Mock Republican convention website redirects users to Epstein Files

Democratic lawmakers poke amusive astatine prank website, portion Republicans slam ‘fake news’ and redirect users to existent one.

A mock website that directs users to the Epstein Files appears to beryllium the superior hunt effect connected Google for the Republican Party’s upcoming midterm normal successful Dallas, Texas.

For hours connected Friday, the website gopdallas2026.com soared to the apical of the hunt results, with preview substance that offered viewers the accidental to “discover details astir the 2026 RNC [Republican National Committee] Midterm Convention”.

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But users who clicked connected the website were instantly taken to the Department of Justice’s website for the files astir notorious enactment offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Republican Party rapidly denounced the website connected societal media, pointing visitors alternatively to GOPConvention.com for the authoritative site.

“FAKE NEWS!” the enactment wrote of the reports circulating connected societal media that the fake website was the existent one.

Democratic lawmakers utilized the prank to revive treatment of the Epstein Files, which has been a long-running root of disapproval for the medication of President Donald Trump, a talker astatine the two-day convention.

Trump officials person been accused of mishandling the files’ release, which was mandated wrong 30 days nether November’s Epstein Files Transparency Act.

Some critics person pointed retired that definite records published by the Justice Department look unnecessarily redacted, portion others uncover the identities of victims.

Trump has besides faced scrutiny for his idiosyncratic narration with Epstein, which helium says ended decades ago.

There has agelong been speculation, however, that almighty figures successful Epstein’s orbit turned a unsighted oculus to his crimes. He was convicted successful 2008 of soliciting a minor, and helium faced sex-trafficking charges astatine the clip of his decease successful 2019. His victims are thought to fig successful the hundreds.

Democratic lawmakers similar Representative Ted Lieu of California seized connected reports of the purported normal website. He shared a connection from newsman Jake Lahut saying that “something funky is going on”.

“I conscionable tried the website and the beneath description, arsenic of close now, is accurate,” Lieu said successful effect to Lahut. “Sort of awesome.”

According to documentation from the Internet Archive, which captures snapshots of past websites, gopdallas2026.com utilized to see a inheritance photograph displaying the American Airlines Center successful Dallas, the tract of the upcoming midterm convention.

The centre of the website prompted users to input their interaction accusation to “get exclusive updates”.

But, successful tiny substance astatine the bottom, the website included a caveat that it was not the authoritative root for accusation related to the midterm convention.

“This website is an autarkic informational assets and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, oregon operated by the Republican National Committee (RNC), the 2026 RNC Midterm Convention, the American Airlines Center, oregon immoderate authoritative normal entity,” it said.

“For authoritative normal information, delight sojourn the due authoritative websites.”

This month’s lawsuit is the first-ever midterm normal hosted by the Republican Party.

It is slated to instrumentality spot from September 9 to 10. A property merchandise from the Republican National Committee indicates that the lawsuit is expected to beryllium the party’s largest normal since 2016.

Trump is reportedly slated to talk connected some nights, arsenic helium tries to rouse enthusiasm for his enactment up of the November midterm elections.

Republicans anticipation to clasp onto their majorities successful the House of Representatives and Senate arsenic Trump’s popularity slides to caller lows amid continued fallout from the warfare connected Iran.

“Never earlier successful past has immoderate large enactment held a midterm convention, and President Trump wants to absorption successful connected that and unfastened this up to the American people, due to the fact that each of his enactment has been astir improving their lives,” RNC spokesperson Zach Kraft said successful an interrogation with CBS Texas.

Democrats, however, held nationalist midterm enactment conferences successful 1974, 1978 and 1982.

“So, helium wants them to beryllium capable to person an accidental to be this lawsuit and perceive from him directly.”