White House Braces for Blowback over Epstein Files Release
US President Donald Trump on the roof of his Oval Office on Tuesday! (Image The White House)
Politico’s Jack Blanchard warns that the newly signed disclosure bill triggers a 30-day countdown—but loopholes, redactions and internal party rivalries mean the fight over these files is only beginning.
By TRH Foreign Affairs Desk
New Delhi, November 20, 2025 — The White House may hope the storm is behind it, but the release of sensitive Epstein files is set to ignite a fresh political battle, not end one. Speaking on Politico’s Playbook podcast, Jack Blanchard said the signing of the disclosure bill marks “a big step” — but far from closure.
Under the legislation, the administration now has 30 days to publish what it has. Yet the scope of what eventually becomes public remains uncertain. Courts have ruled that some material must “never come out,” while the Department of Justice can also withhold documents tied to active investigations if disclosure could prejudice a case.
“There’s quite a lot of leeway,” Blanchard noted, emphasising that the process of public release is likely to be messy, contested and politically combustible.
Inside the White House, aides are split. Some want the episode buried quickly. Others—far more combative—see an opportunity to weaponise the Epstein files against political rivals, including Democrats named in the documents and Republicans such as Rep. Thomas Massie.
A senior White House official told Politico that Biden resisted shifting his approach for months because he “didn’t want to concede” to critics in either party—frustrating allies who believed the issue was politically damaging.
With factions on both sides preparing to exploit whatever emerges, the upcoming 30-day window is unlikely to settle anything. If anything, it marks the beginning of a new and volatile phase.
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