Latest / The Epstein Chronicles / From Shutdown to Showdown: The Epstein Files Are Finally Back in Play

Transcript

From Shutdown to Showdown: The Epstein Files Are Finally Back in Play · The Epstein Chronicles

0:00
Speaker 1: What's up, everyone, and welcome to another episode of the
0:02
Epstein Chronicles. Now that the shutdown has finally come to
0:07
an end, it's time for Congress to do something they've
0:09
seemingly forgotten how to do their jobs. For weeks, the
0:13
entire country has been held hostage by political theater, partisan grandstanding,
0:18
cable news talking points, and self serving nonsense that left
0:21
millions wondering who exactly our elected officials are working for.
0:26
But now that the curtain has fallen on the latest
0:28
episode of dysfunction, it's time to get back to work
0:31
and the business that actually matters, including finally swearing in
0:35
Congresswoman Krialva. Her swearing in might not seem like a
0:40
headline event to most people outside of the political bubble,
0:43
but make no mistake, this one carries real weight. Grialva's
0:47
presence will mark the final vote needed for the Epstein
0:50
discharge petition to break through the procedural deadlock that's stalling it.
0:55
One more vote, that's all that stands between years of
0:57
obfuscation and the next stage of long overdue accountability. After
1:03
all the delays, all the closed doors, and all the
1:05
backroom deals, this could finally be the Domino that tips
1:08
the scales. You could feel the tension building over the
1:11
past few months. Every time the subject of Epstein came
1:14
up in hearings or public statements. Suddenly the air got thick,
1:18
people got uncomfortable, faces tightened. You'd see the familiar dance,
1:22
the nervous laughter, the polite deflections. Though we can't comment
1:26
on ongoing matters. Routine, it's the same playbook that's been
1:29
used for years to keep the truth under wraps, but
1:33
this time it feels different. There's a sense that too
1:35
much is piled up, that too many people are paying
1:38
attention now for it to just quietly disappear again. And
1:42
I know that a lot of people have asked me
1:44
whether the shutdown was connected to Epstein, if certain factions
1:47
were intentionally trying to stall the process, And honestly, I
1:50
wouldn't rule it out. When you've covered this story as
1:52
long as I have, you start noticing patterns, the sudden
1:56
procedural delays, the conveniently timed distractions, the mysterious fund issues
2:00
that pop up just as things start heating up. It's
2:03
never just a coincidence. It's orchestration. That said the shutdown
2:08
wasn't only about Epstein. The truth is our country is
2:11
at a boiling point of crisis right now. We've got
2:14
economic instability, a collapsing trust in our institutions, geopolitical chaos,
2:19
and an entire generation of Americans who have lost faith
2:22
that anyone in power gives a damn about them. So
2:26
when something like the Epstein files, a topic that cuts
2:29
directly into the rot at the heart of those institutions,
2:32
collides with all that political pressure, you get gridlock, you
2:36
get finger pointing, you get a shutdown. The Epstein story
2:40
has always been radioactive, and that's because it's not just
2:43
about him. It's about the network and the system that
2:47
enabled them, protected them, and still to this day shields
2:50
those who are part of it. Every time the topic
2:53
re emerges, you can see the panic ripple through DC
2:56
like a seismic wave. Suddenly everyone remembers an urgent meeting
3:00
they have to get to. Suddenly the talking heads start
3:02
pivoting to something else, anything else. But now those excuses
3:06
are gone, the shutdowns over, The lights are back on
3:09
in the Capitol, and the cameras are rolling, and the
3:11
first order of business should be crystal clearer swearing Congresswoman
3:15
Griova and move the discharge petition forward, because the longer
3:19
they stall, the louder the public's gonna get, and the
3:21
louder we get, the harder it becomes to bury the truth.
3:25
Think about it. It's taking years of survivor testimony, lawsuits, hearings,
3:29
and public outrage just to get this far. Every inch
3:32
of progress has been fought for tooth and nail, and
3:35
yet at every turn there's another roadblock, another procedural trick,
3:39
another classified reason for an action. It's the same song
3:43
and dance we've been watching since the Miami Herald cracked
3:46
this story back wide open in twenty eighteen. The faces change,
3:50
but the game doesn't. Congress loves to talk about transparency.
3:54
They love the sound of that word, but when it
3:56
comes time to actually practice it, suddenly the rules change.
4:00
There's sensitive information or national security concerns or ongoing investigations.
