Schumer: Epstein Files Vote ‘Will Go Down as One of the Most Damaging Moments of Trump’s Presidency’

Schumer: “And let me also add this, this will go down as one of the most damaging moments of Donald Trump’s presidency. In trying so hard to hide the truth, Donald Trump has provoked the fiercest rebellion he’s ever faced among his own supporters, both in Congress and around the country. All the lying, all the broken promises about transparency, all the bullying and threats to members of Congress who wanted these files released. It’s all blown up in Donald Trump’s face. His usual methods of intimidation and dishonesty have failed spectacularly in this instance. But make no mistake, today’s vote is just one step. Once the Senate sends this bill to the president’s desk, Donald Trump must obey the letter of the law and ensure full transparency regarding the Epstein files. No, we’ll give you some of this or not, but not that. Maybe you should see this, there’s a reason you can’t see that. Anything less than full transparency will be unacceptable in the eyes of the American people. If the president tries to manipulate his way into releasing just some of the Epstein files while deliberately hiding others, the public will see right through it. And their frustration, their distrust in Donald Trump will grow even worse. Before we get to that step, the Senate must finish this job first. We must pass this bill unamended as soon as humanly possible. And I yield the floor to my colleague Senator Merkley, who’s been a great partner as we have pursued finding full transparency with the Epstein files.”