Johnson erupts over 'dangerous' Biden 'cover-up' as Democrats push Epstein disclosure

Fox News

4 days ago

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., accused Democrats of orchestrating a "cover-up" of President Joe Biden's signs of mental decline in a set of remarks to reporters on Wednesday.
The leader of the House of Representatives criticized left-wing lawmakers for their public pressure campaign regarding Jeffrey Epstein's case, dismissing their calls for transparency as a hypocritical political ploy.
"We will not be lectured on transparency by the same party that orchestrated one of the most shameless, dangerous political cover-ups in the history of the United States – and that was President Biden's obvious mental decline," Johnson told reporters.
"House Republicans stand for maximum transparency and truth. We always have, and we always will."
It comes as the House Oversight Committee continues to investigate allegations that the former president's top White House aides obscured signs of mental and physical decline in the octogenarian leader from the public and others in the administration.
Biden told The New York Times earlier this month that he was fully aware of every decision he made in a story regarding his use of autopen for clemency orders.
Johnson and other Republican lawmakers have dealt with a barrage of media scrutiny on Epstein's case over the last two weeks. It's a side effect of the fallout over a recent Department of Justice (DOJ) memo effectively declaring the matter closed.
Figures on the far-right have hammered Trump officials like Attorney General Pam Bondi, accusing them of going back on earlier vows of transparency.
At Trump's direction, the DOJ is moving to have grand jury files related to Epstein's case unsealed. Bondi is looking into whether imprisoned former Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell will speak with federal authorities as well.
Democrats seized on the discord by forcing Republicans on a key panel – the House Rules Committee – to take multiple votes on whether to make files related to Epstein's case public.
GOP lawmakers' frustration at being put into a tough political situation forced House Republicans' agenda to partially grind to a halt this week, forcing leaders to send the House into August recess a day earlier than initially planned.
Some Republicans are frustrated with the Trump administration's handling of the issue, while others are angry at fellow GOP lawmakers joining Democrats in public calls for transparency.
Many, like Johnson, have accused Democrats of operating on a double-standard.
"The way Democrats have tried to weaponize this issue is absolutely shameless. And I just want to say this – Democrats said nothing and did nothing, absolutely nothing, about bringing transparency for the entire four years of the Biden presidency," the speaker said. But now, all of a sudden, they want the American people to believe that they actually care."
When reached for comment, a spokesperson for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., pointed Fox News Digital to his remarks on Epstein earlier this week, questioning what Republicans were "hiding."
"Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide during the Trump administration. Trump administration officials have said, prior to arriving in Washington in positions of prominence, including at the FBI and the Department of Justice, that they were going to release the Epstein files. Trump administration officials are now in a position to release the Epstein files," Jeffries said.
"Does any of that, in your view, have anything to do with President Joe Biden? Why do we think President Joe Biden or President Barack Obama's names are being invoked?"
Fox News Digital also reached out to the office of former President Joe Biden for comment but did not immediately hear back.