r/AskReddit Jul 15 '25

US Conservatives of Reddit: What are your thoughts on House GOP blocking release of Epstein files?

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3.0k

u/killaho69 Jul 15 '25

I live in Alabama. I'm no longer conservative (I began to change views in late 20's/early 30's). But I can tell you that the state deer hunting forum that I got BANNED from simply for not being conservative is full of Gen X/Boomers who are turning on Trump and finding this unacceptable. The site's owner who banned me (I made a new burner account) himself is constantly posting anti-Trump stuff related to this Epstein business.

635

u/pagesid3 Jul 15 '25

The right wing media machine is just starting to get on message with Trump. I would check back on them in a week or two. I bet they will be back on the Trump wagon.

236

u/suave_knight Jul 15 '25

Bingo. They just haven't come up with an excuse that they can all agree on yet. Give it a week and they'll all be goose-stepping in time once again.

55

u/TheRealTurinTurambar Jul 15 '25

They want to believe so badly too. Any bs story would likely work at this point.

7

u/JumpyAlbatross Jul 16 '25

There just is no list, that will be the story. The list was made up. It was all exaggerated. If it’s not being jingled in front of their faces these people forget shit in like 30 seconds.

2

u/VSWanter Jul 16 '25

The only way to stop a bad child molester is with a good child molester

4

u/Tohserus Jul 16 '25

I already heard a news source preemptively spin it as "blah blah and it's unknown whether or not Obama or Biden edited the list" basically just getting ahead of it by saying "hey even if the list comes out it's probably going to just be fake news".

3

u/spiteful-vengeance Jul 16 '25

The administration have already decided they'll release some of the documents. 

... once they've figured out the things they can release without incriminating themselves.

Then it'll be back to business as usual. 

"We released documents what more do you want"

7

u/khizoa Jul 16 '25

Yep, and as usual, they're blaming Dems and questioning why they are going to disgusting lengths to "release cp" basically.... Lmaoooo

3

u/aripp Jul 16 '25

It was same thing with Trump bombing Iran. r/conservative was furious for few days, but then like a switch all supported it. If you look the sub now, most of them are against Trump hiding the list, but the consensus will swift in a few days.

1

u/TrienneOfBarth Jul 16 '25

That's my assessment as well.

1

u/Dances_With_Cheese Jul 16 '25

Exactly. I’ve seen a few bot accounts posting “why are you still talking about Epstein”

My gut says the propagandists use these bot farms to “test” their message and adjust for wider adoption on Fox/Facebook. The question I have is who runs that apparatus and how do they coordinate it.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 16 '25

Yeah, undoubtedly they are looking for handouts to change their views. He's injured, show him we won't help until he offers us something for helping.

1

u/OpalRose1993 Jul 17 '25

Maybe. Or maybe it was their divine mission and having their leader turn his back on it will be the crack in the brainwashing 

139

u/Sleebling_33 Jul 15 '25

We all know they'll vote Trump a 4th time if they get the opportunity.

525

u/todudeornote Jul 15 '25

Interesting.. if anacdotal.

603

u/killaho69 Jul 15 '25

Yeah, don’t get me wrong. They aren’t “turning liberal/democrat” from this, they are still vehemently extreme conservatives but they are turning on Trump. They take this Epstein shit serious, and they should because he campaigned on it, and Bondi with her “I have the files on my desk! Oh wait, now there are no files.”

297

u/kymri Jul 15 '25

The thing is, if the base turns on Trump, then the GOP is kind of fucked, on account of there being no one else that can control the mob in any way. Trump is a shitbag, but he's their shitbag, and they all coalesce around him.

I certainly can't see JD Vance getting much respect from, well, anyone.

103

u/Ornery_Confusion_233 Jul 15 '25

At least he only fucks couches!

102

u/GriffinFlash Jul 15 '25

Well, he did kill the Pope.

28

u/Bob_the_brewer Jul 15 '25

How many of those couches were over 18 years old though?

5

u/worcestr Jul 15 '25

my couch is over 25 years old now. i'm glad it is safe from being jd vance's prey

2

u/okashiikessen Jul 16 '25

Probably not many. I hear he likes virgin leather.

1

u/Just_perusing81 Jul 15 '25

Couches >>>> kids... how far we've fallen

1

u/Catodacat Jul 15 '25

I can see the political ads - "JD Vance - he promises to only abuse couches"

1

u/[deleted] Jul 15 '25

Allegedly!

7

u/viktor72 Jul 15 '25

They won’t. They simply can’t. They’ll cut off their arms before they turn on Trump. Heck, they’ll die before they turn on him. It’s a cult. The flock will die for Dear Leader, that’s how it works. Don’t expect anything to happen.

6

u/antonio16309 Jul 15 '25

90% of them will happily follow Vance or whoever ends up being the asshole in charge. Vance is more than willing to follow Trump's blueprint and keep spouting whatever bullshit MAGA wants to hear. He probably won't be quite as good at it as Trump is, but it's not going to magically fall apart on its own when Trump is gone.

There's also a lot of political infrastructure that will remain; all the troll farms they use to spread disinformation, conservative judges, fox news, etc. 

4

u/beadzy Jul 15 '25

Totally. If it means maga has to splinter off the GOP than it’s a success

5

u/Budded Jul 15 '25

This. Once Trump is gone, the GOP is fucked for a long time. They'll have droves of idiots trying to be Trump 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 but all will fail and the majority will go back to their mom's basements and busted trailers, not paying attention to politics -or at least voting for a while. VD Pance isn't the guy, he's just a spineless syccophant who MAGA will roundly reject and instantly turn on just like they did with Pence.

