Another view ...
Democrats are going to come to regret this': After Epstein vote, Trump ready to attack
www.politico.com
... The White House is frustrated about being backed into a corner on the Epstein vote. They plan to punish Democrats for it.
The Trump administration, on its back foot following brutal election results and its failed effort to quash a House vote to release the Epstein files, is now planning to go on the attack.
"The Democrats are going to come to regret this," said a White House official, granted anonymity to discuss the strategy. "Let's start with Stacey Plaskett. You think we're not going to make a scene of this?"
Documents released from Epstein's estate showed the nonvoting delegate from the U.S. Virgin Islands texting with Epstein during a congressional hearing in 2019. In those texts, Epstein appeared to try to influence the questions she asked from the dais.
Her office did not respond to a request for comment, but a staffer told The Washington Post that Plaskett had received texts from Epstein, along with "staff, constituents and the public at large," during a hearing. The aide also said Plaskett has made her disgust over Epstein's behavior clear.
The administration's offensive comes amid intense frustration from the president and his top staffers who say a few wayward Republicans worked with Democrats to push a "distraction" to the forefront. In addition, White House officials fear no amount of disclosure will be enough to satisfy a significant part of their base. ...