House Judiciary Democrats Urge Special Counsel on Trump-Epstein Ties; White House Denies Claims
Photo: NBC NewsHouse Judiciary Committee Democrats on Monday released a 50-page report calling for an independent special counsel to investigate evidence of President Donald Trump's alleged criminal ties to Jeffrey Epstein, eight days before Election Day. The report draws on the accounts of 11 women, FBI records and documents released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. It says at least five women accused Trump of rape or sexual assault in Epstein's company. Beatrice Keul told lawmakers Trump raped her at a November 1993 pageant at the Plaza Hotel, and Jill Harth described an alleged assault at Mar-a-Lago in 1994. The report also accuses the Justice Department of a cover-up and of withholding records. Democrats acknowledged Trump's Justice Department is unlikely to appoint a special counsel. White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said none of the allegations are true, called the report a desperate Democratic distraction, and said Trump removed Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago club because he was a creep. Trump has repeatedly denied knowledge of or involvement in Epstein's crimes. Separately, Democrats have spent about $36 million on Epstein-related ads in House and Senate races, according to an AdImpact analysis cited by Politico.
Left-leaning outlets NBC News and The New Republic both lead with the report. NBC frames it as a call for a special counsel, quoting the report's line that evidence is more than sufficient, citing Mueller and Jack Smith, and including the White House rebuttal and midterm context of Trump's approval slipping over the economy, affordability and the Iran war. The New Republic uses a more forceful tone, with "Cover-Up" in its headline, and focuses on the women's accounts, the figure of at least 28 accusers overall and Paolo Zampolli. Right-leaning Newsmax, in the excerpt available, does not mention the report, the women or the special counsel. It headlines Democrats' $36 million in Epstein ad spending, which casts the issue as campaign spending. Newsweek, an alternative outlet, matches the left's facts but stresses that the allegations are disputed and the findings are Democratic staff conclusions.
How the sides differ Left sources stress the report's allegations and call for a special counsel; right sources cover only Democrats' $36 million in Epstein-related ad spending; alternative sources add caveats.
Headline, comparison and summary written by AI from the articles below. AI can make mistakes, so check the original articles before relying on a detail.
NBC News leads with the call for a special counsel and includes the White House denial and midterm context. The New Republic stresses the women's accounts and a cover-up allegation.
Newsweek reports the report's claims and the White House denial, adding that the allegations are disputed, no criminal findings exist, and the conclusions are Democratic staff's, not the full committee's.
Newsmax, in the excerpt available, leads with Democrats' roughly $36 million in Epstein-related ads, citing an AdImpact analysis via Politico, and does not mention the report's allegations.