'Who are they protecting?' Fox analyst predicts 2026 will be 'referendum' on Trump-Epstein

If Democrats want to dominate in next year's midterm elections, they'll relentlessly use the Jeffrey Epstein controversy as a cudgel against President Donald Trump and the Republican Party.

That's according to a Monday analysis in The Hill by Fox News contributor Juan Williams. In his essay, Williams pointed out that the GOP has been playing defense for multiple weeks over the administration's handling of the DOJ's still-unreleased evidence from its investigation into the convicted pedophile. Williams suggested that Republicans are particularly vulnerable to Epstein-related attacks given that Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi have so far failed to follow through on their promises to release the materials to the public.

"Memo to Democrats: If you want to trigger a wave of wins in next year’s midterms, demand hearings on the Epstein files," Williams began. "Also, at every press conference about inflation, Ukraine or cuts to Medicaid, display a big photo of President Trump posing with Jeffrey Epstein and women."

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Williams pointed to Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) as "role model[s]" for how Democrats should pursue the Epstein issue in the 2026 midterms. While the former attached a resolution compelling the DOJ to release the Epstein files to a cryptocurrency bill and got Republicans on the record against transparency, the latter pegged Trump to the notorious child predator in a recent speech.

"A cynic might ask: Why are House Republicans sitting on the files?" WIlliams wrote. "Who are they protecting?"

The Fox News analyst reminded readers that Trump cruised to victory in 2016 by running on unsubstantiated conspiracy theories "about Benghazi and Hillary Clinton's email server," and on insinuating that former President Barack Obama wasn't born in the United States. He then said Democrats don't need to venture into conspiracy theory territory given the wealth of evidence tying Trump to Epstein.

"Open the facts of this case for all to see. Note that Trump’s Attorney General Pam Bondi served as Florida’s attorney general from 2011 to 2019. Remind Americans that Trump was questioned by lawyers for Epstein’s victims, according to Florida investigative reporter Julie K. Brown, who helped break the Epstein story open in 2018," he wrote. "Trump’s first Secretary of Labor, Alex Acosta, was the U.S. Attorney in South Florida who cut Epstein a sweetheart deal. When asked why by the Trump vetting team, Acosta reportedly claimed he had been told to 'back off' because Epstein was connected to 'intelligence.' That’s not speculation. Neither Acosta nor the Trump administration officials who vetted him have denied it, according to the reporter who broke the story."

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Click here to read Williams' full op-ed in The Hill.