Republicans Who Cross Trump Rarely Survive — Will The Epstein Truthers?

Four Republicans’ decision to back the “Epstein Files Transparency Act” against the wishes of President Donald Trump could reshape their political futures.

The four Republicans who signed a discharge petition to move the bill forward, Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, and Nancy Mace of South Carolina, are joined by 213 Democrats. All four have weathered high-profile political challenges in the past, but the track record for Republicans who cross Trump is not good.

The White House has warned that backing the petition will be viewed “as a very hostile act.” Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly dismissed the uproar surrounding the late convicted sex offender as a “hoax” driven by Democrats for political gain.

The Daily Caller spoke with consultants familiar with the upcoming 2026 races of the four GOP members to assess how signing the resolution — and breaking with Trump — could influence the midterms. The consultants requested anonymity in order to be able to speak candidly about the elections.

🚨 Epstein victim SPEAKS OUT about Ghislaine Maxwell’s interview with Todd Blanche: “Nothing can be believed…. It’s repulsive.”@BrasfieldAshley pic.twitter.com/knZKNQIlJg

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) September 3, 2025

A consultant familiar with Massie’s race argued that the congressman has long been a thorn in the side of Trump and the Republican Party. Massie’s recent aggressive push to disclose the Epstein files likely won’t significantly impact the desire some Republicans already had to replace him, the consultant said.

“I started getting calls out of Washington asking, ‘How do we go about getting Massie out of office?’ 20 minutes after he voted against [Mike] Johnson for speaker back in January. It’s been kind of long standing,” the consultant said of the longstanding Republican frustration with Massie.

The Epstein resolution is “more of a symptom than a cause,” of opposition to Massie, he explained, pointing to a “Trump super PAC having already spent $1.82 million in negative ads against Massie” following his opposition to current GOP leadership.

Massie’s district, located in northern Kentucky and bordering West Virginia and Ohio, was described as a geographically “bizarre” mix of constituents, including swaths of “libertarians, radically conservative Catholics who reject the Vatican, [and] your traditional Republicans,” according to the consultant.

The district has historically low voter turnout and Massie has survived multiple primary challenges in the past despite butting heads with the president, making it potentially more difficult for Trump-aligned Republican activists and consultants to oust him.

Massie told the Daily Caller he’s not worried about political blowback. “Even though the President no longer supports releasing the Epstein files, his voters in my district overwhelmingly do want to see the files released,” he said. “In this instance, there’s no political downside. When the vote occurs, I hope more members will follow the will of their constituents and seek justice for the victims.”

Greene, on the contrary, has positioned herself as a top Trump ally while voicing strong support for releasing the Epstein files. She signed the discharge petition and attended the Sept. 3 press conference on Capitol Hill where alleged victims of Epstein advocated for disclosure. (RELATED: Alleged Epstein Victim Condemns System That Elevated Maxwell’s Voice Before Survivors’)

A consultant familiar with Greene’s race noted that there does not appear to be a clear primary message against Greene. Even if one existed, “it would have to be on some other issue and there would have to be a real Trump thumbprint on it.”

The consultant also suggested that Trump isn’t inclined to go after her because “I do think there’s a genuine friendship there and mutual admiration.”

The consultant noted that while Greene may sometimes appear at odds with the president, her overall stance with the Trump administration has remained consistent, leaving little political incentive for attacks. The consultant described Greene as “easy to engage with” and also highlighted the “seriousness with which she takes constituent work.”

Another consultant echoed that view, calling Greene “pretty popular” with her base and pointing out that a primary challenger would struggle to land attacks in the upcoming race. Signing the discharge position also further cements the idea that Greene is going “against the grain.” (RELATED: Democrat Special Election Winner Could Force House To Take Up Epstein Files Discharge Petition)

“That ties right into her whole personality, and the folks up there love her,” the consultant said.

A spokesperson for Greene said she’s not backing off of the issue. “Rep. Greene is not coming off the discharge petition. Supporting Epstein’s victims, regardless of politics, is the right thing to do.”

Cutting against the grain in a way that aligns with his base may be a key factor protecting the four from major consequence. Trump has purged the GOP of many moderate, old-guard Republicans who his core supporters loathed, from Liz Cheney to Jeff Flake.

The fact that so many of Trump’s supporters cared deeply about the Epstein files differentiates the current moment from a situation like voting for Trump’s impeachment, which painted a target on the back of the Republicans who did so.

A former GOP operative familiar with ex-Rep. Tom Rice, who voted to impeach Trump, noted that the GOP lawmakers signing on to the Epstein petition are otherwise “very aligned” with Trump and “maybe more MAGA than Trump is on some of these things.” (RELATED: Kash Patel Says There Is ‘No Credible’ Proof Epstein Trafficked Women To Anyone But Himself)

One GOP operative who worked with former Rep. Anthony Gonzalez — who voted to impeach Trump in 2021 — noted that Republicans had a stronger majority when the impeachment vote happened which made it easier to risk safe seats with primary challenges. Now, with “how small the majority is … you gotta keep everybody together,” the operative said of Republican thinking on the Epstein issue. 

Calling for the Epstein files to be released also may be viewed as those four Republicans “sticking to their guns,” given Trump and his administration officials calling for the release on the campaign trial. Alternatively, voting to impeach the president is a more direct attack on the party.

“It doesn’t reflect the same and … in this situation too, I don’t think it’s necessarily going against the president, you know, why these members are doing it,” the operative added. 

Mace, who is currently running as a gubernatorial candidate in South Carolina, is unique. If she were to lose the gubernatorial primary, she would have missed the filing deadline for running for reelection for her congressional seat.

While not barred under federal law, S.C. Code § 7-11-10 requires that a candidate qualify for one specific office and prohibits qualifying for more than one office in the same election.

Additionally, any funds raised through Mace’s gubernatorial campaign could not be transferred to a congressional bid under S.C. Code § 8-13-1350 and 11 C.F.R. § 300.61–300.62.

A consultant familiar with Mace’s race said the Epstein discharge petition is unlikely to affect her anyway, as she often acts independently and is not expected to receive the president’s support for governor.

“She’s stated in the past privately … that if she doesn’t get the Trump endorsement, she’s not gonna run,” the consultant recalled. “I think she got the message that Trump’s not endorsing anybody anytime soon and kind of stopped with that talking point.”

Epstein’s survivors deserve justice and Americans deserve transparency. https://t.co/TVi2RmNS4B

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) September 3, 2025

A discharge petition, an uncommon and rarely successful tactic, gives lawmakers a way to bypass leadership and force a floor vote if a petition gathers 218 signatures — a simple majority of the House. GOP leaders have worked to block the effort, insisting the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein will provide further answers.

With 218 signatures required to force a vote on the House floor, the resolution’s fate may depend on the outcomes of four open congressional races. The first of those contests was decided last Tuesday in Arizona’s heavily Democratic 7th Congressional District, when Democrat Adelita Grijalva defeated Republican candidate Daniel Butiere.

The Caller reached out to Mace for comment but did not receive a response prior to publication.

 

Editor’s Note: This piece has been updated that the 4th Republican to vote for the discharge petition was Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert, not Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna.