Democrats appear intent on forging ahead with their efforts to leverage controversy over the late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein to stir up division among Republicans — even in the face of polls that indicate their previous efforts have been fruitless.
For those who don’t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week’s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
Polling thus far suggests that if the ongoing drama surrounding Epstein is causing — or furthering — any division within the Republican Party, it is having very little impact on President Donald Trump’s popularity. Still, that data has done little to dissuade Democrats from running with their chosen narrative — and Sunday morning’s political shows made that abundantly clear.
On ABC’s “This Week,” host Martha Raddatz raised the topic with chief justice correspondent Pierre Thomas, who noted that the Trump Justice Department’s move to unseal grand jury records amounted to an effort to “relitigate” the case against Epstein posthumously.
The Justice Department formally requested Friday the unsealing of grand jury records tied to federal investigations into Jeffrey Epstein.
“In some ways, the Epstein case is now being relitigated, years after his death,” @PierreTABC reports. https://t.co/a3Zr3kXUHs pic.twitter.com/j092d1v2Pr
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) July 20, 2025
Raddatz then spoke with senior political correspondent Rachel Scott, who said despite a preponderance of evidence to the contrary, that the fallout over the handling of the Epstein case had caused a “splintering” of President Trump’s base.
Scott claimed that the Epstein drama had created “relentless backlash from Trump’s base, splintering his MAGA supporters unlike any other moment during his time in politics.”
President Trump and his administration’s handling of the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein is sparking “relentless backlash from Trump’s base, splintering his MAGA supporters unlike any other moment during his time in politics,” @RachelVScott reports. https://t.co/LJTv6oMK0p pic.twitter.com/ad1LYlndH6
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) July 20, 2025
Raddatz then turned to Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), who has called for the release of the Epstein documents, for assistance in her efforts to help Democrats drive the wedge deeper. Burchett said he believed Attorney General Pam Bondi had fumbled in the initial messaging with regard to Epstein, but he was not quite ready to call for her ouster.
“I think they blundered in the beginning, but I think they’re going to finish strong,” he said.
GOP Rep. Tim Burchett said Attorney General Pam Bondi initially “blundered” the messaging about the Epstein case and was “taking advice from the wrong people.”
“I think they blundered in the beginning, but I think they’re going to finish strong.” https://t.co/2tPeyE4QLD pic.twitter.com/DewjNgt2vz
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) July 20, 2025
Raddatz made one last attempt to stir tensions between Republicans and the Trump White House, asking whether Burchett had been upset by Trump’s dismissal of those like him who had called for the release of the documents.
Burchett waved her off, saying, “Was I a little ticked off he said that stuff? Sure, I was, but I’m a big boy.”
“Was I a little ticked off he said that stuff? Sure, I was, but I’m a big boy.”
GOP Rep. Tim Burchett reacted to Pres. Trump calling some Republicans “foolish” for demanding the release of the Epstein documents. https://t.co/8a1dmWyoHw pic.twitter.com/WQnVoIYdUK
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) July 20, 2025
Burchett clarified his position further during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” where he made it clear that while he was frustrated with President Trump’s administration, he was also angry at Democrats — who stonewalled efforts to get access to the Epstein flight logs while former President Joe Biden was in office and suddenly are demanding the files.
“I’m ticked off at everybody,” he declared during his interview with anchor Jake Tapper.
Rep. @timburchett on the fight to release the Epstein files: “I’m ticked off at everybody” pic.twitter.com/4elP1X6WMm
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) July 20, 2025
When Tapper asked Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) about that very issue — why she and her fellow Democrats had shown no interest whatsoever in the Epstein files until Trump was president — she deflected.
“The president blaming Democrats for this disaster, Jake, is like that CEO that got caught on camera blaming Coldplay, okay? Like, this is his making,” Klobuchar claimed, not answering the question.
Sen. @amyklobuchar on Trump’s Epstein fallout: “The president blaming Democrats for this disaster, Jake, is like that CEO that got caught on camera blaming Coldplay, okay? Like, this is his making.” pic.twitter.com/SnjAjI8BQq
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) July 20, 2025
CBS News actually addressed the reality of the situation, however, citing recent polling that indicated the Epstein case — whether people were angry about it or not — was not moving the needle away from Donald Trump when it came to his levels of support from within the party.
CNN data guru Harry Enten raised that point earlier in the week, noting that in contrast, it was the Democrats in Congress who were rapidly losing the support of their own base.
“X isn’t real life. Post-Epstein saga, Trump’s approval with the GOP (~90%) may actually be slightly up,” Enten captioned a video of a recent broadcast. “He’s at/or near his apex w/ the GOP. How? Just 1 respondent said Epstein was the top problem facing the U.S. Cong Dems, OTOH, are at their worst standing with Dems ever.”
X isn’t real life. Post-Epstein saga, Trump’s approval with the GOP (~90%) may actually be slightly up. He’s at/or near his apex w/ the GOP.
How? Just 1 respondent said Epstein was the top problem facing the U.S.
Cong Dems, OTOH, are at their worst standing with Dems ever. pic.twitter.com/pSMH4BQ8Ou
— (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) July 17, 2025