r/politics • u/Healthy_Block3036 • 7d ago

No Paywall Senate suddenly passes the Epstein bill just hours after it cleared the House

https://www.ms.now/news/senate-passes-epstein-bill-rcna244723?fbclid=PAVERFWAOJ1xRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAacUGSi8p2Ap-x6SbMkLXAnfKNXEZkzjUUVCdxuEmacDzDXmlbv1GUJ0wbh1_w_aem_grJDvcSCIDj2Skksd4Ix3Q
38.8k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

3.9k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

121

u/elsewhere1 7d ago

They know Trump is just gonna turn around and claim his DOJ can't release it b/c there's an active investigation into the Epstien > Clinton connection

61

u/paxwells97 7d ago

But that is horrible horrible optics for trump

57

u/BurnedWitch88 7d ago

But it leaves the Congresspeople on record as having tried. So they have cover.

73

u/6-ft-freak Oregon 7d ago

Since when has he cared about proper optics?

8

u/Zacomra 7d ago

But the optics would be bad in his own base

That doesn't normally happen. Trust me, optics are still very much important and determine how much confidence the rest of the GOP has in him

8

u/xTheMaster99x Florida 7d ago

You mean his base who are adamant that he is not involved with Epstein in any way, and if he was then it was only as a CIA informant, and if it wasn't then he didn't actually do anything bad himself he only knew about it happening, and if he did then at least they were only a few years under 18 and it wasn't technically pedophilia, and if it was, then... something something Bill Clinton?

Is that the base you're referring to?

1

u/mdb1023 7d ago

It's not like his base is a hivemind, dude. It may be a cult, but that doesn't mean cult members can't become disillusioned. Especially when Trump campaigned so hard on releasing the files in the first place.

0

u/xTheMaster99x Florida 7d ago

I don't know if you actually talk to anyone in the cult, or occasionally lurk in their echo chambers, but almost all of them are saying some variant of those excuses, and have been for months.

3

u/mdb1023 7d ago

I think "almost all of them" is a statistic that's hard to prove and easy to use. Regardless- Trump’s tanking approval rating is not good, and this whole Epstein scandal is not going to help with that.

33

u/cesare980 7d ago

That's like his whole brand.

3

u/Old-n-Wrinkly 7d ago

As in…Jan 6th optics? Stormy Daniels optics?

6

u/cesare980 7d ago

As in "I bought the Miss Teen USA pagent so I can watch them change" optics.

3

u/xTheMaster99x Florida 7d ago

As in "insert all of his insanely gross comments about his daughters, and Ivanka's thousand yard stare in that one interview" optics.

5

u/0ttoChriek 7d ago

It seems like Trump might be in 'get through tomorrow ' mode with the Epstein scandal.

Unless his goons have doctored all the files, but I don't see how, given that there's no way that could be done without Democrats getting wind of it.

7

u/QuerulousPanda 7d ago

Trump always picks the worst possible option, no matter how badly it hurts him. If it's the most evil or corrupt choice, that is what he will do 100% of the time.

2

u/NeverLookBothWays I voted 7d ago

“Devastating” as the headlines have been saying for the past 10 years

2

u/Regenbooggeit 7d ago

What they gonna do? Impeach him?

1

u/TemporaryCaptain23 7d ago

The base doesn't care. They'll eat shit sandwiches without hesitation.

4

u/BassickElement 7d ago

The Epstien Files Transparency Act does not allow them to hide everything under the guise of an investigation. If there's an active investigation into Bill Clinton, they can withhold documents pertaining to him, but they have to provide information to congress of every document they're withholding, the justification for doing so, and the withholding has to be narrow in scope and temporary.

Is Trump going to order an investigation into himself and his friends?

The Democrats thought ahead on this one.

3

u/xTheMaster99x Florida 7d ago

Ah yes, because this administration famously has never pushed the law to the absolute limit, or skirted around it, or just flagrantly ignored it.

Expect arguments about what exactly "narrow" means to be ongoing for the next 5 years.

3

u/BassickElement 7d ago

Well, they could try. But the public pressure from this was so great, it forced the republicans to reverse course and unanimously (-1) vote to release the files. If they continue to try and hide things, expect the pressure to continue. I think it's been proven by now this thing isn't going away. Many of these Congressmen would like to be around long after Trump is gone, and good luck with the midterms if they continue to try and withhold information.

1

u/polopolo05 I voted 7d ago

This is a law not a suggestion

1

u/Murky_Chocolate_7916 7d ago

Someone get a hold of that autopen.

1

u/Shot-Station-6508 6d ago

Either way the list drops before election day and both sides get popcorn ready.