PALM BEACH, Florida \u2014 November 12, 2025.<\/strong> Former President Donald Trump<\/strong> lashed out at Democrats on Tuesday, accusing them of using what he called the \u201cJeffrey Epstein Hoax\u201d to divert attention from their handling of the ongoing 41-day federal government shutdown<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a post on Truth Social<\/strong>, Trump claimed that \u201cDemocrats are trying to bring up the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax again because they\u2019ll do anything to deflect from how badly they\u2019ve done on the shutdown.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The former president said his opponents were \u201cviciously closing the country\u201d and costing the U.S. economy \u201c$1.5 trillion,\u201d calling the current standoff \u201cthe worst act of political sabotage in modern times.\u201d He urged Republicans not to be \u201cdistracted by Epstein or anything else\u201d and to focus on reopening the government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trump\u2019s comments came just hours after House Democrats released a batch of 2011 Epstein-related emails<\/strong>, including one unverified message that mentioned Trump in connection with Epstein\u2019s social circle \u2014 a reference the Oversight Committee said was \u201cnot confirmed or substantiated.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Democratic lawmakers denied Trump\u2019s claims, insisting the release was part of an ongoing transparency push to declassify Epstein-related documents. \u201cThis isn\u2019t a political stunt,\u201d said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD)<\/strong>. \u201cThe public deserves to know what was hidden for years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Republicans aligned with Trump echoed his argument, describing the timing of the document release as \u201ccalculated\u201d amid Democratic pressure over the shutdown\u2019s economic fallout. \u201cThey\u2019re trying to change the narrative,\u201d said one GOP strategist familiar with the former president\u2019s inner circle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The remarks mark Trump\u2019s latest attempt to reframe the political conversation as Republicans face internal divisions over budget negotiations and the shutdown\u2019s growing public impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Polls show the standoff has damaged both parties, though analysts note the White House is under heavier scrutiny as federal services remain limited and markets show signs of strain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For now, Trump\u2019s message is clear: he wants Republicans to stay focused on reopening the government \u2014 not on Epstein, Democrats, or what he calls \u201cmedia distractions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" FORMER PRESIDENT CLAIMS PARTY IS USING EPSTEIN CONTROVERSY TO SHIFT BLAME FOR SHUTDOWN CRISIS PALM BEACH, Florida \u2014 November 12, 2025. Former President Donald Trump lashed out at Democrats on Tuesday, accusing them of using what he called the \u201cJeffrey Epstein Hoax\u201d to divert attention from their handling of the ongoing 41-day federal government shutdown. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2671,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26,23],"tags":[297,356,621,362,279,619,620],"class_list":["post-2670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion","category-u-s","tag-congress","tag-democrats","tag-epstein","tag-politics","tag-shutdown-2","tag-truthsocial","tag-xtrump"],"yoast_head":"\n