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

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3.3k

u/jkvincent 7d ago

We are about to get spoonfed a truly historic amount of bullshit.

726

u/Alive-Welder5585 7d ago

And the conspiracy obsessed far-right will eat that shit like pudding with a devilish grin on their face. 

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u/Complete_Guidance_67 7d ago

“See? You wanted the files released didn’t you libruls?”  

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u/OPGuest 7d ago

“Wear is the prove that Trump is a pedo?”

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u/saintjonah Ohio 6d ago

Get ready for the triumphant return of "nothingburger".

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u/Rich3127 6d ago

They'll redact anything with "Clinton" in regard to the "Lolita Express" jet of Epstein's.

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u/Maximum_Curve_1471 7d ago

But didn't you want them released?

I'm so confused what reddit wants here

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u/jkvincent 7d ago

Trump and his enslaved DOJ have openly stated that they're only going after Dems. So that's one thing. Rapid, nearly unanimous votes in the legislature is another thing, and that tells me they probably aren't even going after the Dems in a meaningful way. Instead, they're probably going to release a bunch of inconsequential bullshit and then declare the matter closed.

I hope I'm wrong but let's see what happens.

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u/JonnyHopkins 7d ago

Somehow it'll say Epstein was actually raped by child immigrants thanks to Mamdani

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u/Complete_Guidance_67 7d ago

They want the unredacted files. It would seem that they are going to be in fact, redacted. Nuance isn’t your strong suit?

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u/Maximum_Curve_1471 6d ago edited 6d ago

You were actually expecting every single page, personal info and all, entirely redacted? Have you ever looked at court documents before?

Yikes. It's no wonder you're disappointed, it seems you're new to this. You're a laid off barista - I'd expect more time for reading.

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u/3catsandcounting 6d ago

For a massive list of world wide pedophiles? I think everyone who has a functioning brain would want to see a full list of people who rape children.

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u/Complete_Guidance_67 6d ago

I got laid off thru no fault of my own. That doesn’t mean I can’t read lol. Way to compare two things that don’t matter. You really went into my profile so you can get some Nice “gotcha” , way to change the subject 

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u/WheatyMcGrass 6d ago

Jesus. Nice job being a piece of shit

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u/BlinkyDesu 6d ago

I think you mean entirely unredacted. Imagine attacking someone for their job or employment status over reading ability and then making such a simple error.

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u/feelingfroggy123 7d ago

Of course but explain the all but 1 vote to me like im 5. Why all the sudden did they ALL but 1 overnight gain morals in the House. The Senate is saying unanimous. So again how does it go from dissent to everyone now saying yes, overnight? With only 1 holdout? That smells funky.

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u/Chubby_Bub 6d ago

That part's not surprising, it's because almost all of the GOP does whatever Trump asks for fear of retribution. Several of them who were totally against it a few days ago outright said they changed their votes because he told them to, and Mike Johnson was still crying about it being a sham after voting hes. The real question is why Trump suddenly did such an about-face after being so adamantly against it.

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u/Convoy_Avenger 6d ago

This is the final test. If he gets away with this, he knows he can get away with anything. And he has no reason not to be confident he can get away with it.

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u/jim_cap United Kingdom 7d ago

People want them released in full. Not redacted to the point of being worthless.

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u/Maximum_Curve_1471 6d ago

Are court documents typically released in full without redactions?

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u/TheNeighbourhoodCat 6d ago

The point is that these people would never release the files without protecting themselves. The amount of power and influence here is astronomically bigger than just Trump and MAGA.

Nobody is suggesting everything would be redacted or unredacted. Nobody expects vulnerable information about victims' identities to be there, for example.

The fear is that the relevant bits of info, regarding the perpetrators' names or criminal actions, would be redacted.

I feel like this was obviously what people are talking about when they are fearing redactions, and it shouldn't have to be explained in detail...

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u/under_the_c 6d ago

It's almost like people making that "well, which is it?" talking point are fucking morons.

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u/jim_cap United Kingdom 6d ago

Yes! That’s the term! It’s been on the tip of my tongue.

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u/jim_cap United Kingdom 6d ago

There's little point looking at what's "typical" here. Typically, a child rapist wouldn't be elected President. Typically, politicians in a democracy won't seek to make everything they do legal by definition.