4:05
Funny how those concerns never seem to apply when the
4:08
public's getting surveilled or spied on, but they sure pop
4:11
up fast when the names of powerful people are at stake.
4:14
So yeah, maybe the shutdown was about budgets and border
4:17
policies and political leverage. But let's not pretend Epstein wasn't
4:21
part of the undercurrent. Too many people in too many
4:24
powerful positions have too much to lose if this thing
4:27
ever sees the light of day. Every time at edge
4:30
is closer to exposure, there's a conveniently timed distraction, a
4:33
crisis that eats up headlines, a scandal that sucks the
4:36
oxygen out of the room, just another trick from the playbook.
4:40
The difference now is that the public's catching on. The
4:42
patience is gone. The same tricks won't work like they
4:45
used to. People can see the hypocrisy in real time,
4:48
and they're not buying it anymore. The Epstein story has
4:51
become a symbol not just of corruption, but of the
4:54
two tier system of justice that defines our country. And
4:57
if Congress thinks they can just ride this out, they're
5:00
in for a root awakening. Once Grialva is sworn in,
5:03
there is no more procedural excuse, no more we're one
5:06
vote short. The discharge petition will be on deck, ready
5:09
to move forward. That means the conversation shifts from if
5:13
to when, and that's what has the power structure shaking,
5:17
because when the petition moves, the next step is discovery
5:20
and discovery is where the truth comes out. Now, look,
5:24
let's not hit ourselves. The walls are not going to
5:26
fall overnight. There's going to be more stalling, more spin,
5:29
more attempts to water down or control the narrative. But
5:33
every inch of progress matters. Every signature, every vote, every
5:37
public statement. Pushing this forward chips away at the shield
5:40
of impunity that's protected these people for decades. So when
5:44
Grialva takes that oath, it won't just be another routine
5:47
swearing in ceremony. It'll be a symbolic line in the sand,
5:51
a declaration that some of us are still paying attention,
5:54
still demanding the truth, still unwilling to let this disappear
5:57
into the archives of corruption. And as for the shutdown,
6:01
let it serve as a reminder of just how fragile
6:03
this system is when left to the whims of those
6:06
who treat governance like a reality show. Because at the
6:09
end of the day, this isn't about party lines or
6:12
ideological purity. It's about accountability and the fact that for
6:16
once the powerful might finally have to answer to someone
6:19
other than themselves. We've waited long enough. It's time to
6:23
move forward. Swear in pass the petition and let's get
6:27
this Epstein accountability ship finally sailing in the right direction,
6:31
because the storm has been gathering for years and the
6:35
tide is about to turn. Today's article is from Newsweek
6:40
and the headline Republicans face Jeffrey Epstein reckoning as end
6:44
of shutdown looms. This article was authored by Kalita Rockman.
6:49
With the longest government shutdown in US history nearing an end,
6:53
Republicans are set to face another reckoning on Jeffrey Epstein.
6:57
As a petition to force a vote to compel the
6:59
release of the government files on Epstein, garners the needed support.
7:03
President Donald Trump's administration has faced scrutiny from both critics
7:07
and supporters since the FBI and Justice Department abruptly announced
7:11
in July that it would not be releasing any additional
7:14
records from the sex trafficking investigation into Epstein, saying in
7:18
a memo that there was no evidence that Epstein maintained
7:21
a client list and that no further disclosure would be
7:23
appropriate or warranted. Authorities have said Epstein died by suicide
7:28
in New York jail in twenty nineteen while awaiting sex
7:31
trafficking charges. Oh yeah, the same authorities that tell you
7:34
that there's nothing to see here. Huh. The same authorities
7:37
that have a whole lot invested in you buying that narrative,
7:41
because if Jeffrey Epstein didn't kill himself, then what. Survivors
7:46
of Epstein's abuse and lawmakers from both parties have been
7:50
calling for the release of the files, but Trump has
7:52
repeatedly dismissed the scandal as a hoax, accusing Democrats of
7:56
trying to distract from his administration's success. Everything he's a hoax, now, Huh.
8:02
Sure wasn't a hoax when he was on the Lex
8:03
Friedman Show. It wasn't a hoax when Cash Bettel was
8:06
running around talking about releasing the files on day one.
