WASHINGTON – Republican lawmakers continue to debate a response to theJeffrey Epstein dilemmathat has roiled the MAGA base and equally frustrated PresidentDonald Trump– while the 2026 midterm elections loom as a potential outlet for their voters totake out some of that vitriol. There are no easy answers to a complicated and dated criminal case from which an ample number of conspiracy theories have emerged. Some weretouted by members of Trump's administrationbefore their government employment. The debate around the disgraced financier and the Justice Department's recent review of his case, whichfound no evidenceof a highly speculated client list or that Epstein had not committed suicide in 2019, has left Republicans in Congress between a Trump rock and MAGA hard place. More:Family feud: Trump at odds with MAGA movement on multiple fronts "A very large group of Americans that have been concerned about this issue, that thought the administration or thought that Republicans were issuing a promise in good faith, are now realizing that perhaps they aren't operating as honestly as they had perhaps appeared," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, told USA TODAY. "The erosion of trust is something that once you lose, it's very difficult to come back," she added. Tensions over how to address the Epstein case haveengulfed the GOP-led Houseand threatened to backlog other legislative priorities. This week, the House Oversight Committee agreed tosubpoena testimony from Ghislaine Maxwell,a longtime Epstein aide serving a 20-year prison sentence for conspiring with the financier. At the same time, pressure to address the Epstein scandal before the entire House prompted SpeakerMike Johnson, R-Louisiana, tocut the chamber's schedule shortand send lawmakers home a day early for their beloved summer breaks that serve as a vital opportunity to reconnect in person with constituents. Adding to the drama is Trump, who has along personal history with Epsteinand who has asked members of his party to move on from the issue whilecalling his supporterswho do not "weaklings." Drama over the handling of Epstein's case review, which manyGOP supporters are calling insufficient, butted into business on Capitol Hill as lawmakers worked to pass Trump'spush for $9 billion in spending cutsto public broadcasting and foreign aid. Even after House leadership managed to temporarily quell dissent and see the budget measure through, lawmakers returned to Washington this week with some as irate as ever. "I would like the House to follow order, (that) would be really nice," Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, told USA TODAY. "We should probably be voting on all our appropriation bills and we're not. So, there's a lot of things I would like to see done." Johnson said on July 21 there would not be a vote on anything Epstein-related, saying he wants to give the Trump administration "space" to address the issue first. His comment underscored how House operations are at something of a standstill with attention still caught on a controversial, years-old criminal case. "I think he's scared. I think he's terrified," Rep.Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, said of Johnson on July 21. Massie has spearheaded a bipartisan effort with Rep. Ro Khanna, D-California, to force the administration's hand in publicizing files. Republican voters were "promised this, they expected this, and it's not happening," Massie said. "But at the same time, he feels an allegiance to President Trump, who's gone against the MAGA base on this. So I think he's torn." Disputes in the House are unfolding ahead of the five-week break from Washington. Lawmakers will head home to their states and districts, and Republicans are expecting to face some scrutiny from disgruntled constituents. AReuters/Ipsos polltaken July 15-16 found 69% of Americans believe the federal government is hiding details about Epstein's clients. Trump's popularityhas taken a hit. AQuinnipiac University pollaround the same time found 63% of voters disapprove of how his administration is handling the issue. Republicans this year have already facedheated town hallsback home, prompting leadership to encourage members to quit holding events. "There are a lot of people here in the swamp who think that, 'Oh, well if we spend five weeks on vacation, the pressure for this will dissipate,'" Massie said. "I don't think it's going to dissipate. I think it's going to build." Could the pressure build to next year's midterms? Potentially. "Democrats didn't put the Epstein matter into the public domain," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a press conference on July 14. "This was a conspiracy that Donald Trump, (Attorney General) Pam Bondi and these MAGA extremists have been fanning the flames of for the last several years, and now the chickens are coming to roost." Democrats already have the historical edge next November as the party that does not hold the White House typically performs better in midterm elections. Both Democratic and Republican presidents suffered stinging defeats that led to them losing one or both chambers of Congress during the 1994, 2006, 2010, 2018 and 2022 campaign cycles. For the 2026 elections, Democrats say they plan to hit their GOP opponents with recent controversial moves, including Trump'ssweeping tax, policy and spending billthat could affect millions of Americans' Medicaid coverage, as well as the cuts to public broadcasting and global programs. Epstein may be one more name on their list of talking points ‒ and Republicans such as Massie are sounding the alarm now. "It will follow each individual Republican through the midterms. It will follow people into their primaries," Massie said. "Did you support transparency and justice or did you come up here, get elected and fall into the swamp?" This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:GOP faces Epstein dilemma in Congress, voters back home
