The Epstein Fight Shows Trump Inching Closer to Lame Duck Status..By Jim Geraghty

[mystery-ak]

By Jim Geraghty

November 18, 2025 10:01 AM


On the menu today: The U.S. House of Representatives will vote today on a resolution calling for the Department of Justice to release all files relating to Jeffrey Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell. I suspect that would include any documents involving Maxwell’s recent prison transfer. Meanwhile, former Harvard president Lawrence H. Summers, who was Treasury Secretary back during the Bill Clinton years, pays a long-delayed price for his close friendship with Epstein. Read on.

The File Wars

I am glad that President Trump now thinks that “House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide.” The president has come around to a position that was, as of last Thursday, further evidence of my “Trump Derangement Syndrome” in the eyes of some fans of the president. Up until this past weekend, the White House strongly opposed the release of these files.

I would note that we are talking about a resolution that would require the U.S. Department of Justice to “publicly disclose all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in its possession that relate to Epstein or Maxwell.” These are DOJ files, so they don’t need any act of Congress to be released. Nor do they need any judge’s approval. Trump could order Attorney General Pam Bondi to release the files at any time. As of this writing, he has not done so.

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https://www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-jolt/the-epstein-fight-shows-trump-inching-closer-to-lame-duck-status/

[Timber Rattler]

Trump's at the height of his power right now.  It's all down hill from here.

[Cyber Liberty]

This vote to release files will fail because there are enough panicans that will vote against it.  Democrats will celebrate it as a great victory over the hated Donald Trump.

[DefiantMassRINO]

According to an interpretation of the US Constiution, Trump is a lame duck because he is limited to two terms ... for now.

[rustynail]

"Gloom, despair, and agony on me"

[Free Vulcan]

This thing is going to go up in a puff of smoke and disappear from the scene with a quiet whimper.

[DB]

For Democrats it is an affective talking point. Truth is irrelevant. Releasing the files removes that power from them so they will quietly block any attempt to release them. And clearly if there were anything actually useful to them in those "files" they would have released them long ago...


Edit: Sounds like I was wrong...

[catfish1957]

"218"

The entire midterms, and any progress we make as a nation, hinges on this number.

[DefiantMassRINO]

This may backfire on Dems to the delight of Trump.

Larry Summers is already Dem collateral damage.

Dems may be so blinded by ambition and vengeance that they overlook the fact that there may be many Dem names in those papers and in those emails.

If they are released en-masse and unredacted to press and to the public, neither Dems nor GOP may be able to control the narrative.  The 'narrative' may be untamed and free like a wildfire indiscriminately incinerating members of both establishments.

[Free Vulcan]

This may backfire on Dems to the delight of Trump.

Larry Summers is already Dem collateral damage.

Dems may be so blinded by ambition and vengeance that they overlook the fact that there may be many Dem names in those papers and in those emails.

If they are released en-masse and unredacted to press and to the public, neither Dems nor GOP may be able to control the narrative.  The 'narrative' may be untamed and free like a wildfire indiscriminately incinerating members of both establishments.

Which is why I believe it will suddenly evaporate and disappear - because the wrong but powerful names will be on it.

[catfish1957]

Find it funny that the dims care less that the first, and most famous perp will be Slick Willie.  Under the bus  ya go!!!!

I got money that the Bent One moves to diff.  country after it come to light.

[Fishrrman]

Consider the source of this thread:
National Review.

ne'erTrumpers of the first order.

[Cyber Liberty]

This vote to release files will fail because there are enough panicans that will vote against it.  Democrats will celebrate it as a great victory over the hated Donald Trump.

I'm surprised...417-1 Aye!

[DCPatriot]

I'm surprised...417-1 Aye!

Further proof... there's a @roamer_1 in every club.   

[berdie]

Help me out here...Trump can't run again so isn't he already a lame duck by definition??

[corbe]

   Trump has Lindsey by the balls on this one.

[roamer_1]

This thing is going to go up in a puff of smoke and disappear from the scene with a quiet whimper.

Yup. Time for a squirrel. Or a bigfoot.

[roamer_1]

Further proof... there's a @roamer_1 in every club.   

For the record @DCPatriot , I think I am on the side of the angels on this Epstein thing. Always have been. Never did believe Tumpy was after children. He had whole stables of models to choose from, and that has always been his style.

If you are merely jabbing me for being contrary... Alright. I get it.
But not on this issue.
Jussayin.

[corbe]

    What about all the opportunities while he was head of the Miss Universe? 
    He was a sleaze, like most of us were back then. 

[Idiot]

    What about all the opportunities while he was head of the Miss Universe? 
    He was a sleaze, like most of us were back then.

"were"? 

[corbe]

   I'm sorry if I cast my net too wide @Idiot

[Kamaji]

"were"? 

Ya beat me to it!!

[roamer_1]

    What about all the opportunities while he was head of the Miss Universe? 
    He was a sleaze, like most of us were back then.

Sure. I know he was a horndog. That's not great. But that is different than a pedophile. Which is my point.

[corbe]

   All my Life I've been called a horndog.  I resent that. 
   My two best buddies, from the 60s, would not be happily married to my 'X's, if I had not checked them out first. 

[roamer_1]

   All my Life I've been called a horndog.  I resent that. 
   My two best buddies, from the 60s, would not be happily married to my 'X's, if I had not checked them out first. 

I am sure that they thank you for your service. 

[corbe]

I am sure that they thank you for your service. 

   Actually, one of the two curses me, the other one Blesses me.  Besides I'm the only one who can drive, they are both in such poor health.  So I can meet their ol ladies in Lockhart, the BBQ capital of Tejas.

[jafo2010]

I suspect the release of the Epstein files has something to do with Trump manipulating the Dems to do something they really do not want to do, as depicted in memes of him tricking the Dems to do something idiotic.  It will be mostly the Dems that suffer from this release, because we know many of them are degenerates.  How many times did Clinton go to Epstein Island?  He did not go there to play chess!  And Hillary went there too.  How many young girls did she abuse?

SLICK WILLIE WENT 26 TIMES THAT WE KNOW OF, SLIPPING THE SECRET SERVICE TO GO WHILE HE WAS POTUS NO LESS.

[DCPatriot]

For the record @DCPatriot , I think I am on the side of the angels on this Epstein thing. Always have been. Never did believe Tumpy was after children. He had whole stables of models to choose from, and that has always been his style.

If you are merely jabbing me for being contrary... Alright. I get it.
But not on this issue.
Jussayin.