Why can’t Donald Trump shake off the Epstein Files?

Americast

BBC

Politics, Government, News

4.2 • 2.8K Ratings

🗓️ 16 July 2025

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Donald Trump is trying to move on and dismiss the growing backlash within his own party over the refusal to release further information related to the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. This week, the leading Republican - and House Speaker - Mike Johnson has called for Trump to “put everything out there” and publish documents related to Epstein, otherwise known as the Epstein Files.

There are a growing number of influential Republicans who are now also breaking from Trump, by calling for greater transparency around the information, adding to the conspiracy theories around a possible cover up.

Trump (via posts on Truth Social) is dismissing these demands as a “SCAM” and a “HOAX”, saying his supporters have been conned by the “Lunatic Left for 8 long years”.

But, will he be able to shut down the rows within his own party, and how significant could this be for his presidency?

HOSTS: • Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter • Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent

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Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts.
0:05.1	The Jeffrey Epstein problem is getting bigger for Donald Trump.
0:09.1	It is getting bigger almost every day.
0:11.1	This week, a leading Republican has broken away from the president,
0:14.5	the House Speaker, Mike Johnson, calling for transparency.
0:18.7	We should put everything out there, which is, of course, what the Trump
0:22.4	administration has said doesn't now need to happen. So Donald Trump is having to talk about Jeffrey
0:28.5	Epstein. He's calling for the release of any credible files. What does that mean? Can he put a stopper
0:34.3	on all of this? What does it mean for his presidency? Welcome to AmeriCast.
0:40.8	AmeriCast from BBC News.
0:43.8	God spared my life for a reason.
0:47.2	Only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars.
0:51.5	A star is born, Elon.
0:53.4	I'm not just Maga. I'm not just MAGA.
0:54.9	I'm dark Gothic MAGA. This is what happens when the machine comes after you. I'm terrified for this country, and I'm so hurt that America let this happen. I think that we just witnessed the greatest political comeback in the history of the United States of America.
1:23.5	Hello, it's Anthony in the Washington, D.C. Bureau of BBC News.
1:27.2	And it's Justin in the worldwide headquarters of AmeriCast in London, England.
1:28.6	And it's just the two of us.
1:31.9	And I should say right at the beginning, because events move so fast, don't they?
1:35.7	That it's 10 to 3 in the afternoon on Wednesday here in London.
1:44.0	And not only do things move fast in the big worldwide world, they also move fast, of course, in politics, don't they, Anthony?
1:45.3	We've got this phrase in Britain.
	...

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