OPINION: Trump’s Epstein 'hoax' claim is a slap in the face for sex abuse victims
Survivors of Jeffery Epstein’s abuse spoke at the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 5, telling about their years of torment caused by the serial pedophile. They made the simple request that Donald Trump release the Epstein files, which he could do with the stroke of a pen. Files amassed by the FBI and Justice Department since 2005 would likely contain significant evidence of Epstein’s charged and uncharged crimes — victim statements, investigators’ notes, the identity of those who took part and what caused law enforcement to finally start investigating allegations against Epstein.
Donald Trump could have cleared the air and supported the victims by releasing the entirety of the files. Instead, he slapped them in the face, claiming that the entire Epstein tragedy was a “hoax” and refusing to meet with them. The message, from the highest official in the land to those who had suffered sexual abuse as minors, was that they would have no support from the government — a clearcut case of victim shaming.
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