A Republican congressman who championed the release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein has found himself at odds with President Donald Trump, culminating in a public rebuke at a high-profile Washington event.
Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a libertarian-leaning representative known for occasionally breaking with his party, drew Trump’s ire at the National Prayer Breakfast. The president called Massie a “moron,” adding that Republicans typically rally together after negotiations, except for Massie.
The public criticism followed a series of votes and policy positions that put Massie at odds with the administration. He voted against Trump’s massive tax and spending cuts bill and has challenged the president’s authority on foreign policy matters. But perhaps most notably, Massie has been a leading voice demanding transparency around documents related to Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender.
Massie co-sponsored the Jeffrey Epstein Transparency Act, which forced the Trump administration to release documents concerning Epstein’s connections and activities. The legislation resulted in the release of 3 million documents, though Democrats and transparency advocates argue that 3 million pages remain locked away.
Working across party lines, Massie partnered with Democratic Representative Ro Khanna of California to examine the documents. The two lawmakers spent two hours at the Department of Justice building in Washington DC viewing unredacted versions of the files. Their bipartisan effort underscores the significant public interest in understanding the full scope of Epstein’s network of connections.
On Tuesday, Khanna took to the floor of the House to name six men whose identities had been redacted in the publicly released documents. He identified them as Salvatore Nuara, Zurab Mikeladze, Leonic Leonov, Nicola Caputo, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem and Leslie Wexner.
Among those named, Wexner is a billionaire whose extensive ties to Epstein have been documented. Bin Sulayem is a billionaire businessman and real estate developer from Dubai.
Khanna and Massie both expressed frustration with what they characterized as unnecessary redactions in the documents. Khanna said he and Massie had forced the department to unredact their names.
Massie said he was troubled by what he discovered in the files, noting the names of at least six men that have been redacted that are likely incriminated by their inclusion in these files.
The Epstein scandal continues haunting the Trump administration. The disgraced financier served just 13 months behind bars after his 2008 guilty plea to procuring a minor for prostitution, before dying by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges involving children.
The fallout has now penetrated Trump’s inner circle. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick faces mounting pressure from both parties to step down following revelations of his deep connections to Epstein. Emails from 2012 detailed plans for Lutnick to visit Epstein’s private Caribbean island, a property where minors were allegedly trafficked and abused.
While testifying before Congress on Tuesday, Lutnick admitted he had lunch with Epstein on that private island—a significant admission given that Lutnick had previously denied spending time with Epstein. Both Massie and Khanna have called for Lutnick’s resignation.
The controversy has also affected international politics. In the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer’s government has been roiled by the scandal, leading to the resignations of Peter Mandelson and Morgan McSweeney. Starmer issued an apology to Epstein survivors.
Khanna drew parallels between the British response and the lack of accountability in the United States, stating that Lutnick should be out of the cabinet based on the evidence.
Epstein’s accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell declined to answer questions during a House oversight committee hearing on the scandal. Maxwell exercised her Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination and said nothing throughout the proceedings. Currently serving two decades in prison for sex trafficking, Maxwell recruited numerous victims for Epstein to exploit.
Chuck Schumer appeared with Epstein survivors in Washington DC on Tuesday to announce legislation seeking to eliminate the statute of limitations for certain sexual offenses. The bill is named in honor of Virginia Giuffre, one of the most vocal Epstein survivors who died by suicide in April 2025.
Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin has also accused the Justice Department of a cover-up, citing what he called unnecessary redactions in the documents.
Reports citing a 2019 interview with Michael Reiter, the former Palm Beach chief of police, indicate that Trump called him in 2006 to warn that Maxwell was Epstein’s operative. The statement contradicted Trump’s later claims that he knew nothing of Epstein and Maxwell’s activities, adding another layer of complexity to the president’s relationship with the case.
Trump’s name appears thousands of times in the Epstein files in various contexts. The president has consistently denied any wrongdoing or knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activities. The White House has pushed to move past the scandal, with the Justice Department insisting that its review of the Epstein case is concluded.
Despite the administration’s position, lawmakers like Massie and Khanna continue to press for full transparency. Their efforts have put them at odds not only with the Justice Department but also with party leadership. For Massie, who has built a reputation as an independent voice willing to buck his party, the public rebuke from Trump represents the latest chapter in an ongoing tension between loyalty to party leadership and commitment to transparency and accountability.
