Poll: Most Americans Want the Epstein Files Released

More from the article ...

... President Donald Trump's administration has faced growing bipartisan pressure to release the government's files on Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while in jail awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. ...

Trump, who called for release of the files during his reelection campaign, has called the case "a hoax" since returning to office. He has also downplayed or denied his relationship with the convicted child sex offender, even as more documents, such as his purported birthday note to Epstein, have been released by Congress. Trump has not been accused of any wrongdoing, but his relationship with Epstein has been under renewed scrutiny.

While Trump has told the public not to "waste time and energy" on Epstein, majorities in each party say they want all the documents released, with those sentiments strongest among Democrats (84%) and independents (83%).

Though the president has stoked conspiracy theories that the documents were invented by Democrats or other foes, he's faced pressure from his own supporters on this issue. A majority of Republicans -- 67% -- said they'd want all the files released, which "obviously goes in the face of what the administration has been pushing," said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist University Institute for Public Opinion. ...

@#1 ... majorities in each party say they want all the documents released, with those sentiments strongest among Democrats (84%) and independents (83%). ... A majority of Republicans -- 67% -- said they'd want all the files released ...

Whoa, take a step back and look at those poll results.

When have the Democrats, Independents and Republicans been in such agreement of late?

@#3 ... Trump wants to be presumed a pervert rather than be proven one. ...

I'm not at that opinion, yet.

My current guess is that the Epstein files call out some rather wealthy people, some of whom might be significant Trump donors.

But, as I said, it's just a guess.

Stated differently, why were Mr Epstein and Ms Maxwell the only two people who seem to have been prosecuted for the series of abhorrent crimes?

@#5

Yeah, there's that also.

But I have to ask, if the Epstein files are so unimportant, why did Spkr Johnson call a recess back in August to prevent a vote on them?

@#6 ... why did Spkr Johnson call a recess back in August to prevent a vote on them? ...

... and also a recess for the past couple of weeks to prevent a newly-elected Representative from taking a Seat, a Representative that would bring the vote to 218 ...

Looked at this differently, Spkr Johnson seems to be effectively shutting down the House in order prevent the release of the Epstein files.

And his apparent shutting down of the House is doing little more than prolonging the government shutdown.

Delay swearing in Rep. Grijalva has nothing to do' with Epstein petition, Johnson says
www.pbs.org

... Adelita Grijalva won a special election for a House seat on Sept. 24, but has been unable to actually represent her district in Congress until the speaker officially swears her into office. Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, has so far refused to accommodate her request to officially take office while the House is not conducting legislative business during the government shutdown. ...

@#12 ... EPSTEIN FILES.

Let's just see.

What a novel concept. ...

Yup.

Is there evidence in the files? Or not?

Why not just release all the Epstein files and be done with the discussion, if there might be no evidence?

Yet, Spkr Johnson seems to have chosen to shut down the House twice to prevent the release of the Epstein files.

Why?

Lounge Lizards - Harlem Nocturne (1981)
www.youtube.com

(instrumental, so no lyrics... )

The Lounge Lizards

Bronski Beat - Heatwave (Extended Remix) (1985)
www.youtube.com

Lyrics excerpt ...

genius.com

...
Hey we're headin' for a summer heatwave
Boys we're headin' for a summer heatwave
Summer he-e-e-e-e-eat wave yeah
Summer he-e-e-e-e-eat wave yeah

Tattoos and muscle passion and sweat
Summer he-e-e-e-e-eat wave
Yeah yeah
...

Fun tune ...

@#13 ... Is there evidence in the files? Or not? ...

That seems to be the operative question of late.

Apparently, so much so that Spkr Johnson has scheduled two House shutdowns to avoid that question, even when the major issue of the government shutdown is first and foremost.

... Top officials in Donald Trump's administration are furious with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, knowledgeable sources tell Zeteo, after he went on a tabloid podcast this week and blabbed about the one sex criminal who Team Trump wants to talk about least: Jeffrey Epstein.

Not only that, but Lutnick went off script and undermined the government's entire story about the late Epstein.

For months, President Trump and the highest levels of his administration have been trying to sell the public and his MAGA supporters on their conclusion that Epstein, the notorious sex offender and former Trump pal, did not run a secret sexual-blackmail operation targeting wealthy, powerful elites.

On Wednesday morning, the New York Post published parts of its podcast sit-down with Lutnick, who was once Epstein's neighbor. The Trump Cabinet member told the Post about his tour of Epstein's townhouse, where Epstein showed him his "massage room." Lutnick said he was quickly "disgusted," before asserting that Epstein's rich and famous associates not only knew about his bad behavior but "participated." He called Epstein a "blackmailer," something the Trump administration strenuously denies.

Several senior Trump officials, some of whom were responsible for carefully curating the messaging regarding the administration's decision to end its Epstein investigation, were apoplectic on Wednesday, bemoaning to one another about why Lutnick is still employed by the president and why the commerce secretary is allowed to do media appearances, four senior Trump administration appointees tell Zeteo.

"That ****ing dumbass," one of the senior Trump administration officials told Zeteo on Wednesday, after seeing a clip of Lutnick riffing on Epstein. "I've worked with him and can tell you he doesn't think he did anything negative ... That's not how he thinks. He just talks and talks, and doesn't care what unhelpful bull**** comes out." ...

... The evidence is there ...

Court documents reveal names of powerful men allegedly linked to Jeffrey Epstein (2024)
www.npr.org

... Court documents made public on Wednesday disclosed the names of dozens of powerful men with alleged connections to convicted sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019.

Federal Judge Loretta Preska in Manhattan unsealed the documents, revealing the names of numerous individuals described in a 2015 civil lawsuit as associates, affiliates or victims of Epstein.

The documents include references to former Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, the magician David Copperfield, Prince Andrew, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, actor Kevin Spacey, lawyer Alan Dershowitz, the late New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and former Vice President Al Gore, among others.

The fact that people were named in these documents doesn't mean any of them face allegations or evidence of wrongdoing.

Many of the most prominent individuals, including U.S. politicians, British royalty, tech tycoons and bankers, were already known to have links to Epstein because of previous court cases or disclosures in the media. ...

@#26 ... Reminds me of the time LftHndThrds said the Epstein Files shouldn't be released at all. Because the impact on those powerful men could be bad for the economy. ... h

Yeah, and then there are the comments recently broadcast of what Sec Ludnick has said in an interview with a podcast.

Why not just release the files, and get this over with?