“Trump is panicking”
Pour another cup of coffee and turn on the TV (or pop in your ear buds if you’re at work) at about 10:25 ET this morning (Miami Herald):
Two lawmakers, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) are pushing for a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives that would mandate U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to release the files on the [Jeffrey] Epstein case. The lawmakers are holding a press conference 10:30 a.m. Wednesday on the steps of the U.S. Capitol with 10 survivors, some of whom have not spoken publicly before.
About 100 abuse survivors are holding their own rally nearby, organized by victim advocate groups.
Epstein victims have mobilized in recent weeks as his convicted accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, appears to be pressing for a pardon from President Donald Trump. In July, she was interviewed by Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, and was then moved from a maximum federal prison in Tallahassee, Florida, to a minimum-security prison in Texas.
The lawmakers also could be using Wednesday’s event as a form of public pressure. Massie and Khanna’s resolution – if it passes the House – would then have to be passed by the Senate before going to President Trump for his signature. It’s unclear how quickly Senate Republicans will want to bring the matter to the floor and whether Trump would sign it
Could be using? Why the hedging, Herald? Building public pressure is clearly what Massie and Khanna intend. It is unclear how quickly Senate Republicans would bring up the measure for a vote? They wouldn’t. That is very clear. Trump wants the Epstein story terminated with extreme prejudice.
USA Today adds context for readers:
Massie filed a discharge petition for the Epstein Files Transparency Act on Sept. 2, which would force floor action on the bill if 218 representatives signed on.
Khanna confirmed that all 212 Democrats will sign the petition, and Massie had garnered the support of 12 Republicans. To date, it has 134 signatures, including Massie and three other Republicans.
Massie told MSNBC’s Chris Hayes Tuesday night that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Rep. Nancy Mace, and Rep. Lauren Boebert will support his petition. He needs two more Republicans and faces a White House whipping against this vote. He told reporters that the tranche of documents released Tuesday are “only 1% of what they possess and 97% of it’s already been released.” Massie agreed that Tuesday’s release is a stunt similar to AG Pam Bondi’s “The Epstein Files: Phase 1” binder gambit from February.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) is promoting his own “meaningless” resolution to give political cover to members who don’t support the Massie and Khanna’s effort to force a full release of Epstein records. He sent the House members home early in August in hopes that the Epstein story would die out over the recess. It didn’t.
Former Trump gofer, Lev Parnas, late Tuesday wrote that the not-dead-yet president “feels the falls closing in“:
My sources are telling me tonight that Trump is panicking about the survivors who will be speaking. He’s especially terrified of some of the new victims who haven’t testified yet. He knows they’re ready to name names. He knows they’re going to tear apart the fake narrative he and Todd Blanche built out of lies, intimidation, and back-room deals.
And make no mistake: Trump’s allies are doing everything they can to rewrite history before it’s too late. As I told you previously, James Comer is inserting himself again, trying to control the scope of subpoenas and testimony released through the House Oversight Committee. He thinks he can bury inconvenient truths and hand Trump a lifeline.
Trump could well dispatch federal officers and possibly Texas National Guard to the streets of Chicago this morning to distract attention from the Epstein survivors’ press conference.
Epstein’s former partner Ghislaine Maxwell is serving 20 years in prison for sex-trafficking and is angling for a Trump pardon. What a full document release might reveal is the names of powerful men to whom she trafficked those girls. Even if Trump is not among them, some of his powerful friends could be, further souring sagging public sentiment against him.
One question hanging in the air this morning is whether South Carolina’s Nancy Mace, a candidate for governor, will appear at either event. She was traumatized by hearing some of the women’s stories in a private meeting with several Epstein survivors, Johnson and Oversight Committee members on Tuesday (The Hill)
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) on Tuesday left early from a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee meeting with victims of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, appearing visibly upset when she emerged from the committee room.
Mace wiped tears from her face and averted reporters’ eyes as she walked past them, signaling she would not be taking questions.
Mace, who’s spoken publicly about her experience as a sexual assault survivor, addressed her early departure in a post on social media shortly thereafter, saying she had a “full blown panic attack” when listening to victims recount their experiences.
It is not clear how much time the ten survivors will have to tell their stories, or how much they’ll reveal on camera. But if Mace’s reaction is any indication, the event could be explosive. Or a bust.
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If you are not near a TV, you can catch the event live here at 10:30 ET:
Update:
Update 2: Contact and demand that your representative vote for H.Res.581 – Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 185) to advance responsible policies and H.R.4405 – Epstein Files Transparency Act.
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