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‘Not going away’: Inside the Epstein drama that’s thrown House GOP into chaos
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Continued fallout from the handling of Jeffrey Epstein’s case has partially paralyzed House Republicans’ agenda this week.
Frustrated GOP lawmakers have found themselves in a political minefield over the late pedophile, pointing fingers at each other, Democrats and even the Trump administration as members of President Donald Trump’s base continue to clamor for immediate transparency.
«We ought to be consistent and transparent. So we have consistently asked for the release of the Epstein files, and that shouldn’t stop now that we are in charge,» one House Republican told Fox News Digital under the condition of anonymity.
«This issue is not going away. The quicker we deal with it and nip it in the bud, then we take it off the table as an issue the Democrats can use against us and can be used, as you see, procedurally, to stop other good legislation from going through.»
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Speaker Mike Johnson is urging House Republicans to let the Trump administration do its work on the Epstein case while accusing Democrats of politicizing it. (Getty Images)
A Department of Justice (DOJ) memo earlier this month declaring the Epstein case closed ignited a civil war within the GOP, with figures on the far right accusing Trump officials of stonewalling despite promises of transparency.
Days later, Trump called on a federal judge to release grand jury testimony in Epstein’s case.
Democrats, meanwhile, have seized on the discord with newfound calls to «release the Epstein files,» as Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee, put it on multiple occasions.
Democrats on the panel – which serves as the final gatekeeper to legislation that requires a simple majority vote – have used their ability to introduce an unlimited number of amendments during committee hearings to force Republicans to take politically sticky votes on releasing information about Epstein.
«There is a list, that list is a victim list. And you’ve got to carefully walk through a victims list, because it involved Epstein. Epstein was involved with minors,» said Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont. «I think the other thing is, I find ironic just out of circumstance, that the Democrats are pushing so hard for an Epstein file that the Biden administration had for four years.»
It led to House GOP leaders advancing a nonbinding resolution calling on the Trump administration to release the files, though it’s not clear when that will receive a chamber-wide vote.
But Democrats pledged to work from the same playbook during a Monday night Rules Committee hearing to kick off the GOP agenda. Republicans responded by forcing those proceedings to grind to a halt.
A Department of Justice memo earlier this month declaring the Epstein case closed ignited a civil war within the GOP. (New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP)
House leaders canceled a planned day of voting on Thursday – sending lawmakers to August recess a day early.
«The rules committee will not be meeting, and rightfully so. They were going to use the whole time, and they told us, just amendment after amendment. They think they’ve got a wedge in this – they don’t,» committee member Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital.
He’s one of several House Republicans who told Fox News Digital they were giving deference to the Trump administration on handling the issue – while praising how the White House has handled it so far.
Multiple lawmakers told Fox News Digital that Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., urged Republicans in their Tuesday morning closed-door conference to allow the administration to do its work and not demand the release of information that could risk harming Epstein’s victims.
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One person said, «We don’t want to embarrass ourselves, keep asking and asking for something, then it comes out, and it’s like – ‘We didn’t want that.’ But I mean, we’ve got to trust the administration.»
«The administration has done a great job. All the wins that they have – I’m not going to let this waylay them,» Norman said. «In 45 days or two months, if nothing happens, that’ll be a problem. But that won’t happen. We’re going to get it out.»
Moments later he took to X to demand an immediate vote on the nonbinding Epstein resolution, however.
«The American people deserve action, not excuses. Let’s vote on it before August recess and get it DONE!!» Norman said.
The South Carolina Republican, who is considering a bid for governor, is one of several conservatives pushing the issue, despite GOP leaders’ pleas to stay quiet on the matter.
President Donald Trump has urged Republicans to move on, while calling on a judge to release Epstein grand jury files. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., teamed up with Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., on a measure that could force a House-wide vote on releasing Epstein-related documents – if it netted a majority of the chamber’s support. That mechanism, called a discharge petition, could force House GOP leaders into a difficult position when they are back in early September.
Several Republican lawmakers have signed onto Massie’s measure in support.
