Washington DC: United States President Donald Trump has fiercely dismissed calls from members of his own party to release further files related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, calling the controversy a “hoax” and “bulls***”.

In a Truth Social post on Wednesdauy, he denounced Republicans pushing for transparency as “stupid people” and accused them of falling for “Democratic scams”.

Trump’s remarks followed the Department of Justice’s release of findings from an internal review of the Epstein case, which stated that there was no evidence of a “client list” or blackmail of prominent individuals. The announcement has sparked outrage among many conservatives who believe the case was mishandled or covered up.

Amid the controversy, the DOJ fired federal prosecutor Maurene Comey, daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, who had worked on high-profile cases including those involving Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Sean Combs. The termination, while unexplained officially, has fuelled further speculation.

Trump doubled down on his position during a meeting at the White House with the crown prince of Bahrain, claiming, “They’re wasting their time with a guy who obviously had some very serious problems, who died three, four years ago.” He reiterated that the Epstein case was not a priority and was being used as a distraction from his administration’s “success”.

Tensions within the administration also emerged publicly. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino reportedly clashed with Attorney General Pam Bondi, who has faced criticism from conservatives for withholding further files. Despite the backlash, Trump defended Bondi, saying she had managed the case “very well”.

The Republican divide has widened, with House Speaker Mike Johnson stating in a podcast interview that he supports “transparency” and believes Pam Bondi should explain the DOJ’s position to the public. Senator Josh Hawley called for Epstein’s former associate Ghislaine Maxwell, currently imprisoned, to testify under oath before Congress.

The controversy coincides with legislative manoeuvres in Congress. The Senate is racing to finalise a $9.4 billion package of spending cuts requested by Trump, which includes rolling back funds allocated for foreign aid and public broadcasting. Vice President JD Vance broke tie votes to advance the bill.

Additionally, Trump sparked headlines for criticising Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell during a meeting, though he denied plans to fire him. However, he admitted to discussing Powell’s future with GOP lawmakers.

Despite the wider policy developments, Trump expressed frustration at what he perceives as misplaced focus on Epstein. “I really don’t understand what the fascination is,” he told reporters. “Credible information has been given.”

As divisions deepen, the Epstein controversy continues to stir tension within the GOP, threatening to overshadow Trump’s legislative and diplomatic agenda.