Reactions: Mike Johnson Avoids Voting On Epstein
Despite this, House Speaker Mike Johnson decided to cancel upcoming votes and send lawmakers home until Sept. 2 — all in an apparent effort to block a vote on the release of files related to Epstein.
His reason? Johnson said it's to protect Epstein's victims:
Meanwhile, when asked whether the president or his administration requested this delay, Johnson said in a press conference: "No. But as you all know, I speak to the president multiple times a day on a typical day. Often. Always... He agrees with everything I've said here today."
Well! People on the left and right have a lot of thoughts. Here's what they're saying:
"Maybe trump was right about 'the last time we'll ever have to vote again.' 'We the people' have representatives in the house that will not be able to vote on our behalf... No more voting. Promises kept."
"Republicans in the House (and Senate) are and have been operating out of fear. Fear of one man. ONE MAN!. Republicans are letting trump break federal laws. Laws Congress passed. In 6 months trump has created more than enough evidence to be removed from office. But republicans are scared to sound off on it. And the Senate approving trumps cabinet picks? They all work for trump, not The People."
"So they're delaying and hoping it all goes away. They are banking on the public having the attention span of a gnat and while that [is a] good bet this has been a critical rallying point for the Maga right."
"They have determined that….: - OPENLY WORKING TO HIDE THE EPSTEIN INFORMATION IS LESS DAMAGING TO THEM THAN LETTING THE PUBLIC SEE THE FILES."
"What's that word this administration likes to throw around? Oh yeah, TRANSPARENCY 🤭"
"Explain to me like I'm 5: Why are our tax dollars going to them if they don't work? I've worked in HR for over 10yrs and, for an administration that claims to run government like a business, these individuals would have been termed years ago for gross mismanagement."
"Is it a bad thing for Trump that [his] closest supporter in the House called a five week recess, just to block the release of the files? If the information exonerates him, would they let the information out as quickly as they could?"
"The supposed party of 'family values' will even protect a potential pedophile. Trump once famously stated.... 'I could shoot someone in the the middle of 5th Avenue, and they would still support me'. I used to think that was a ridiculous claim, but I now believe it to be 100% true. There is clearly nothing Trump could do to alienate his base. They are that brainwashed."
"By doing this they are just adding more fuel to the fire and making Trump look guiltier than ever. It's not going away and will just get bigger over the next few weeks. What's Maxwell going to say? All the pictures and stories we have of Epstein and Trump are fake news!?"
"What a way to govern, [every] time your party is in trouble you shut down. One thing we should have learned through all this is, we need [an] upgrade to the constitution, governing rules, term limits for every elected position, clearer rules for law enforcement and the proper use of the military and it's leadership."
"Why would you block the vote on releasing the Epstein file."
"Without two functioning independent political parties our Democracy will inevitably devolve into one party rule. Or die."
"All trump has to do is release the files. If you have nothing to hide just go ahead and release them to prove trumps innocence. Lets see trump and epsteins 'wonderful secret' they have together. Trump brought this on himself with his lies and past behavior with a convicted sex offender.."
"So now, instead of doing ANY work for the people, they turn tail and scoot out of Washington. I thought trump was supposed to have 'the most transparent administration in history'! I guess not. Now, over the summer, we will have drops of Epstein/trump cozy time photos and whatnot daily. Maybe not the best strategy if you're trying to sweep it under the rug."
"This is what complicity looks like."
"Johnson told reporters he's fed up with Democrats' efforts to force votes on releasing Epstein's files.Because, God forbid, we might have a bit of democracy in the House of Representatives..."
"So Tiny Johnson runs away from the truth and suppresses the voices of our elected leaders, thereby suppressing the American people's voices. Tiny Johnson's nose is firmly up Trump's backside."
"Wow ..I wish I could get 5 week off paid leave."
"The cult should face it. Johnson is too scaared to have a vote on the bill because he knows it will pass. Not about right or wrong."
"The GOP contribute NOTHING that benefits humanity. Vote BLUE!"
And finally...
"Up is down, right is wrong, truth is lies, and the downward arc of the fascists continues. They are getting more and more not see every day."
What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments.