Meanwhile, the House Oversight Committee unanimously approved a move by Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., to call for imprisoned ex-Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell to be subpoenaed.
Three more House Republicans, however, told Fox News Digital they believe most lawmakers want the matter to dissipate.
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One locked in on Massie and his nonbinding resolution, «He’s doing all of this for self-promotion and attention, and it’s sad and pathetic.»
Even Johnson took aim at Massie during his weekly press conference when asked about his discharge petition.
«It’s interesting to me that he chose the election of President Trump to bring this, to team up with the Democrats and bring this discharge petition,» the speaker said.
«I also try to follow the Scripture. You know it says, Bless those who persecute you. So let me just say about Thomas Massie: Could you just accept my Southern, bless his heart.»
Rep. Thomas Massie is aiming to force a vote on getting Epstein files released to the public. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
He also pointed out the administration was in the process of sifting through what information it could release.
‘There’s no purpose for Congress to push an administration to do something that they’re already doing. And so this is for political games. I’m very, very resolute on this. We can both call for full transparency and also protect victims,» Johnson said.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a Trump ally who is backing Massie’s discharge petition, told reporters, «I’m all for transparency, but we just have to be a little patient with the court.»
Several people noted that any bombshell information implicating Trump or other high-level figures would have leaked by now.
But the two other House Republicans who spoke with Fox News Digital said they and their colleagues were frustrated with how the Trump administration has handled the matter so far.
«We need to give it the opportunity to simmer down,» one of the two lawmakers said. «I will say, for me, when you say the list is on your desk, and there’s no list – you can’t take that one back. And I think that’s probably the genesis of the whole thing.»
That was in reference to Bondi telling Fox News Channel of Epstein’s client list in February, «It’s sitting on my desk right now to review.»
Another GOP lawmaker told Fox News Digital, «You can’t set up all these expectations and then not expect some criticism on the backend when you decide to not move forward with it… I don’t understand it at all.»
And Massie, for his part, has remained fixed in his course while arguing that doing otherwise will cost Republicans the 2026 elections. He also accused Johnson of telling Republicans to «stick your head in the sand» and defer to the Trump administration.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has been under fire by some on the right over her handling of the matter. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
«If we don’t take the right side of this issue, it’s going to cost us votes in the midterms. People are becoming despondent. They’re apathetic. Why would they go vote if they gave us the House, the Senate and the White House and the transparency and justice they were promised doesn’t happen?» Massie said. «And I think it could be a real problem for us. That’s why it would behoove the speaker to bring this to the floor. It would be in the best interest of this institution just to vote this out and give it to the Senate and let them do their thing.»
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When reached for comment, the White House responded with a lengthy statement touting Trump’s accomplishments that did not mention Epstein.
«Under President Trump’s leadership, the Republican Party has achieved unprecedented unity and strength. After securing the largest share of votes ever for a Republican presidential nominee and winning majorities in both the House and Senate, President Trump has delivered the most impactful first six months of any presidency. He has fulfilled numerous campaign promises – and then some!» said spokesman Harrison Fields.
Indeed, Republicans have had a number of significant legislative successes this year, even with a razor-thin majority.
When reached for comment, a DOJ spokesperson pointed Fox News Digital to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s statement on Tuesday, digging in on the department’s earlier memo.
«[I]n the recent thorough review of the files maintained by the FBI in the Epstein case, no evidence was uncovered that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties. President Trump has told us to release all credible evidence. If Ghislane 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. «Therefore, at the direction of Attorney General Bondi, I have communicated with counsel for Ms. Maxwell to determine whether she would be willing to speak with prosecutors from the Department.»
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Ante la corrupción en el Ejército, el régimen de Xi Jinping recurre a la propaganda para contener la descomposición interna
El Ejército Popular de Liberación (EPL) de China intensificó esta semana su campaña ideológica interna con la publicación de un editorial que insta a los cuadros políticos militares a “decir la verdad” y “enfrentar los problemas de frente”. El mensaje, difundido en el Diario del EPL, órgano oficial de las Fuerzas Armadas, forma parte de una estrategia propagandística que busca contener el desgaste institucional tras los múltiples escándalos de corrupción que han sacudido a la cúpula militar.