8:09
But now it's a hoax. Why because it's politically inconvenient,
8:14
because there might be some people who are embarrassed or worse, Well,
8:17
guess what, we don't care. We want transparency, We want
8:21
the truth and defiance of party leadership. Republican Representative Thomas
8:25
Massey began gathering signatures on a petition to force a
8:28
vote for the release of the Justice Department's files on
8:31
the investigation into Epstein, and Thomas Massey has just been
8:36
absolutely savaged by the right. I mean, you have MAGA
8:39
going after Thomas Massey like he was Nancy Pelosi. It
8:44
is straight up absurd. And when you look at his
8:47
voting record, he's one of the most conservative congressmen in
8:50
the whole entire body. But it doesn't fit with the
8:53
new narrative. Right, you know, whatever the new narrative is.
8:56
But for those of us who have been paying attention
8:58
to politics before Trump showed up, we all know that
9:01
people like Thomas Massey are the standard bearers for the
9:05
conservative movement. And yet you have all these weirdos out
9:08
here calling Thomas Massey a rhino or calling them whatever.
9:14
It's just crazy. God forbid a guy stands on principle.
9:18
Newsweek is contacted Massy for comment via an email sent
9:22
outside regular business hours. I wouldn't be shocked to see
9:25
Thomas Massey reply. Honestly, He's been very forthcoming with all
9:29
of this, and I find it refreshing. I don't have
9:31
the greatest opinion of Congress or the Senate, and that's
9:36
because of their behavior. That's because the things they do,
9:39
and for me, it's never across party lines, like whatever
9:42
I think is best for me and for the country.
9:45
That's what I'm gonna get down with, and I think
9:46
that's how the country will prosper. We take good ideas
9:49
from wherever they come from. Who cares what party the
9:52
person's in, as long as the idea works and the
9:55
country's better off for it. Since the middle September, Massey's
10:01
petition has been one name away from success. The final
10:04
signature is set to come from Representative elect at Alita Grialva,
10:08
a Democrat who won a September twenty third special election
10:11
in Arizona to succeed her late father. She said that
10:15
she'll sign the petition once she takes office, giving the
10:18
petition the two hundred and eighteen signatures needed to trigger
10:20
a floor vote. And once that happens, all these people
10:24
that have been running from the bill are going to
10:26
have to put their name on it or not, either
10:28
going to vote yes or no. So all these people
10:31
that say they care, all these people that have run
10:33
around talking about, oh, protect the kids, Isaac Cappy, whatever
10:37
the fuck they've been talking about, time to put up
10:39
or shut up. And the people that don't sign on.
10:43
When this hits the floor, there's going to be hell
10:45
to pay. Watch but Grialva has still not been sworn in,
10:49
with White House Speaker Mike Johnson saying he would not
10:52
see her until the government shutdown ends. Democrats have accused
10:56
Johnson of refusing to seek Grialva to push off any
10:59
Epstein vote, which he has denied. Look, it's a game off,
11:03
he said, she said, and there's certainly an element to it.
11:07
I don't think it's the full motivation, like I talked
11:08
about a little bit ago, but certainly a lot of
11:11
it there. A spokesperson for Johnson told Newsweek on Monday
11:16
that he has been clear that he looks forward to
11:18
swearing in Representative elect Grialva wants Democrats vote to reopen
11:22
the government and the House returns to regular legislative session.
11:26
Johnson spokesperson also pointed to Johnson's answer during a recent
11:30
radio interview on Straight Shooter with Stephen A. Smith, where
11:33
he was asked if the delay in the Grialva swearing
11:36
in had anything to do with the discharge petition. He
11:40
said it was another red herring and total distraction, adding
11:43
that it was a moot point because of an investigation
11:45
into the Epstein files by the House Oversight Committee. The
11:48
committee is doing a full, in depth investigation, and they're
11:52
delving through the Epstein files and releasing them. He said, no,
11:56
it's not it's not a full investigation. How can it
12:01
be a full investigation if we don't have Villafana up there,
12:04
if we don't have Barry Krisher up there, or Reinehart
12:06
or Lily Sanchez or Matthew Menchel or mister Slowman. I mean,
12:11
the list goes on and on and on. What they're
12:14
giving you is political theater, and what Johnson's doing here
12:17
is lying. Johnson also said I'm anxious to administer the
12:20
oath tour, and we will, but we got to get
12:22
the lights turned back on in here first and get
12:24
Congress open and operating for the people so that we
12:27
can get all this done. We've got a lot ahead
12:29
of us. There is no other objective here, nah, none
12:31
at all. Everything is on the up and up on Mike.
