Crockett: Republicans are ‘gonna run away' from Epstein vote
Crockett accused Republicans of not wanting to pursue a measure that would force the Department of Justice to release all of its files on Epstein, who died in prison as he faced charges of sexual trafficking.
'I absolutely think they are gonna run away with this as quickly as possible,' Crockett said. 'I don't anticipate that we will get to any resolution on this.'
It's not entirely clear what will happen with the controversy surrounding Epstein this week.
For much of the month, President Trump's supporters have been divided over whether information should be released after much of the MAGA movement was upset over a report from the Department of Justice that said its evidence showed Epstein committed suicide in prison, and that there was no so-called 'clients list.'
A petition in the House led by Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) could force a floor vote on releasing files related to Epstein once it acquires a majority of signatures in the chamber. At least 10 Republicans have signed on so far.
Separately, the House Rules Committee last week advanced another measure that would given the Department of Justice more discretion over what to release.
A Wall Street Journal story last Thursday that said Trump had written Epstein a 'bawdy' 50th birthday card largely unified MAGA behind the president and may take the air out of the controversy. Trump has denied the Journal's story and sued the company, and Republicans have echoed the president's criticism of the news outlet.
But it's not entirely clear if that will quiet calls for the release of all information held by DOJ.
Democrats have seized on the issue to try to force the GOP into difficult votes given the chaos it has caused Republicans.
Crockett, who has developed a big social media following with provocative comments during interviews and committee hearings, went as far as calling Trump a 'wannabe Hitler' and said that Republicans 'know that he does not want this released,' referring to the Epstein files.
'If he's trying to hide it, they understand that it is most likely problematic for him, as well as the MAGA brand, as well the Republicans,' Crockett said. 'So, I don't anticipate that they will be on board for doing anything that may harm them or their fearless leader.'
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11 minutes ago
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Obama, sedition and Trump's urgent need to distract
To any American with an extremely short memory or perhaps a desire only to see the world through Donald Trump's eyes, the recent memo from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and the call from President Trump to investigate former President Barack Obama over the memo's claims of 'treasonous conspiracy' over claims of Russian interference in the 2016 election must be alarming. Talk of 'overwhelming evidence' and a 'yearslong coup,' 'seditious conspiracy' and 'treason' sure sound pretty serious. Well, they do until you quickly review your notes and recognize that A, President Trump has an urgent need for distraction given his ties to Jeffrey Epstein and the administration's failure to — despite big promises to the conspiracy-hungry during the presidential campaign — release details of the investigation into the late American financier and sex offender. And B, this is a subject that has been investigated to death with no fewer than four official inquiries, including a 2020 U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee report (written while the GOP had Senate control) and the special report authored by Trump-appointed special counsel John Durham that came out in 2023. And what did they find? There was ample reason to worry about Russian interference in the 2016 race, and it was clear the Kremlin didn't want Democrat Hillary Clinton in the Oval Office. Was then-candidate Trump complicit in these efforts? Nope, not in a manner those various investigators could prove. But Russian interference? There was ample evidence of computer hacking, of digging through emails and of using intermediaries to undermine Clinton (remember WikiLeaks?). Or how about simply remembering Robert S. Mueller III? The special counsel indicted a dozen Russians, none of whom has ever stood trial because they could not be extradited. Even then-U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (now Trump's U.S. secretary of state) observed that interference signing off on that 2020 report, which concluded 'the Russian government inappropriately meddled in our 2016 general election in many ways but then-Candidate Trump was not complicit.' Hopefully, most people aren't taking these claims of treason seriously. They serve only to diminish Trump and Gabbard. Think those criminal referrals Gabbard has sent to the U.S. Department of Justice will result in a successful prosecution? Even Las Vegas will surely refuse wagers on that long shot. Those who still harbor doubts can go peruse those various reports (and their thousands of pages of findings). The rest of us will just have to be content to recognize that the current president and his cronies lie like rugs when it serves their purpose. Peter Jensen is an editorial writer at The Baltimore Sun; he can be reached at pejensen@
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Calls for the Trump administration to release the remaining Epstein files are growing. The big picture: Attorney General Pam Bondi released in February more than 100 pages of documents that she described as the "first phase of the declassified Epstein files," but she faced scrutiny over why the lack of significant new revelations — something she blamed on the FBI. The Department of Justice's handling of evidence in the case has triggered a rare conflict between President Trump and his MAGA base — and prompted a Republican-led House committee to pass a Democrat's motion to subpoena the Justice Department on the Epstein files. What are the Epstein files? The Epstein files are the evidence gathered by law enforcement working on investigations into the late financier and convicted child sex offender, and his associates. That includes Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence in Florida after being found guilty of sex trafficking and other charges in 2021. This collection of materials are referred to as the Epstein files, which includes the documents released by Bondi. Among the documents that Bondi released were flight logs, a redacted contact book and masseuse list and an evidence list, but other records remain under seal. More than 1,000 pages of documents were already unsealed by a federal court in January 2024. Does the Epstein client list exist? Bondi was asked on Fox News in February about whether the DOJ would release a list of Epstein's clients. "It's sitting on my desk right now to review," she replied. "That's been a directive by President Trump. I'm reviewing that." However, the DOJ and FBI announced this month they have no evidence he blackmailed powerful figures, kept a "client list" or that he was murdered, as many in MAGA circles have speculated. FBI deputy director Dan Bongino, who as a podcaster questioned official findings that Epstein died by suicide in his New York cell while awaiting charges of sex trafficking minors in 2019, clashed with Bondi over the handling of the files and took a day off work in response. What is Trump's connection to Epstein? Trump was photographed with Epstein on multiple occasions and called him a "terrific guy" in a 2002 interview, but the Washington Post reported they had a falling out two years later over a foreclosed oceanfront mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, after the president outbid him for the property. "I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you," Trump said after Epstein was arrested in 2019. Trump has not been implicated in any of Epstein's illegal behavior. The latest: Bondi notified Trump months ago that he was named in the Epstein files, multiple outlets reported this week. But the DOJ called the reports false. The AG and deputy attorney general Todd Blanche allegedly told the president this spring that his name, as well as those of other high-profile individuals, appeared as they re-examined documents related to the case that hadn't been made public, per the New York Times. "This is a collection of falsehoods and innuendo designed to push a bulls**t narrative and drive clicks," DOJ spokesperson Gates McGavick said about the reports. It was not immediately clear what the documents were, or in what context Trump's name was raised. What has Trump's reaction been? The president has faced pressure from MAGA circles since the conclusion of his administration's review of the case and tried to move his base on from Epstein. "Are people still talking about this guy, this creep?" Trump said in response to a reporter's question on his administration's handling of the files earlier this month. "This guy's been talked about for years. That is unbelievable." Days later, he denounced "PAST supporters," whom he described as "weaklings," for their focus on what he called the "Jeffrey Epstein Hoax." Trump maintains any documents linking him to Epstein are a "hoax" cooked up by the same forces behind the Russia investigation. The president announced last week he had directed Bondi to release all relevant grand jury testimony in the Epstein case, subject to court approval. Zoom in: Trump sued the Wall Street Journal last week over a story describing a "bawdy" birthday letter bearing his name that the outlet says was given to Jeffrey Epstein. The president said he personally warned the WSJ and owner Rupert Murdoch "that the supposed letter" was "a FAKE."