“El ocultamiento de los problemas o el maquillaje de la realidad reflejan un carácter partidario impuro y motivaciones egoístas”, advierte el texto, publicado sin firma individual, pero atribuido a un comentarista oficial del diario. El artículo exige a los funcionarios políticos del Ejército —encargados de aplicar la línea ideológica del Partido Comunista— actuar con “moralidad e integridad” en un contexto marcado por purgas internas, ausencia de información y la caída de varios altos mandos por corrupción.
Los cuadros, sostiene el editorial, deben ser “luchadores, no caballeros”, una formulación que refuerza la visión autoritaria del régimen sobre el papel del liderazgo militar. Se invoca además la figura de Mao Zedong y otros líderes revolucionarios para legitimar la necesidad de “predicar con el ejemplo” en medio de lo que el propio texto califica como “riesgos superpuestos” para el Ejército.
La publicación llega apenas dos días después de que la Comisión Militar Central (CMC), máximo órgano castrense de China, emitiera nuevas directrices para reconstruir la credibilidad de las Fuerzas Armadas. El documento, también difundido por el Diario del EPL, establece “líneas rojas políticas” y limitaciones en las interacciones sociales de los oficiales, con el objetivo explícito de frenar redes de favores y tráfico de influencias.
Aunque no se mencionan nombres, ambos textos aparecen en medio del silencio oficial sobre el paradero y la situación legal de figuras como el general He Weidong, uno de los oficiales de más alto rango que ha desaparecido del espacio público sin explicación. Tampoco se ha informado sobre las causas reales que llevaron a la caída de los dos últimos ministros de Defensa, reemplazados en medio de investigaciones internas cuya existencia no ha sido formalmente reconocida por las autoridades.
La falta de transparencia, sumada a la sustitución del debido proceso por campañas ideológicas, ha sido una constante en la gestión del Ejército bajo el liderazgo de Xi Jinping. En lugar de una rendición de cuentas abierta, el régimen ha optado por reforzar el control político mediante discursos de moral partidaria, publicaciones anónimas y referencias simbólicas a la historia del Partido.
La coincidencia entre el tono del editorial y las nuevas normas disciplinarias revela un patrón habitual en el sistema de propaganda del Partido Comunista Chino: el uso de medios oficiales para ejercer presión indirecta, consolidar el poder de la jerarquía política y silenciar cualquier forma de disidencia dentro del aparato militar.
Lejos de ser un gesto de reforma, el llamado a la “honradez” y a la “verdad” se produce en un entorno donde la verdad institucional se decide desde arriba, sin mecanismos independientes ni espacio para el escrutinio público. En ese contexto, las apelaciones a la lealtad, la disciplina y la “pureza ideológica” funcionan como herramientas de blindaje para un régimen que prioriza la estabilidad política frente a la rendición de cuentas.
(Con información de EFE)
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ICE chief warns AI technology could lead to safety risks for agents: ‘Fringe organizations’
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Far-left organizations could be using artificial intelligence and other technology to reveal the identity of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, acting ICE Director Todd Lyons told Fox News Digital in an interview.
Lyons’ remarks come as Democrats in Congress recently proposed the VISIBLE Act, which would require clear identification of ICE agents and prevent masking of federal immigration authorities in public-facing circumstances.
«If legislation passes to try to unmask ICE agents, they are not allowed to wear them, it runs the risk of agitators, different groups, you know, these fringe organizations using reverse technology, AI, to try to dox their families, try to get their identity, their home addresses,» Lyons said of the reaction from agents on the ground. «We’ve heard elected officials say there shouldn’t be any rest for ICE agents or their families.
«So they’re definitely concerned about that. They’re also concerned about their own well-being when they go out to effectuate these arrests because now we have to send more officers out into the communities because where we can send four or five to make arrests in the past, now we had to send up to eight or 10 just to protect the four that are making the arrests of one individual.»