Want to know if Trump's economy is actually doing as well as he promised? Subscribe to the Economy Hate Watch newsletter and never miss our monthly update.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
11 minutes ago
- CBS News
Massapequa asks President Trump for executive order protecting Native American school mascots
A Long Island school district is asking for President Trump's help in their fight to keep their team name and mascot — the Massapequa Chiefs. The New York State Board of Regents voted to ban Native American-related mascots, team names and logos in public schools back in 2023 and issued a June 2025 deadline for rebranding, saying districts that didn't comply could lose state aid. Massapequa High School has been pushing back, and the town is asking Trump to issue an executive order that would protect Native American mascots and imagery nationwide by outlawing any such bans. "This is a national issue, and so what we're saying is instead of having these little fights everywhere, we're asking the president to get involved," Massapequa Board of Education President Kerry Wachter said. "It really goes to the heart of who we are, and they're trying not only to erase Native Americans, but they're also trying to erase our tradition." The New York State Department of Education released the following statement in response: "No school district is above the law. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York has twice rejected attempts by Massapequa and others to block enforcement of this regulation. The court made it clear: the State Education Department has a strong public interest in making sure every student learns in an environment free from discrimination and harassment. In fact, the court said the hardships 'tipped decidedly' in favor of NYSED. We remain committed to ending the use of harmful, outdated, and offensive depictions of Indigenous people. Our responsibility is to students and families; we won't trade their dignity for convenience." Trump has voiced support for Massapequa in the past. Back in April, he posted on Truth Social, in part, "I agree with the people in Massapequa, Long Island, who are fighting furiously to keep the Massapequa Chiefs logo on their Teams and School. Forcing them to change the name, after all of these years, is ridiculous and, in actuality, an affront to our great Indian population." United States Education Secretary Linda McMahon visited the district in May and said she planned to launch an investigation into the state's mascot ban. On Sunday, Trump threatened to block a deal for the Washington Commanders NFL team to return to a Washington, D.C., stadium unless the team changed their name back to the "Washington Redskins." A deal was reached between the city and the team Thursday, however.
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
What will Trump's new homelessness executive order mean for California?
An executive action taken by President Donald Trump on Thursday, aiming to push cities and states to remove homeless people from the streets, could make California governments' ability to secure Federal funding contingent on taking such steps and changing the state's current approach to homelessness. Trump signed an order directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek to reverse federal and state judicial precedents and end consent decrees that limit local and state governments' ability to move homeless people from streets and encampments into treatment centers. The move, first reported by USA TODAY, also redirects federal funds to ensure the homeless people impacted are transferred to rehabilitation, treatment, and other facilities, though it was unclear how much money would be allocated. Here's what to know about Trump's executive order on removing homeless people from the streets. More: In major decision, Supreme Court allows cities to ban homeless camps What did Trump's executive order say? Under the order ‒ which the White House has titled "Ending Crime and Disorder on America's Streets" ‒ Bondi is also required to work with the secretaries of Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development and Transportation to prioritize federal grants to states and cities that "enforce prohibitions on open illicit drug use, urban camping and loitering, and urban squatting, and track the location of sex offenders." White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, in a statement to USA TODAY, said Trump is "delivering on his commitment to Make America Safe Again and end homelessness across America." "By removing vagrant criminals from our streets and redirecting resources toward substance abuse programs, the Trump Administration will ensure that Americans feel safe in their own communities and that individuals suffering from addiction or mental health struggles are able to get the help they need," Leavitt said. More: The average American is closer to being homeless than being Elon Musk What order may mean for California In recent years, California has become a national poster child for the issue of homelessness, the challenges it poses and the difficulty governments can have with meaningfully addressing it. The US Senate Housing Committee reported earlier this year that a recent homeless count found that just over 187,000 people were homeless in California. That represented a 3% increase from the year before, less than the 18% increase observed nationwide. But it was still the highest homeless population of any state and accounted for 28% of the homeless people in America, while the state makes up just 11.7% of the population. The report also said that 66% of homeless people were "unsheltered," the highest percentage in the nation. In recent years, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has made several efforts to help — and, increasingly, push — cities in the state to address issues with homelessness and people living without shelter. In 2023, the state made $1 billion in funding available through grants to communities to address homelessness. A year later, urged cities to take action to make homeless encampments illegal in their cities and take action to move people off their streets and provide them with shelter and services. Earlier this year, he released a "model ordinance" that he encouraged cities to use as a template for passing their own laws banning camping in their cities. "There's nothing compassionate about letting people die on the streets," Newsom said in a statement he issued at the time he released the model ordinance. "Local leaders asked for resources — we delivered the largest state investment in history. They asked for legal clarity — the courts delivered. Now, we're giving them a model they can put to work immediately, with urgency and with humanity, to resolve encampments and connect people to shelter, housing, and care." Trump's order pushes for many of the same approaches and aims Newsom has advocated for, while making the government's eligibility