'Botched!' James Comer admits Trump's DOJ created a 'mess' — and MAGA knows it

Rep. James Comer (R-KY) told CNN's Jake Tapper on Monday that President Donald Trump's Department of Justice "botched" the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, and that the MAGA movement is keenly aware of their shortcomings.

Comer and Tapper discussed the way Trump's DOJ has handled the release of the files during an interview on CNN's "The Lead." Tapper asked Comer whether he has any confidence in the DOJ's compliance with a law Congress passed last year that required the agency to release all files in its possession by December 2025.

"I think the Justice Department has botched this," Comer said. "I don't think anyone in America — Republican or avid Trump supporter — would defend the way that this has been rolled out."

So far, the DOJ has released about half of the files it possesses, and those it has released have contained redactions that lawmakers have found questionable at best. Some documents also exposed personal information about some survivors of Epstein's crimes.

Comer also noted that there is a lot of "frustration on both sides of the aisle" over how the DOJ has handled the release of the files.

"It's a prettycomplicated mess here," Comer said. "But we're going to continue to do everything we can to get the answers to the American people. We want to see prosecutions. Wewant to see people heldaccountable, and we're going todo everything we can to see thatthat happens."