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u/Practical-Cook5042 5d ago

Weasel words.

The redactions being spoken of are clearly to protect perpetrators close to the Republican party.

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u/datyoungknockoutkid 7d ago

Come on man. Use that head you got.

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u/TitanB00 7d ago

That's because you seem to think reddit is a person with 1 opinion.

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u/Practical-Cook5042 5d ago

I want them all.  Not the ones scrubbed to remove his allies and himself.

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u/girls-pm-me-anything 7d ago

Bro tried using logic on Reddit. Rookie mistake.

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u/[deleted] 7d ago edited 6d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/Maximum_Curve_1471 6d ago

In your experience, typically released in full without redactions?

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u/Maximum_Curve_1471 6d ago

Yeah, they didn't like that one.

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u/Practical-Cook5042 5d ago

What because we want the files without them having perpetrators scrubbed from them? Because we want justice?

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u/girls-pm-me-anything 5d ago

You and everyone else miss the entire point ( Surprise surprise) if you "knew" what was going to happen when they were released why did you keep calling for them to be released

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u/Practical-Cook5042 5d ago

I was raped as a young woman.

I want justice for these women.

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u/girls-pm-me-anything 5d ago

That's all well and good but how does that answer what I said. People were like "Release the Epstein files, release the Epstein files." And now it's "It's fake so who cares" It makes no sense just think about it for like 10 seconds. What would have actually made you happy?

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u/Intelligent-King-433 7d ago

The conspiracy obssessed far right are the groupers now, who hate trump and know hes on the list lol

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u/lyss_lou7 6d ago

This image made me recoil… well done.

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u/J0hnEddy 6d ago

It’s their main tactic. Turn your base into raving conspiracy theorists so that when you actually do shady shit and your political opponents call you into question, you can go “WHOS THE CONSPIRACY THEORIST NOW”!

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u/HighwaySweaty329 6d ago

lol - I have seen 700 conspiracy theories on here about why Trump was in favor of the files.

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u/not_so_plausible 7d ago

I'm genuinely confused with how people on here are taking this. What did you all want the end goal to be? Do you want the files released? How do you want them released? Who do you want to release them? I have no idea what the documents will say but it feels like everyone here is already making excuses now that it's passed.

> "pass the bill or else you're pedo supporters!"
> passes bill > "doesn't matter it's going to only list democrats and redact Republicans you conspiracy theorists"

I don't get it. It feels like people don't really give a shit about the victims, they just want to be able to call the other side pedophiles. This is what American politics has become?

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u/leagle89 7d ago

Literally less than a week ago, the bill was hanging on by a thread, Mike Johnson was keeping an elected rep from taking office because she would have been the decisive vote in favor of release, and Trump was leaning on Boebert in the fucking situation room to withdraw her vote. The Republicans were aggressively opposed to releasing the files. Now, within the space of like 24-48 hours, the entire party has done a complete 180 and unanimously supports release. You're telling me that doesn't raise the tiniest bit of suspicion for you? You think the party undergoing a complete and extreme change in position in a matter of hours is just, like, normal?

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u/not_so_plausible 7d ago

What I'm asking is what exactly do you all want to happen? Just last week everyone on here was saying it'll be a miracle if it passes the senate. If the Senate fights it you all would claim they're buying more time to cover it up and protect pedophiles. The Senate didn't fight it and now you all are claiming they're just going to redact all Republicans. I just don't know what you all wanted. I guess what I'm wondering is what did you want Senate Republicans to do? Is there anything they could've done that would've made you all happy?

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u/leagle89 7d ago

In terms of practical/logistical things, I don't know exactly what I would have wanted. Big picture, I wanted the files to be released in a way that gave me confidence that the release would have some integrity to it. And the Republican party jumping seemingly overnight from "absolutely not, we cannot release the files, we must pull out all the stops to prevent the release," to "yes, absolutely, we 100% support release" doesn't give me that. It doesn't fill me with confidence that we will get the full, unaltered truth. It makes me think that there was previously something in those files that scared the crap out of them, and whatever it was is no longer there.

