House Democrats on Wednesday dropped a bombshell of newly discovered emails from deceased financier and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein to his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, in which Epstein directly claimed President Donald Trump was aware of his systematic abuse of young girls but was the "dog who hasn't barked," kept quiet about it for him and "hasn't once mentioned" what he knew to the authorities.
The email, which is released as a monthslong fight continues to force Trump to disclose the full Epstein case files to the public, also comes as the Trump administration upgraded Maxwell to a low-security luxury prison against federal guidelines after she gave an interview purporting to exonerate Trump of misconduct, setting off a firestorm online.
Commenters on social media said Trump looks worse than ever — and Democratic lawmakers vowed to release everything that has been kept hidden.
"It begins. Clearly incriminating against president of the United States," wrote former Pentagon special counsel and New York University law professor Ryan Goodman.
"I guess we know why Trump, Bondi, Patel and Mike Johnson have been covering up the Epstein files," wrote former GOP operative turned anti-Trump Meidas Touch editor Ron Filipkowski. "I’m sure there is a whole lot more and a whole lot worse."
"Jeffrey Epstein said in an email that Trump 'knew about the girls.' That's not a smoking gun it's a bonfire," wrote podcaster and former national security official Tommy Vietor. "And of course he did! Epstein recruited women from Mar-a-Lago. All of this is why Ghislaine Maxwell got a moved to a low-security prison."
"You’re telling me that the guy who ran federal prisons when Epstein 'killed himself' and who put the architect of Epstein’s sweetheart plea deal in his cabinet and who sent raunchy notes to Epstein may have been mixed up in this Epstein business???" wrote columnist Matthew Yglesias.
"April 2011 email from Epstein to Maxwell: 'I want you to realize that that dog that hasn’t barked is Trump.' Where there’s smoke there’s fire..." wrote Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ).
"Oversight Dems have released serious and disturbing emails today about the Trump and Epstein relationship," wrote House Oversight Committee ranking member Robert Garcia (D-CA). "An email from Epstein alleges Trump 'spent hours at my house' with a victim. We won’t stop until we end this White House cover-up. Release the files, NOW."