The vote to release the Jeffrey Epstein files was hailed by many as a victory for transparency. Instead, it has triggered an immediate declaration of political war from a wounded White House. Following a stinging legislative defeat where he failed to stop the bill, the President and his team are now preparing to turn the tables, signaling that the release of these documents will not be a moment of national closure, but the start of a scorched-earth campaign against their political enemies.
The administration’s strategy is no longer about suppression; it is about retribution. The White House is openly telegraphing a plan to ensure that if the ship goes down, everyone goes down with it.
Will the Hunters Become the Hunted?
The administration is reeling from a brutal week—poor election results and a bipartisan revolt in Congress that forced the Epstein bill to the President’s desk. In response, the White House is pivoting to an aggressive offense, designed to make the Democrats pay a steep price for their victory.
“The Democrats are going to come to regret this,” a White House official warned. “You think we’re not going to make a scene of this?”
The strategy is clear: scour the released documents for dirt on high-profile Democrats and weaponize the Department of Justice to investigate them. The administration is betting that the public’s revulsion with Epstein is bipartisan and that they can muddy the waters enough to neutralize any damage to the President.
A Delegate, a Text Message, and a Hearing Compromised?
The first target in the administration’s crosshairs is Stacey Plaskett, the non-voting delegate from the U.S. Virgin Islands. Documents released from the Epstein estate allegedly show Plaskett texting with the disgraced financier during a 2019 congressional hearing, with Epstein appearing to feed her questions to ask from the dais.
This allegation strikes at the heart of congressional integrity. If true, it suggests that a member of the oversight body was taking cues from the very target of that oversight. The White House views this as a prime example of “absolute hypocrisy” and plans to use it to argue that the Democrats are the ones with the real secrets to hide.
Can the President Order the DOJ to Target His Rivals?
Beyond the political messaging, there is a profound constitutional danger lurking in the President’s response. Trump has reportedly already instructed the Department of Justice to investigate links between Epstein and notable Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton, former Harvard President Larry Summers, and megadonor Reid Hoffman.
This directive tests the independence of the Justice Department. The Article II power to “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed” does not grant the President the authority to use the DOJ as a personal opposition research firm or a tool of political vengeance.
While Larry Summers has already stepped back from public life following the revelations, the President’s move to explicitly target his rivals creates the appearance of a weaponized justice system. It transforms federal investigations from a pursuit of justice into a tool of political “mutually assured destruction.”
Is the “Iron Grip” Finally Slipping?
The ferocity of the White House’s response may also be a sign of weakness. The fact that the President spent months trying to kill this bill, only to see it pass with overwhelming bipartisan support, suggests that his “iron grip” on the GOP may be slipping as he enters a potential lame-duck period.
The administration’s counter-offensive is a high-stakes gamble. They are betting that by highlighting the $32,000 in donations Epstein made to the DNC and the connections of figures like Reid Hoffman, they can convince the public that the “Epstein hoax” is actually a Democratic scandal.
The tragedy of the Epstein saga is that the victims have been relegated to the background of a Washington power struggle. The release of the files should be a somber act of truth-seeking. Instead, it has become ammunition in a chaotic war where the goal is not to clean up the corruption, but to ensure that the other side gets just as dirty.