MASSACHUSETTS BILL WOULD FORCE ICE AGENTS TO UNMASK
Residents surround federal and Border Patrol agents after an immigrant raid on Atlantic Boulevard in Bell, Calif., June 19, 2025. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
He added that the safety risk does require more resources when conducting arrests. When ICE was conducting operations in Los Angeles in June, President Donald Trump sent in the California National Guard to the city with the goal of protecting agents and quelling riots. That move was legally challenged by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
«The Marines are withdrawing. This is another win for Los Angeles,» Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass posted to X Monday.
ICE agents have faced an 830% increase in assaults since last year, according to DHS. However, proponents of the VISIBLE Act have said it’s nessescary for accountability.
«For weeks, Americans have watched federal agents with no visible identification detain people off the streets and instill fear in communities across the country,» Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, said in a statement July 8.
«Reports of individuals impersonating ICE officers have only increased the risk to public and officer safety. The lack of visible identification and uniform standards for immigration enforcement officers has created confusion, stoked fear and undermined public trust in law enforcement.»
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Ten suspects were charged with attempted murder of a federal officer in an alleged July 4, 2025, ambush attack on the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas. (Johnson County Sheriff’s Office)
«Assault could be anything from resisting arrest where they assault the officers, whether they’re kicking, grabbing officers. It could be something as dramatic as what we saw in Alvarado, Texas, where we had local police ambushed with firearms,» Lyons said.
«You saw it during the recent marijuana grow farm raid operation, where we had an individual firing a handgun at ICE officers, rocks thrown at them. It’s everything from verbal assault to physical assault to threats of bodily harm, deadly force. It’s run the whole gamut.»
Authorities have charged 12 people in an alleged anti-ICE attack at the Prairieland Detention Center on Independence Day, including ten for alleged attempted murder of federal officers and gun offenses. Reports have indicated that some planning occurred through a Signal group chat, and Lyons noted that this was likely planned by the Dallas area activists for some time.
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«Death to ICE» is written on a garbage cart after multiple detentions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in downtown Los Angeles June 6, 2025. (Reuters/Daniel Cole)
«Well, the FBI is doing a great job investigating it as a whole organized event,» Lyons said. «So, you saw where it was actually organized with social media, where you have organized people in a typical L-shaped ambush where you had escape vehicles. So, without getting too much into what the Department of Justice and the FBI do, there is definitely evidence that this was planned for a while, and it wasn’t just a spur-of-the-moment protest. These were agitators focused on assaulting law enforcement officers and assaulting ICE.»
In terms of facing these coordinated efforts, the director said it’s a matter of planning and looking at the information available before conducting an operation.
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents look over lists of names and their hearing times and locations inside the Federal Plaza courthouse before making arrests June 27, 2025, in New York. (Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images)
«What we’re doing is definitely working with all of our federal partners as well as the state partners that do coordinate with us what we use and all the intelligence that we have at our disposal to go ahead and try to find out as much about these groups and as much as about these organizations and these planned events that we can to let our officers and agents know in the field prior to going out,» Lyons said.
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«So, we wanna make sure that officers are fully aware of what the situations they’re getting into, but we are also making sure that we’re properly staffed when we go out.»
In addition, he said recent funding from the «big, beautiful bill» would be to try to bring back personnel that «retired early» under the Biden administration and look at veterans and officials at the local and state levels who «already have the training» to «beef up» staffing at the agency.
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Estados Unidos ordenó incautar un buque pesquero chino por esclavitud y violaciones a los derechos humanos: hasta hace un mes operó frente al Mar Argentino
El gobierno de Estados Unidos ordenó la incautación de todos los productos de mar capturados por el buque pesquero Zhen Fa 7, de bandera china, por graves violaciones a los derechos humanos.
La embarcación, que operó hasta mediados de junio frente a la Patagonia argentina, fue acusada de prácticas que incluyen esclavitud, violencia sexual, condiciones laborales inhumanas y retención de documentos, según denunció el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional estadounidense.
La medida fue emitida por la Unidad de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza (CBP), que basó su decisión en indicadores de trabajo forzoso identificados por la Organización Internacional del Trabajo (OIT). El caso fue difundido por el Círculo de Políticas Ambientales, una organización que monitorea la pesca ilegal en América del Sur.
