Massie on Meet the Press: Epstein issue will ‘hurt Republicans in the midterms’
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Massie and Khanna push House vote on full release of Jeffrey Epstein files.
- Massie warns that lack of transparency could damage GOP in 2026 midterms.
- Khanna links Epstein case to broader public distrust in U.S. government.
Rep. Thomas Massie is continuing to make waves with his push to release all files related to the late disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The Northern Kentucky congressman appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday alongside Democratic colleague Rep. Ro Khanna of California to talk about the duo’s discharge petition to force a vote on the release of the full files on Epstein.
Epstein, whose in-custody death in 2019 was ruled a suicide, has long been at the center of theories around the manner of his death and the connections he had to rich and powerful people like President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton and prominent businessmen like Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.
Outrage across the political spectrum has festered, largely due to Trump and his administration’s reluctance to release the Epstein files after campaigning on doing so.
As has been the case on several other issues, Massie has been the most prominent elected Republican pushing against the Trump administration.
The 4th Congressional District representative and Trump had a rocky past before Trump took office this term, but tensions have flared higher over Massie’s criticisms of Trump’s spending bill, the administration’s bombing of Iranian nuclear sites and the posture he’s taken on Epstein.
Trump has continually called for Massie to be ousted by a GOP primary challenger in the deep-red district, though no challenger has come forward as of yet.
Massie and Khanna’s petition, if signed by enough lawmakers, would force a U.S. House vote on releasing all files on Epstein with some limited redactions.
The pair of congressmen reapplied pressure on Congress, in particular House Speaker Mike Johnson, in their appearance on “Meet the Press.”
Massie said Trump, who has run all of his campaigns as a disruptor to “politics as usual” in Washington, has let down his base.
“The release of the Epstein files is emblematic of what Trump ran for and why he got the populist vote. There seems to be a class of people beyond the law, beyond the judicial system, that operates outside of all of that, and we all thought that when Trump was elected, he would be the bull in the china shop and that he would break that up and bring transparency,” Massie said.
“Frankly, it wasn’t until just recently that I realized that people who were allegedly working on this weren’t sincere in their efforts.”
Massie added that people like Attorney General Pam Bondi and Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel were the ones stating the files on Epstein ought to be released before they got settled into their jobs in the Trump administration. Massie sees himself as “holding their feet to the fire” to make good on those promises.
Johnson, who was also a guest on the program in a separate interview, characterized Massie as trying to inflict political “pain” on his party by teaming up with Khanna to push for release of the files.
“I don’t know why it should be politically painful to be transparent,” Massie said. “Is the pain he’s talking about that somebody in our party will be embarrassed by those files? Then that’s not a good excuse. Is the pain he’s talking about that the legislators, when they vote, have to pick between protecting embarrassment of the rich and powerful versus getting justice for victims?”
One avenue through which the U.S. Department of Justice and Congress, in an effort led by fellow Kentucky Rep. James Comer, are seeking more information is Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell. She is currently held at a federal prison in Florida, where she is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking and other charges
Unlike Khanna, Massie did not balk at the idea that Maxwell could receive a pardon or commutation of her sentence for cooperating with investigators.
“You know, that would be up to the president, but if she has information that could help us, then I think she should testify. Let’s get that out there, and whatever they need to do to compel that testimony, as long as it’s truthful, I would be in favor of,” Massie said.
Both Massie and Khanna offered political diagnoses on the controversy.
Massie said straightforwardly he believed the hubbub around Epstein, particularly if information is still withheld from the public, will hurt the GOP.
“This is going to hurt Republicans in the midterms. The voters will be apathetic if we don’t hold the rich and powerful accountable,” Massie said.
Khanna ended the interview with a framing around the issue on trust in government. It was in response to a question from the host, Kristen Welker, on whether or not the controversy distracts voters from Democratic messaging on pocketbook issues like cost of living and Trump’s tariffs.
The California congressman said messaging on both issues can be pursued, but the Epstein issue gets to the heart of why voters are apathetic: They don’t trust the government.
“You can’t do anything constructive with government if you don’t have trust in government. This is about trust in government. When John F. Kennedy was president, trust in government was 60%. Today it’s in the teens,” Khanna said.
