Heading into the 2026 midterms, U.S. Rep. Clark wants to talk about cost of living — and Jeffrey Epstein

As the 2026 midterm election cycle kicks into gear, Massachusetts U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark wants voters to have Jeffrey Epstein on their minds.

“Donald Trump made a promise,” the House minority whip told WBUR’s Morning Edition. “Now he’s covering up.”

Clark, the second most powerful Democrat in the House, is a key piece of the party’s messaging apparatus. On social media and in the press, she typically trains her focus on bread-and-butter issues, like the cost of living.

But when President Trump’s Justice Department backtracked this month on promises to release information about people connected to billionaire convicted sex offender Epstein, Clark pounced.

“You deserve a government that is not corrupt,” Clark said. “ Donald Trump and his enablers and Congress will work to protect the very wealthy, the very powerful, the elite at the expense of families who are working hard.”

One reason Clark said she’s taking the Epstein angle: it cuts across party lines. A Quinnipiac University poll found more than a third of Republicans disapprove of the President’s handling of information related to Epstein.

“This issue has not been explosive with Democrats,” Clark said. “It’s been explosive with [Trump’s] base  because they understand he is fundamentally lying to them about what he said he was going to do, and now why he won't do it.”

At present, Republicans hold a narrow majority in the House and Democrats need only pick up a handful seats to take back control of the chamber.

Some influential Democrats are skeptical that a focus on Epstein will bear fruit. U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi, a moderate from New York, told Axios last week he is “not really focused” on Epstein. “I don't think this issue is big outside the Beltway," he said.

Clark says that, ultimately, 2026 won't be won or lost on tabloid issues, but at the kitchen table. Epstein aside, she said the party’s message for voters will be simple. “It’s: ‘You deserve better,’” she said. “‘You deserve to be able to have a job that pays well. You deserve to have a retirement with dignity.’”