«Zhen Fa 7 se benefició de menores costos laborales, produjo bienes por debajo del valor de mercado, perjudicó a las empresas estadounidenses y obtuvo ganancias injustamente», explicó el organismo en su resolución oficial publicada en su sitio web.
Durante más de una década, el buque operó en el Pacífico y Atlántico sur, con una fuerte presencia frente a las costas de Ecuador, Perú, Chile y Argentina. En su paso más reciente por Sudamérica, estuvo operativo frente al Mar Argentino hasta el 16 de junio de 2025 y utilizó el Puerto de Montevideo, Uruguay, como base logística.
No es la primera vez que el Zhen Fa 7 queda en la mira por abusos: en 2021 abandonó a un tripulante en estado crítico en Montevideo. El joven, de nacionalidad indonesia, falleció poco después en un hospital local. Las autoridades uruguayas nunca registraron oficialmente el ingreso del buque tanquero que lo desembarcó.
En marzo de este año, se detectó que el Zhen Fa 7 ingresó hasta 180 millas dentro de la Zona Económica Exclusiva (ZEE) argentina, aproximándose peligrosamente a las costas del Chubut, frente al Golfo San Jorge. Lo hizo acompañado por una flota de al menos 150 pesqueros chinos, bajo el argumento de buscar refugio por tormentas.
En enero, la provincia de Santa Cruz firmó un acuerdo con empresas pesqueras chinas, muchas de las cuales tienen antecedentes similares de abuso y pesca ilegal. El informe alerta que estas flotas operan gracias a subsidios estatales y explotación sistemática de sus tripulaciones.
La pesca ilegal, no declarada y no reglamentada (INDNR) tiene consecuencias devastadoras: afecta ecosistemas marinos, la actividad pesquera legal y también genera un impacto económico y social directo en los países ribereños. A pesar de eso, Argentina todavía no ratificó dos acuerdos internacionales clave (uno de la OMC y otro de la OMI) que podrían contribuir a ponerle freno a estos abusos, a pesar de haber sido aprobados por el Congreso.
Este martes, Argentina depositó su instrumento de ratificación del Acuerdo sobre Subvenciones a la Pesca de la Organización Mundial del Comercio, que busca limitar el accionar de las flotas que realizan pesca ilegal y no reglamentada en los mares del mundo. Había sido aprobado por el Congreso en octubre del año pasado.
Se trata de un acuerdo fundamental para luchar contra la depredación pesquera que ocurre en el Atlántico Sur, ya que impacta directamente en el financiamiento estatal que recibe la flota extranjera que realiza pesca destructiva, ilegal y no reglamentada.
El acuerdo, que demandó más de 20 años de negociación, constituye uno de los principales logros alcanzados en la OMC desde su creación, puesto que por primera vez se establece la restricción de los subsidios que afectan negativamente al comercio y a la conservación de los recursos pesqueros y se prohíbe las subvenciones que contribuyen a la pesca ilegal, no declarada y no reglamentada (INDNR), a la pesca de poblaciones ya sobreexplotadas y a la pesca en alta mar no reglamentada.
Según había anunciado el Gobierno argentino en octubre pasado, el acuerdo tiene implicancias de enorme relevancia para el país, dado su gran litoral marítimo y la importancia de los recursos pesqueros..
En particular, se espera que contribuya a disminuir la presión pesquera en el área adyacente a la Zona Económica Exclusiva Argentina, coloquialmente referida como «milla 201», ya que al limitar la posibilidad de que los países recurran a subsidios para mantener artificialmente la actividad de sus flotas, el acuerdo contribuirá a la protección de los recursos pesqueros en las aguas adyacentes a la jurisdicción nacional, limitará las capacidades de grandes flotas que pescan a distancia y complementará los esfuerzos de patrullaje de las autoridades nacionales sobre el terreno.
Con la aprobación del Congreso, el Gobierno estará ya en condiciones de sumarse a los más de 80 países que han presentado a la OMC su instrumento de ratificación.
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