House Republicans brace for constituent backlash over Epstein files as they return home for break

House Republicans are facing constituent backlash over the Trump administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, as they head back to their districts for the month-long August recess.

House Speaker Mike Johnson sent lawmakers home last week without bringing a resolution that would demand the Trump administration provide more transparency on the multiple investigations and civil actions into the late-financier. House Democrats, latching on to the issue as a political weapon, have made multiple efforts to shine the spotlight on the issue.

The Trump administration and Congressional Republicans have faced heavy backlash for its handling of the case, particularly related to the late financier's alleged "client list," which the administration says does not exist. 

Republican House leaders have promised to take action on the Epstein files when the chamber returns to Capitol Hill in September if necessary, but Johnson claimed last week that he did not feel Congress needed to act on the topic immediately because the administration was working to provide more transparency on the issue.

House Republican issues guidance on town hall backlash

The National Republican Congressional Committee in March recommended conservative lawmakers not host any more in-person town halls after they faced a wave of angry backlash over cuts made by the Trump administration. 

NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson said recently the guidance remains in effect for the August recess, where he urged lawmakers to make connections with their constituents in other formats to get their messages across. House Republicans are largely expected to focus in that messaging on pushing the success of passing major legislation like the "One Big Beautiful Bill."

While the guidance is not binding, some lawmakers have opted to host virtual town halls as a way to hear from constituents instead. Virtual town halls give the host much more control over what the public sees, and can eject opponents or critics with the bush of a button.

What some Republicans are hearing from constituents: 

Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa., held a virtual town hall on Wednesday night where he addressed questions about the investigation, including whether he believed that President Donald Trump was on the purported client list and whether the list should be released.

Mackenzie stated that he supports releasing the list and would support pushing the administration on it if they do not release it on their own, according to NPR.

"I know they have not released as much as I would like to see to date, but hopefully they're going to be doing that," Mackenzie said. "If not, then Congress should potentially step in and compel them to do that because ... the American people deserve to have full transparency and information about what is in those files and ultimately we're going to get there."

As many as 11 House Republicans reportedly support a floor vote on the Epstein files. 

Individual lawmakers have made formal demands for transparency

Some constituents have accused lawmakers of avoiding discussing the Epstein case, to which Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa. pushed back in his own virtual town hall last week, stating that he has personally asked the Justice Department for more information on Epstein.

"I have requested that the DOJ – and you can see the letter publicly -- that the DOJ release the files. Not only that, [but] they also provide a special prosecutor for the Epstein circumstances as well as other things – abuses of government where information is being hidden from the American people," Perry said in the NPR interview.

Perry has also changed the way people can join his telephone town hall, opting for his office to call people who RSVP for the event to help prevent people from outside his district from calling in.

While some voters have been critical of Republicans and Trump over handling the Epstein matter, many voters in the Midwest are willing to give the president the benefit of the doubt, The Guardian reported. “Epstein was a piece of s*** and got what he deserved," one voter said. "As for Trump, they haven’t come up with any evidence that he actually did anything."

Trump loyalists question Democratic criticism of Epstein investigation

President Trump and some of his allies have been skeptical of the bipartisan backlash over the Epstein investigation and allegations that the president was on the supposed "client" list. The logic goes that if there was actual evidence linking Trump to the list then it would have surely been leaked to the media or by anti-Trump elements under the Biden administration. 

Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wisc., claimed Democrats were trying to use the Epstein pushback as a way to distract from the successes of the administration.

"They are just searching for something to be able to tag Republicans with," Tiffany said on the "Just The News, No Noise" TV show.

"It's a very easy answer. Why didn't they do anything about this over the last four years when Joe Biden was president? It is all in an effort to get the public to focus on something else than the victories we've been achieving in Washington, DC, for the American people."

Other Republicans, including Johnson, have praised the moves that the administration has taken to provide more transparency on the issue, and argue that Congress does not need to take further action at the moment. 

Attorney General Pam Bondi asked a federal judge in Florida to unseal grand jury testimony related to Epstein, but the judge denied the request saying that legal precedent doesn't allow it. 

“My belief is we need the administration to have the space to do what it is doing, and if further congressional action is necessary or appropriate, then we’ll look at that,” Johnson said. “But I don’t think we’re at that point right now, because we agree with the president.”

The House is set to return to Washington D.C. on Sept. 2, where they are expected to focus on passing legislation to keep the government funded next year.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.