Transcription
The Epstein files. Um, does the new investigation by the Southern District of New York US Attorney prevent the department from releasing all of the remaining files?
So, we have released 33,000 over 33,000 Epstein documents to the Hill and we'll continue to follow the law um and to have maximum transparency. Also, we will always encourage all victims to come forward.
When you say follow the law, then attorney general, do you mean that you will provide all the files by 30 days?
We will follow the law. The law passed both chambers last evening. It has not yet been signed, but but we will continue to to follow the law again while protecting victims, but also providing maximum transparency.
And there it is. If you are wondering whether the foundation has been laid for Trump's DOJ to be able to find some hailmary last ditch excuse to justify not releasing all of the Epstein files, this is it. This comes as the bill compelling their release passed the House 427 to 1 and pass the Senate unanimously. Trump has previously said that he'll sign the bill if it comes to his desk.
Any I I don't they could do whatever they want.
We'll give them everything. Sure, I would. Let let the Senate look at it. Let anybody look at it. And let's be clear, he said that because he knows that to say otherwise would be political suicide. And the pressure is even greater now given the fact that this passed Congress by such a staggering margin. So Trump needs an escape hatch. And that escape hatch is his attorney general, who was asked today if this new investigation that Trump ordered by fiat into a bunch of Democrats who he decided were involved with Epstein will prevent the release of all the remaining files. And lo and behold, she doesn't say no, saying only that they'll follow the law.
But what Pam Bondi doesn't discuss is whether she'll use the pretext of an ongoing investigation as an excuse to be able to say, "Well, the law dictates that the DOJ can't release any information that pertains to an ongoing investigation." Bondi was also asked specifically about that investigation into a bunch of Democrats at the behest of Donald Trump. Here's what she said.
Madam Attorney General, the DOJ statement uh earlier this year saying that uh the files would not release mentioned the fact that the review of the documents and the evidence did not suggest that any additional investigation of third parties was warranted. Uh what changed uh since then that you launched this investigation?
Information that has come for information um there's information that new information additional information and again we will continue to follow the law to investigate any leads if there are any victims we encourage all victims to come forward um and we will continue to provide maximum transparency under the law.
Ah yes, information. I wonder whether that information was a certain post on Truth Social that said, "Quote: Now that the Democrats are using the Epstein hoax involving Democrats, not Republicans, to try and deflect from their disastrous shutdown and all of their other failures, I will be asking Attorney General Pam Bondi, and the Department of Justice together with our great patriots at the FBI to investigate Jeffrey Epstein's involvement and relationship with Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, Reed Hoffman, JP Morgan Chase, and many other people and institutions to determine what was going on with them and him." To which Bondi swiftly replied, "Thank you, Mr. President."
SDNY US Attorney Jay Clayton is one of the most capable and trusted prosecutors in the country, and I've asked him to take the lead. As with all matters, the department will pursue this with urgency and integrity to deliver answers to the American people.
Unless, of course, it's all just a coincidence that Donald Trump decided to vomit out a bunch of Democrats names and Pam Bondi opened the exact investigation that he demanded, not even 4 hours later. But yeah, I'm sure those two things are completely unrelated and that Pam Bondi just got in some new information. And of course, the rest of the GOP recognizing that this is their escape hatch is happily jumping on board. Senate Majority Leader John Thun said this.
Now that the Congress has passed the Epste Files Transparency Act with overwhelming votes in both chambers, Democrats say that they think the Justice Department Pam Bondi may slowwalk the files release citing ongoing investigations. Would it be a mistake for the administration to hold back these files given the overwhelming expression of sentiment by the Congress here?
Well, I I trust the jud the uh judgment of the Justice Department to ensure that whatever files they release protect the victims clearly and um and I think there are other items perhaps uh materials that were acquired through uh grand jury trials that uh that perhaps they they will have to make some decisions about, but I think they'll make the right decisions. I think the clear the clear intent was in both the House and the Senate and the bill now that um I don't know if the president signed it yet or not but is to get the information out there and I think uh as you saw there was a big vote yesterday in the House and it was unanimous here in the Senate to do that.
Yes. Yes. Of course. The goal here is to get everything out there, which is why Republicans have slow-walked this for 10 months. Why Pam Bondi did a 180-degree about-face when she'd initially promised the files would be released. Why Mike Johnson adjourned the House before they could vote. Why Trump frog-marched Lauren Boebert into the situation room when she was the deciding vote on the Epstein discharge petition. All because these people are champions for maximum transparency. Got it.
Thun says that he's sure the Justice Department will do the right thing. I'm legitimately curious here. Why do you think that? What has the DOJ done thus far that would give any cogent human being the idea that they're doing the right thing? The attorney general lied about the files that were on her desk about to be released until all of a sudden they weren't. They gave a bunch of right-wing influencers binders to wave around that included no information that wasn't already public from the Biden administration. They've delayed releasing any files that have been summoned from the oversight committee beyond the ones that were virtually all public already. There's been zero effort to release anything otherwise, ultimately warranting a Republican-controlled Congress to pass a new law mandating the files release. So, at what point during any of this process has the DOJ built up any goodwill to be able to say that they will do the right thing?
And look, all of this is absolutely no surprise. In fact, I predicted that exactly this would happen in the immediate aftermath of Trump and Bondi's little back and forth online. This was me from last week's podcast. Trump blames on Democrats every day. He issues his little edicts to Pam Bondi every day. She obediently acquiesces every day. But there is a world where if the bill to pass the Epstein files passes the House and the Senate by a big enough margin to overcome the inevitable presidential veto that Donald Trump's last-ditch effort here might be to say, "Hey, look, we definitely totally would love to release the files in accordance with that legislation, but you know, the DOJ can't release any information about an ongoing investigation and they will keep that probe into Bill Clinton and Larry Summers and Reed Hoffman and any other Democrat going for as long as it's convenient, which is to say forever."
So, the reality is that this was easy to see coming because despite these incessant claims that Republicans are for maximum transparency, they are actually for maximum gaslighting about their decidedly minimum transparency. The bad news for Trump, though, is that his ability to have used these delay tactics in the past was wholly predicated on the rest of his party being on board, and they always were, but now they're not. And so if he tries to suppress these files with some half-baked excuse about an ongoing investigation, he will sustain pressure from everyone. This issue will consume every day of his presidency. Already it's consuming every day of his presidency. Guys getting hit with questions on Epstein everywhere. Air Force One, in the Oval Office, at bilateral meetings, press gaggles. And look, maybe what's in those files is just so utterly devastating that it's worth it for Trump to continue to delay. But either way, if he thinks he can lean on some tired excuse to give him cover, he's likely in for a very rude, very bipartisan awakening on the other side of this.
Before you go, if you enjoyed this content and you want to see more and support independent media, please subscribe to this channel. The subscribe button will be right here on the screen. But second, the reality is that we are now in a political environment where this administration can lean on any of the social media platforms to suppress certain voices if they don't like critical coverage. That means my longevity here is in the hands of a few tech billionaires who are already making it clear that they are willing to cater to this administration. To that end, signing up for my newsletter is a way for me to reach you directly if that ever becomes necessary. I'll put the link right here on the screen as well, so please sign up. It's free, but there's also an option to do a paid subscription if you'd like to support me and my team. I really appreciate it.