US politics live: Trump approval plummets to 38% in Epstein files controversy

Congress overwhelmingly votes to expose the Epstein documents as the President’s approval rating is in freefall. Follow live.

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US President Donald Trump’s approval rating has slumped to 38 per cent amid mounting controversy over his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.

The survey of 1,017 Americans found Trump’s “overall approval sliding two percentage points since a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in early November,” with 62 per cent now disapproving of his performance.

The decline comes as Congress voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to force the release of government documents on the disgraced financier, who died by suicide in 2019 after being accused of sex trafficking underage girls to wealthy and influential men.

The House passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act with just one dissenter out of 428 members, while the Senate fast-tracked the legislation without a recorded vote.

Trump initially pressured congressional allies to block the material, but reversed course over the weekend when much of his party threatened to defy him. He claims the files will expose powerful Democrats’ connections to Epstein, though Trump himself faces scrutiny over his years-long friendship with the convicted sex offender.

The legislation compels publication of unclassified documents detailing investigations into Epstein’s operations, with lawmakers saying over 1,000 alleged victims deserve answers.

Trump has pledged not to veto the bill.

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Originally published as US politics live: Trump approval plummets to 38% in Epstein files controversy