for Federal grant money contingent on communities taking steps to get people off the street and into treatment and showing success in doing so. The order says that eligibility for grants will be based on cities and states' ending "housing first" policies. Such policies emphasize an approach to addressing homelessness focused on getting unhoused people into permanent housing as a first step to successfully transitioning them out of homelessness. All California housing programs have been required to adopt a "housing-first" model since 2016, with a bill that would've ended that requirement failing to advance out of committee earlier this year. On Thursday, a spokesperson for Newsom criticized the order to KQED, saying it was based on "harmful stereotypes and ineffective policy" in comparison to Newsom's executive order on encampments that she said had been based on the law and facts. But she also said that Trump's imitation of Newsom (even poorly executed) is the highest form of flattery. Trump's action follows major Supreme Court decision on homeless camps Trump's action comes after the Supreme Court ruled in June 2024 that that people without homes can be arrested and fined for sleeping in public spaces, overturning a lower court's ruling that enforcing camping bans when shelter is lacking is cruel and unusual punishment. The 6-3 decision, split among ideological lines in the conservative-majority court, upheld a ban in Grant Pass, Oregon, prohibiting homeless residents from sleeping outdoors. Homeless residents of the southern Oregon city of 38,000 face fines starting at $250 and jail time for repeat offenses. More: Homelessness rates jumped by double digits in 2024 as Americans battled to afford housing In a statement, the National Homelessness Law Center condemned Trump's order, characterizing it as misguided at best, and counterproductive and dangerous at worst. "The safest communities are those with the most housing and resources, not those that make it a crime to be poor or sick," said Jesse Rabinowitz of the National Homelessness Law Center. 'As a licensed mental health professional, I know that forced treatment is unethical, ineffective, and illegal." "People need stable housing and access to healthcare," Rabinowitz said. Rather, Trump's actions will force more people into homelessness, divert taxpayer money away from people in need, and make it harder for local communities to solve homelessness." Across the U.S., more than 771,800 people lived without housing in 2024, according to a HUD count taken annually on a single night in January. It was the highest tally ever recorded, a 18.1% jump than in 2023, when officials counted about 650,000 people living in homeless shelters or in parks and on streets. Many cities have struggled to build more affordable housing in recent years, while some communities have pushed for harsher laws banning tents and sleeping in public spaces. More: The homeless population is increasing. Will Trump's second term make it worse? Trump has often expressed his distaste of homeless camps, singling out the removal of encampments on parks and federal land in Washington as a priority. Trump, in a 2023 campaign video, said: "We will use every tool, lever, and authority to get the homeless off our streets. We want to take care of them, but they have to be off our streets.' Other items in Trump's order include language that seeks to ensure that grants intended for substance use disorder prevention and recovery don't fund drug injection sites or illicit drug use. The order also prohibits convicted sex offenders who receive homelessness assistance from being housed with children and supports new homeless programs to exclusively house women and children. Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison. Paul Albani-Burgio covers growth, development and business in the Coachella Valley. Email him at This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: How Trump homelessness order could impact California Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump Orders Forcible Hospitalization for Unhoused People
Trump Orders Forcible Hospitalization for Unhoused People originally appeared on L.A. Mag. President Trump issued an executive order yesterday to target homelessness on America's streets. The push will make it easier to forcibly remove unhoused people from the streets of cities, including Los Angeles, targeting those who may pose a risk to themselves or order, just a day before the first anniversary of Governor Newsom's own executive order focusing on encampments, will override state and federal legalities to involuntarily commit people who show signs of a mental health or substance abuse disorder. Additionally, Trump declared he will enforce prohibitions on illicit drug use, urban camping/loitering and urban squatting.'Endemic vagrancy, disorderly behavior, sudden confrontations, and violent attacks have made our cities unsafe,' Trump said, in part. 'The Federal Government and the States have spent tens of billions of dollars on failed programs that address homelessness but not its root causes, leaving other citizens vulnerable to public safety threats.'The work of the Biden administration, which Trump has long lamented, was not diligent enough, according to this executive order. The highest number of individuals ever living on U.S. streets on a single night, 274,224, was recorded during his predecessor's leadership. The overwhelming majority of these unhoused people, Trump said, suffer drug addiction, mental illness, or both.'Shifting homeless individuals into long-term institutional settings for humane treatment through the appropriate use of civil commitment will restore public order,' Trump said. 'Surrendering our cities and citizens to disorder and fear is neither compassionate to the homeless nor other citizens.'Trump also cited a possible loophole in the current Sex Offender Registry and Notification Act, which may not be notifying citizens of sex offenders without fixed addresses. This will also separate registered sex offenders from receiving assistance in the presence of unrelated the first day of her administration, Mayor Karen Bass issued a state of emergency on homelessness in L.A. The city's numbers for street-sleeping were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but a recent announcement from Bass said the number of unhoused people is down for the second year in a row.'Last year, the Governor issued an executive order addressing encampments that was based on the law and the facts, not harmful stereotypes and ineffective public policy. Like so many of Trump's executive orders, this order is more focused on creating distracting headlines and settling old scores than producing any positive impact. But, his imitation (even poorly executed) is the highest form of flattery,' Newsom's office said in a statement to NBC4. This story was originally reported by L.A. Mag on Jul 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
