In a few weeks President Donald Trump may find out the fate of the rest of his presidency. That may sound dramatic, but allow me to explain.
Next month, after the Thanksgiving recess, Congress is expected to vote to release the so-called Epstein files—the Justice Department’s witness interviews, emails, and other documents related to the investigation into the late billionaire and convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.
If a bloc of Republicans joins forces with House Democrats to force the documents’ release, as is anticipated, it will be a moment of failure for Trump. The White House has tried over the last half year to dismiss the Epstein files as a hoax spun up by the president’s opponents. But the scandal hasn’t gone away—instead, it is becoming a crucial test of Trump’s power.
The Epstein scandal returned to the headlines on Wednesday, when House Democrats on the Oversight Committee released some emails that suggested Trump himself may have known more about Epstein’s sex trafficking operation than he has let on.