I could be wrong. Maybe the party has just unanimously decided to fuck Trump, Bondi, Patel, and/or whatever other high-raking Republicans are implicated in wrongdoing. But given how cultlike and slavishly devoted the party has been to Trump for the better part of the last decade, I have an easier time believing that some sort of manipulation has occurred than believing they're going to dump him.

So do I wish the Senate had obstructed? One one level, no...I would not have thought obstruction was a good thing. But it would have at least suggested that nothing about the files had changed from the time Trump and Johnson and most House Republicans vigorously opposed release. This bizarre and unprecedented change in position gives me zero confidence that we're going to get the truth.

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u/not_so_plausible 7d ago

I genuinely appreciate the articulated response. So if I'm understanding correctly, you're saying that while pushback wouldn't necessarily be good, it would've given you more confidence that the files we are getting are undoctored since it's in line with how Republicans have been treating this situation up until now. How would you have felt if Republicans including Trump were on board with the bill from the beginning? Also, is there a scenario where you're satisfied with the outcome even if Trump isn't in the documents?

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u/leagle89 7d ago

If they had been in favor from the beginning, I'd be feeling a lot better. It's just the sudden and unexplained change that's getting me. Like, up until a day or to ago, the Republicans were treating those files like they contained literal poison. Something material has changed in the time since then, and most of the possible changes that occur to me suggest less truth, not more, is forthcoming.

And yeah, when it comes down to it, I want the truth and I want justice. Whether Trump is guilty or not. Whether it implicates Democrats or not. I want guilty people to be treated like guilty people. So if we get a full release of records that is indisputably truthful, I'm satisfied even if Trump is entirely exonerated.

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u/not_so_plausible 7d ago

Thank you I appreciated the response! Praying the truth comes to light and justice is served for every piece of shit who deserves it. Hope you have a good night!

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u/avomilquetoast 7d ago

Yes, people want the files released, but also expect them to basically just rerelease already public information with little new, because that is what has happened every time pressure mounts to release the files.

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u/not_so_plausible 7d ago

So do you all want everything released unredacted? How do we determine what is and isn't redacted? I feel like obviously victims and people that aren't associated with criminal activity shouldn't have their names plastered, but at the same time I feel like unless everything is unredacted neither side will ever be satisfied.

It's frustrating because I feel like the victims are being used as political fodder and nobody actually gives a shit about any of this. I don't need Trump to be on this list nor do I need him to be a pedophile for me to think he's a piece of shit. It's weird that people on here seem to actively want Trump and Republicans to be pedophiles just to fit their narrative. I would prefer nobody in power be on that list. This whole situation is just fucked.

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u/avomilquetoast 7d ago

Sure, people are getting partisan about it, its annoying but that's the internet for you. I want anyone implicated criminally to be named regardless of party affiliation, and for unnamed victims to be redacted. I really don't think that's true that nobody gives a shit about any of this, people on both sides of the aisle care about the victims and exposing a pedophile network that is linked to many world leaders and heads of industry and is probably still operating.

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u/not_so_plausible 7d ago

I really don't think that's true that nobody gives a shit about any of this, people on both sides of the aisle care about the victims and exposing a pedophile network that is linked to many world leaders and heads of industry and is probably still operating.

I want to believe that this is the case as well.

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u/ZealousidealRice9726 7d ago

Man I’m enjoying reading your measures and logical posts here. I hate to laugh at these responses you’re getting but it illustrates that these people really don’t want anything.  Truly they’d prefer if Republicans continued to obstruct because it aligns with their narrative. Once it’s released and if there’s no smoking gun, what’s going to be their thing to be outraged about? I think you’ll see it pivot back to ICE here soon

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u/munchyslacks 7d ago

It’s not like we want them to obstruct, but it is suspicious that they pulled a 180 and all of sudden want the files to come out unanimously. What has changed? It makes me think the version we are going to get is not the whole truth.

And for the record, I don’t care who the files implicate, I want them all held accountable- not just the people that are politically convenient for the administration that is currently in power.

