Bureau of Prisons to identify a date when Committee can depose her."

This might not be an unalloyed triumph for the home team. The Oversight Committee is thick with MAGA cultists, including Comer and Burchett, who are legitimate wild cards. The membership includes Reps. Jim Jordan, Paul Gosar, Glenn Grothman, Clay Higgins, Nancy Mace, Andy Biggs, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Lauren Boebert. That truly is the Wild Kingdom. It might be too much concentrated crazy, even for the president’s loyalists to overcome completely. That might even be too much for Bannon, who’s trying his best and getting all the help he needs from the prestige press. From Slate:

The Times cited “Stephen K. Bannon, a former White House adviser to Mr. Trump and influential leader of the MAGA base,” who told the paper that “the Murdochs’ bizarre assault on the president galvanized his base” and that “we are united as Trump goes on offense—against the Murdochs, the courts and the deep state.” (The Murdoch family owns The Wall Street Journal.)

The Washington Post cited “Stephen K. Bannon, Trump’s former adviser who hosts a daily talk show popular with Trump’s MAGA supporters,” who told the paper that “MAGA is now united, because they can see there’s a common enemy,” which he described as “the Deep State, with their media partners, led by Murdoch.”

CNN cited a certain Steve Bannon, identifying him as a leader of the MAGA movement. “‘We are finally on offense,’ Bannon, Trump’s former aide and a leader of the MAGA movement, said via text message to CNN. ‘President Trump has had enough and is fighting back—against his real enemies.’”

Politico cited and reprinted the quote that Bannon gave to The Washington Post.

They’ll never learn, Never.