President Donald Trump’s old foe Nikki Haley is the latest to slam his administration’s secrecy regarding Jeffrey Epstein.
Haley, 53, said the lack of transparency around the so-called “Epstein Files” is why Americans do not trust the government. She implored Trump to share the files, even if they include information that is damning to him or his friends.
“Release the Epstein files and let the chips fall where they may,” she said. “This is why people don’t trust government. You can never go wrong with being transparent. Redact victims’ names, but release the rest.”
Epstein, who died via suicide while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, once referred to Trump as his “closest friend.” The two billionaires, each known for jetting between New York and Palm Beach, were photographed together multiple times.
Haley, a former governor of South Carolina and ex-U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, was Trump’s last Republican challenger standing last year. He insultingly referred to her as “birdbrain,” criticized her dresses, and accused her of being a flip-flopping “globalist” who did not represent the MAGA movement.
Haley is known for her ever-changing political stances, particularly regarding Trump. She said last February that Trump was “more diminished” and “unhinged” than ever before, yet she gave him a “strong endorsement” just four months later at the RNC.
Trump’s attacks on Haley paid off at the time, as he cruised through the GOP primary process without needing to set foot on a debate stage. However, the very MAGA base that willed him to an easy victory last spring is now in uproar that he appears to be pushing the Epstein story under the rug.
Others in the Trump administration are also suffering blowback, particularly Attorney General Pam Bondi. She said in February that an Epstein client list was sitting on her desk, but now the White House insists that such a list never existed in the first place.
Haley showered praise on Rep. Ralph Norman on Tuesday after he was the only Republican on a House committee to vote in favor of a measure that would compel the DOJ to release all documents related to Epstein on a public website.
“Thankful for @RalphNorman for understanding the importance of transparency,” she posted on X. Norman, 72, is also from South Carolina.
Some suggested Haley’s post calling for transparency regarding Epstein could have an impact on the GOP’s 2028 presidential race. Rep. Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California, tagged Vice President JD Vance in a reply to Haley’s post.
“A 2028 power move, @JDVance,” he wrote. “Where do you stand on the Epstein files these days?”
Mike Nellis, a former campaign adviser to Kamala Harris, also noted the post may be a future political play.
“Nikki Haley takes the lead in the 2028 GOP shadow primary,” he wrote.
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