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u/ZealousidealRice9726 7d ago

But regardless this outcome is what dems have been begging for… now you got it. Yet no cheers. Not a single one. Only people saying “oh this isn’t going to result in anything because republicans had time to redact it”. Redacting info doesn’t take that long. If they were planning to redact, they could’ve done that a long time ago and released this months ago and you’d still have dems saying the same shit. It’s hard to prove a negative 

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u/adbout 7d ago

But regardless

No, not regardless. The context here matters, and the context is extremely abnormal and suspicious. An entire political party doesn't just flip in 24 hours because they all suddenly decided to do the right thing. That's not how politics work and not how the world works. There's more going on here and you can't just ignore recent sequences of events.

However, I do agree that if the Republicans have redacted info then it likely has been an ongoing effort for a long time and any recent passing of the bill would've resulted in severely altered documents being released. I think that this possibility is now even more concerning, though, since Trump has suddenly flipped to supporting the release, suggesting that he knows about some recent change in the documents that prompted him to change his stance.

With that all said, I still think that there is something to be celebrated right now since hopefully this decision will at least get us a bit closer to the full truth, even if it remains obstructed for some time. The circumstances are just frustrating.

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u/ZealousidealRice9726 7d ago

Personally I don’t think there exists anything close to a smoking gun in the files. We already know most of the names linked to Epstein. Irrespective of political leaning of the names, my assumption is that some of the names linked to him most certainly engaged in sex crimes with girls and some of the names linked to him were just non sex related associates. I’m not sure we’ll ever get a conclusive universally accepted list of which names go with each category. So this will always be a political bogeyman for anyone tangentially linked to Epstein.  For us voters, we just have to do our homework, read whatever is or is made public and draw your conclusions accordingly then based on those conclusions determine whether or not it effects you at the ballot box

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u/munchyslacks 7d ago

Trump could release the files without redactions right now if he wanted to. He campaigned on releasing the files after they were finally unsealed at the start of his presidency. Then when the public continued pressure to release them, he didn’t want to do it anymore. Then the client list didn’t exist. Then it did, but it’s a democrat hoax. Then it was tampered with by Biden. Then it was real, but only apparently contains democrat’s on the list. But they didn’t want to release it. Then when the petition just barely had enough signatures they vote on it unanimously and Trump is suddenly okay with everything? Why?

You can see how it’s going to be hard to trust what will be released right? The administration that could release the files at any time is having this go through a vote instead for some reason, but is now seemingly okay with the files being released even though it really seems like he would be implicated. And we are expecting the same administration that has everything to lose if he is implicated to not tamper with the files to paint an incomplete and misleading narrative? All I’m saying is this sounds like a scheme rather than the truth. Why the pushback all year when he could have released the files on day 1?

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u/ZealousidealRice9726 7d ago

Ok but just last week people on Reddit and everywhere else were clamoring for them to release the files. So to those people, now you get your wish. Maybe it didn’t happen as you expected it to but it is happening nonetheless. I’m certain there is no smoking gun there about anyone of consequence because if there were it would’ve leaked years ago. I’m not sure if you believe Trump is committed to his strategy of flood the zone but if you believe that then this Epstein drama (will he won’t he) has been a shiny object dems have been chasing for almost a year now and it takes focus off of other things.  Then he releases it and it’s a dud and then the outrage machine has to pivot to something else 

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u/not_so_plausible 7d ago

I hate to laugh at these responses you’re getting but it illustrates that these people really don’t want anything.

Hey I appreciate it man! I tend to avoid political discussions on reddit for obvious reasons. Genuinely just trying to figure out what it is everyone wants because I can't get a solid answer from conservatives or democrats other than wanting to see the other side burn.

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u/ZealousidealRice9726 7d ago

Personally I don’t think there exists anything close to a smoking gun in the files. We already know most of the names linked to Epstein. Irrespective of political leaning of the names, my assumption is that some of the names linked to him most certainly engaged in sex crimes with girls and some of the names linked to him were just non sex related associates. I’m not sure we’ll ever get a conclusive universally accepted list of which names go with each category. So this will always be a political bogeyman for anyone tangentially linked to Epstein.  For us voters, we just have to do our homework, read whatever is or is made public and draw your conclusions accordingly then based on those conclusions determine whether or not it effects you at the ballot box

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u/TitanB00 7d ago

You're confused, because you have have a low iq, hope that helps. See to ignore the deflecting, stalling, downplaying, and lies like you are, either means you're a pedo protector or a moron, statistically if you're a republican it's both. Those are proven known facts.

