President Donald Trump was widely criticized after he rudely snapped at Bloomberg News reporter Jennifer Jacobs after she tried to ask him a question about the Epstein files on Air Force One as Trump flew from D.C. to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida for the weekend.
Trump has done everything he can these last few months to avoid any and all questions about the Epstein files, which are said to contain detailed lists of some of the late financier, pedophile, and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein's most high-profile clients and enablers.
But the scandal boiled over as a result of a release from House Oversight Committee Democrats that includes emails like one Epstein sent his associate Ghislaine Maxwell that reads:
“I want you to realize that the dog that hasn’t barked is Trump. [Victim] spent hours at my house with him. He has never once been mentioned. Police chief, etc. I’m 75% there.”
In another message, dated January 31, 2019, Epstein emailed journalist Michael Wolff:
“[Victim] Mar-a-Lago. [identifier]. Trump said he asked me to resign — never a member, ever. Of course he knew about the girls, as he asked Ghislaine to stop.”
Last week, once the government shutdown ended, Speaker Mike Johnson swore Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) into office and she became the 218th signatory on the bipartisan discharge petition to compel the Justice Department to release the Epstein files. That set up a House vote on the bill for this week, a development Trump was none too happy about.
So on Friday, as Trump rode on Air Force One and spoke with reporters, Jacobs asked why he's pushed back against releasing the files "if there's nothing incriminating" in them.
Trump swiftly dismissed her with:
"Quiet, piggy."
You can watch what happened in the video below.
Trump was harshly criticized.
On Tuesday, the House and Senate—with just one “no” vote—approved a bill requiring the Justice Department to release the Epstein files, following an unusual procedural maneuver in the House to force the measure to the floor.
Once Trump signs the bill, the Justice Department will have 30 days to release all files related to Epstein and his associate and procurer Ghislaine Maxwell. However, Attorney General Pam Bondi may withhold certain materials if their disclosure would endanger underage victims or interfere with an ongoing investigation.
Notably, a congressional vote was never required for the files to be made public. Trump could have ordered their release unilaterally, but has pushed back against their release, decisions that have invited further scrutiny. Trump recently pivoted and said he supports releasing the files and ordered the Justice Department to investigate Democrats' associations with Epstein.
