Conservative commentator Candace Owens decried the scandal as a “terminal cancer to the MAGA movement.” Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson argued: “The fact that the U.S. government, the one that I voted for, refused to take my question seriously and instead said, ‘Case closed, shut up conspiracy theorist,’ was too much for me.”

The Epstein controversy is the latest example of Massie creating a major headache for his fellow Republicans, following his opposition to the megabill. Just a few weeks ago, Trump and Massie actually appeared headed to a sort of political truce. But it was short-lived.

Trump faces MAGA backlash over Epstein as calls for transparency grow and loyalists demand the files be released.

Their actions range from pressuring the administration to release more information to spinning additional conspiracy theories about the case of Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender.

I think that anyone who participated or was associated with this despicable man ought to be held up to public scrutiny,’ the former vice president said

In 2021, a jury convicted Epstein’s former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, of helping to recruit young girls for sexual abuse. She was sentenced last summer to serve 20 years in prison.