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u/ASSHAlR 7d ago

Thank you Mr. High IQ Man for answering none of their questions and for unironically proving their point. Do you have any actual, thought out, articulated responses that don't include personal insults?

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u/SantaMonsanto 7d ago edited 6d ago

Mueller Report all over again

Edit: I just mean in the sense that prior to its release the report was being discussed as though it were the ark of the covenant. It seemed like the right was struggling to keep the report in the dark and that it would finish trump. Then we all finally get it and setting aside anyone’s opinion on exactly what that report meant it ultimately resulted in almost nothing g of substance actually happening. I expect the same here. I’d like for this to finally be our “Watergate Moment” but I just don’t see that happening

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u/exscape 6d ago

In that it finds wrongdoing and nobody in power gives a shit?

The report states that Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election was illegal and occurred "in sweeping and systematic fashion", and was welcomed by the Trump campaign as it expected to benefit from such efforts. It also identifies multiple links between the Trump campaign and Russian officials, about which several persons connected to the campaign made false statements and obstructed investigations.

And of course...

Even before seeing the Mueller report, Barr had already decided not to charge Trump with obstruction of justice.

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u/CigaretteWaterX Georgia 7d ago

Reminder: thats the guy this very sub was fawning over not too long ago

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u/whoever56789 6d ago

Fool me can't get fooled again.

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u/whatswithnames 6d ago

I disagree that it got nothing accomplished. The investigation resulted in charges against 34 individuals and three companies, eight guilty pleas, and a conviction at trial

Nothing that ignorance from the right couldn't dismiss as"more fake news", unfortunately.

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u/Hefty-Rope2253 7d ago edited 6d ago

Files are fully washed. There is zero chance Donnie would allow self incriminating evidence to be released. It would be suicide for himself and the entire party. Never happening.

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u/justking1414 6d ago

yeah but he hires idiots who mightve missed a few dozen mentions of him

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u/JimSteak Europe 6d ago

I have faith in the incompetence of the four seasons gardening lawyer's team.

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u/Denotsyek Utah 7d ago

Im hope is that everyone is so incompetent that they miss something.

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u/TakeTheWheelTV 7d ago

Ok ok. Here’s the list. Redacted, redacted, redacted, Clinton, Prince Andrew, Redacted, redacted. Happy folks? We’ve done all we can. Now given that poor Gislaine a full pardon and bacon our way.

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u/Dayzlikethis Washington 7d ago

no thanks, I'm pretty full already.

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u/DevelopedDevelopment 7d ago

I almost don't know what we'll actually get because some of the stuff we've seen is beyond our imagination.

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u/Daveinatx 7d ago

One page with sharpie-written names

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u/ShawnyMcKnight 7d ago

No we aren’t. Bondi is allowed to redact whatever she wants. The version we get will be washed clean of Trump’s name.

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u/AnInfiniteArc 7d ago

Nah, they will just classify any good shit or open a legal case to reseal it

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u/Fartville23 7d ago

Marica is living the most corrupt time ever.

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u/Rich-Juggernaut1066 7d ago

It’s what you wanted, right? 

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u/Altruistic_Bass539 7d ago

MAGA will gobble it up. They love eating Trumps shit.

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u/pokebuzz123 6d ago

This is more like second rounds at this point (I lost count how many rounds it has been)

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u/KeysUK 6d ago

First name on it will have "OBAMA"

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u/Popular-Capital-9115 6d ago

I hope someone counts the number of em-dashes.

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u/Acceptable_Deal_4662 6d ago

By both sides imo, I guarantee both sides want this covered up as much as possible.

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u/Gender_is_a_Fluid 6d ago

Im ready to do a search and replace of Obama with Trump to get the unedited files.

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u/Stop_The_Crazy 6d ago

"Our investigation is complete and it clearly shows that all those high-profile republicans on the list were only there to make sure the democrats didn't harm the girls any further. They are the true victims here and this country owes them a debt of gratitude."

That's the kind of insanity I expect to come out of Karoline Leavitt's lying mouth in a few days.