MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace criticized President Donald Trump and his administration for continuing to fight efforts to release additional files related to Jeffrey Epstein, the late convicted sex offender who once moved in the president’s social circle.
Wallace said the shift in political momentum is striking. “In exactly 12 months, Donald Trump has gone from completely dominating the political moment to being buried by it,” she told viewers. “Donald Trump today finds himself on the defensive when it comes to his administration’s betrayal of a campaign pledge to release the Epstein files.”
The promise to reveal all remaining Epstein documents was a recurring theme on the 2024 campaign trail. Trump and his allies, including Vice President JD Vance, repeatedly claimed they would force transparency once in office. But after the administration settled in, the effort appeared to stall.
Officials made a public show of handing over files that were already available and distributing them to a group of right-wing influencers. Attorney General Pam Bondi fueled expectations early on by declaring that the so-called Epstein “client list” was sitting on her desk awaiting review.
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By the summer, she reversed course and said there was no such list and no more files to release. The shift drew anger from critics across the political spectrum. Wallace said momentum is now building in Congress to force the administration’s hand. A vote in the House is scheduled for next week, and members from both parties are signaling they are ready to defy the White House.
Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky urged his colleagues to support transparency. In a clip Wallace aired, he warned that lawmakers would have to answer for their vote long after the current president leaves office. “I would remind my colleagues that this vote is gonna be on your record for longer than Trump is going to be president,” Massie said.
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“And what are you going to do in 2028 and 2030 when you’re in a debate, either with a Republican or a Democrat, and they say, ‘How can we trust you? You covered up for a pedophile back in 2025.” Wallace said the swelling pressure suggests the administration may not be able to shield the remaining documents much longer.
She predicted the fight over the files could become a pivotal turning point. As she put it, the clash is building toward a “major political reckoning” for President Trump as lawmakers push for accountability and transparency.