12:35
The Senate on Monday passed legislation to reopen the government,
12:38
and Johnson said on CNN that he would swear Grialva
12:41
in before the House, which has been on recess since
12:43
minute September, votes on the legislation. Then she'll be able
12:47
to sign Massey's petition. Grialva said in a statement shared
12:51
with Newsweek on Monday that she was heading to Washington
12:54
after hearing through House Minority Leader Jakeem Jeffreys and media
12:58
reports at Speaker Johnson finally intends to swear me in.
13:01
She added that this delay should have never happened in
13:04
the first place. For seven weeks, eight hundred and thirteen
13:07
thousand Arizonans have been denied a voice and access to
13:11
basic constituent services. This is an abuse of power that
13:14
no speaker should have, and I agree with that. Honestly,
13:16
there has to be a mechanism at the very least
13:18
to swar people in. We can't have a defunct government,
13:22
well more defunct than it already is. At least you
13:25
have to show up and you know, make for ten.
13:26
You're doing your job. Grialva said on CNN that she
13:31
would sign the discharge petition as soon as she can
13:34
because that was a promise and commitment that I made,
13:36
and I strongly believe it's one of the reasons why
13:39
I've been in limbo this long. And while the shutdown
13:42
deal has divided Democrats, experts say the success of the
13:45
discharge petition signed by Massey and three other Republicans is
13:49
likely to be a significant challenge for Johnson and the
13:52
Republican Party, no doubt about it. When you have the
13:55
president working so hard to keep all of this out
13:58
of the public view, there's no doubt that it puts
14:01
the Republican lawmakers under the spotlight. If they don't do
14:05
what the president wants, they're now on his hit list.
14:08
If they do what the president wants, the rest of
14:09
us look at them like the scumbags they are. So
14:13
if it was me, I'd do what was right for
14:15
the people. And if the President doesn't like it sounds
14:18
like a hymn problem. I was elected by my constituents
14:21
and I'm going to do what's best for them. That's
14:24
how this should all go down. That's what should occur.
14:27
The problem is a lot of these people they don't
14:29
look at it like that. The discharge petition is a
14:31
real test of power of Speaker Mike Johnson. Todd Belt,
14:35
professor and director of the Political Management Program at George
14:38
Washington University, told Newsweek the Speaker has had a pretty
14:43
firm control over his party on most issues, and the
14:45
discharge petition will force his hand on the Epstein files.
14:50
Belt said that no speaker likes this to happen because
14:53
it means that at least a portion of the Speaker's
14:55
party is decided to vote against the Speaker's wishes. This
14:59
makes the speaker weaker overall and could encourage more members
15:02
to vote against the Speaker's wishes on other issues, including
15:05
the forthcoming government spending bills. He added, it's going to
15:09
be more difficult for the Speaker to lead a party
15:12
that isn't cohesive, just ask former Speaker McCarthy. Costas Panagopolists,
15:18
a political science professor at Northeastern University, told Newsweek that
15:21
by all accounts, Trump and his Republican allies have dreaded
15:25
this moment, but it was inevitable unless some Republicans who
15:28
support the release backtrack. Boy, that would be horrible. That
15:32
would really be horrible. But I don't put anything past
15:35
any of these people, honestly. But he said that both
15:38
parties could face consequences if and when the Epstein files
15:41
are released. If the files are released and they contain
15:45
damaging information for the president, the Trump White House may
15:48
need to be in full blown crisis mode, but they
15:51
may not be alone if the files implicate others including
15:54
high profile Democrats. He said, either way, it appears Americans
15:58
will not need to wait much longer to find out. Well,
16:01
I wouldn't get too ahead of the game here, but
16:04
there's no doubt that this is widespread. It's not just
16:08
one side or the other. All the focus is on
16:10
the Trump administration right now because he's the one in power.
16:14
He's the one who made big promises about the Epstein files.
16:17
But that certainly doesn't give absolution to everybody else. And
16:20
like I've told you a bazillion times, Trump is a
16:23
symptom of the disease. He's not the disease itself. And
16:27
if and when these files are released, he's not wrong
16:30
about widespread panic. But it's going to be for both sides,
16:34
without a doubt. And now that the shutdown is ended,
16:37
it's time to get this party started. All of the
16:41
information that goes with this episode can be found in
16:44
the description box.