'Moon landing status': Republicans warn Trump Epstein scandal will 'dog' rest of his days

The Jeffrey Epstein files will "dog the president" well into his second term, according to GOP members who will "never stop talking about it".

Longtime GOP member Alex Conant told CNN the president will struggle to shift the conversation away from the Epstein files in his second year. A 427-1 vote means the Epstein files will be released within the next 30 days, with the bill to do so signed off by Trump this week.

GOP members now believe the contents of the file will be a major talking point for the presidency throughout 2026. Conant said, "This is a storyline that’s going to continue to dog the president into the second year of his presidency. The Epstein conspiracies have reached moon landing status. And we’ll never stop talking about it."

The GOP member went on to say that Epstein is "all anyone's talking about" and this would continue to be the case for some time. He added, "The power of the presidency is the ability to set the agenda. And to the extent that this is a distraction, it does undermine what else he can do."

Trump's U-turn on releasing the Epstein files has been seen by some as a chance for the president to control what is released, and when it will be publicly available. DNC Chair Ken Martin has suggested Trump is "threatening to play games" and could delay or redact information in Epstein's files.

He wrote, "For months, Donald Trump and his White House have done everything in their power to defy and deceive the American people and keep the Epstein Files buried."

"Now — as his approval ratings plummet to the lowest level of this term — he’s suddenly had a ‘change of heart.’ But we can see where this is headed: He’s already threatening to play games with the files that are released and those that are withheld."

Martin also called for there to be complete transparency when releasing the files and that it was "time to finally deliver" on the truth.

He continued, "Here’s our call: Protect survivors, withhold nothing. Trump’s Department of Justice must release ALL of the Epstein Files immediately. Americans are done being jerked around and know that any move from the administration to delay or obscure any information will be seen for what it is — a government cover-up designed to protect the wealthy, the well-connected, and Donald Trump."