The overwhelming approval by the US Congress of a law requiring the declassification of judicial material relating to the so-called Epstein case has an institutional significance that goes beyond what these dossiers may reveal. This is the first time that the US legislature has reasserted its power over the White House after being overwhelmed for ten months by the capricious and unstable executive decisions of Donald Trump, who behaves like an autocrat, ignores the division of powers and interprets any objection to his decisions as a betrayal.
Lawsuits against chief financial officer Jeffrey Epstein for pedophilia and child trafficking have produced thousands of documents that are now held by the Justice Department. Some have been declassified by the courts and others by the current government, but most have remained secret since Epstein’s death in prison in 2019. Epstein was a well-known figure in power circles in New York and Miami, and among his closest friends were former President Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew and then-reality TV star Donald Trump. Prince Andrew was expelled from the royal family due to the scandal. In the pages known so far, the close friendship between Trump and Epstein is evident, even if so far nothing suggests that Trump knew or participated in his crimes.
President Donald Trump has resisted making these documents public for months, despite a request from his most radical and conspiracy-minded voters. Last week, that massive request reached Congress in a shocking vote. The law declassifying judicial material was approved with 425 votes in favor and 1 against in the House of Representatives and unanimously in the Senate. Before being humiliated, Trump took the lead in the rally and in a 180-degree turn publicly asked Republicans to vote yes to save face.
We should celebrate that Republicans in Congress, with majorities in both houses, have finally discovered that they can say no to Trump. It is a key moment for this epiphany. In a few weeks the pre-campaign of the primaries for the renewal of Congress in 2026 will begin in earnest and the country will once again judge Washington for other problems in addition to the Epstein papers. These include cruelty against immigrants through para-fascist methods or the cost of living, which Trump has not only failed to reduce, but has probably worsened with crazy tariffs that strangle foreign trade. The tension between the capricious interests of Donald Trump, who answers only to his pocketbook, and the interests of legislators, who must answer to voters, can only increase.