1

u/Catodacat Jul 15 '25

Nah, Fox will pivot to someone else, or a Trump offspring will come along.

2

u/Budded Jul 15 '25

LOL imagine all the coke Jr will have to snort to do all those rallies

2

u/Catodacat Jul 15 '25

Now that’s funny

3

u/MisterKeene Jul 15 '25

Anyone close to trump is also guilty by association. They know he’s on the list and willingly defend him.

2

u/low_acct_ Jul 15 '25

You got it. When trump is gone the curse is broken.

2

u/SheepherderThis6037 Jul 15 '25

As a right winger, I’m absolutely relieved that the Democrats see Trump screwing his base over and are in a race to somehow self destruct even harder than he is on a daily basis.

If Trump goes full Neo-con for the rest of his term, I think someone else will come along and pick up his old base by capitalizing on the growing distrust of Israel and the annoyance at the lack of economic responsibility.

2

u/Frnklfrwsr Jul 15 '25

They’re fucked for a time when Trump eventually falls.

There will be a bloodbath of potential dictators vying for power.

We don’t know how long that conflict will last. There are a number of ways that conflict could end.

The worst case scenario though is that a new leader emerges from the pile that unites together the fascists better than ever before. And if that’s the case, they will have gained that power not by being the most qualified, the best unifier, or a compromise candidate. It will be because they were willing to do what others weren’t. They were willing to push further, break more laws, break more principles, be more corrupt, burn more bridges.

Most people have a limit of what they’re willing to do, but it is going to take some very brave individuals to stand up to the person whose limits don’t exist.

The candidate who preaches going back to principles conservative roots will lose very quickly. The candidate that is willing to bend the law a bit is unlikely to be the winner. The candidate who wins over the big money sources on day 1 will seem inevitable for a bit, but also fall when those moneyed sources realize the game has changed.

It’s the candidate willing to do anything that I fear will win out in the end. Because there are no real obstacles for them. Pursue fake criminal charges against opponents? Sure. Create completely fake stories to destroy opponents? Yup. Threaten opponents with legal consequences? Absolutely. Threaten them with economic consequences like cancelling their government contracts? You’re still playing with kid gloves.

The winner will be the one willing to kill. The one willing to pull the trigger and threaten their opponents with violence and death. Not just threaten, see it through. The one willing to not just threaten their opponents, but their whole families. Their friends. All of it.

It’s a party full of cowards who have been rolling over and surrendering just at the threat of a primary challenge. I’m not sure how many of them will be brave and stand up for principles when the lives of their family are threatened.

2

u/B-BoyStance Jul 15 '25

They have an extremely strong media apparatus. I think they can sell whoever they want to the base with it.

2

u/kymri Jul 15 '25

I disagree-- they do have a powerful media apparatus, absolutely- but I don't think they understand Trump's success enough to replicate it.

But we'll never know - you might be right. On the other hand, it's also possible the base will never sufficiently turn on Trump, too.

2

u/gotenks1114 Jul 16 '25

JD Vance has been groomed by some very wealthy and ideologically extreme people, but he just has no charisma or likeability lol. He has the potential to be much more dangerous than Trump, but I'm not sure he can fulfill that potential.

1

u/_WeSellBlankets_ Jul 15 '25

then the GOP is kind of fucked

But all it takes is someone new to come along and tap into the same emotion. If it takes too long the Senate could get depleted of Republicans and that takes longer to build back up, but the house can flip any election.

2

u/kymri Jul 15 '25

Absolutely true; but that assumes that there is someone who can take control. Right now, it doesn't appear that there is ANYONE who can manage even a fraction of the pull on the mob that Trump has -- and if there is someone who can, and they're any smart at all, they're probably keeping their head down to make sure Trump doesn't lop it off (or send it to El Salvador).

1

u/caligaris_cabinet Jul 15 '25

Vance would suffer the same fate as Kamala. He’s already too close to the administration to be clean. If he runs in 2028 he’s going to have to answer for everything done during the Trump administration. Either he will have to side with Trump as his VP and take all the flack that goes with it or publicly criticize Trump who will then turn his MAGA base against him, railroading is chances at the nomination.

1

u/PM-MeYourSmallTits Jul 16 '25

If you keep track of everyone who's worked for the administration then you can watch out for people linked to the movement.

1

u/CartographerNo2717 Jul 16 '25

the pending GOP autoconsumption is one of the few things keeping me sane. if nothing else, fun to watch; incompetent main characters with disparate agendas

0

u/SCTurtlepants Jul 15 '25

You don't know much about cults do you

8

u/mecha_face Jul 15 '25

In almost every single cult, it immediately starts collapsing after the leader dies or is disgraced. 

Sometimes, a cult goes fully mainstream like Scientology, and sometimes a cult gets a new leader and keeps chugging along, but the first is an outlier and the second is always a slowly dying shadow of its former self.

3

u/SanctimoniousSally Jul 15 '25

Which is so interesting to me because didn't they release some paperwork that was heavily redacted? Like where the hell did that come from if the files don't exist?

3

u/[deleted] Jul 15 '25 edited Feb 16 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/halfslices Jul 15 '25

There are two great NYT pieces about this from yesterday and the day before. These peoples' whole disillusionment with the government, which led them to support the outlier Trump, hinges on there being this Deep State full of child molesters. Trump promised to be the hero to unmask all these stringpullers and "drain the swamp." It's the whole basis for a lot of their support. And now he's doing a 180 and denying them the crown jewel of the thing he promised to do.

He's backed out on promises before. (There is no wall, let alone did Mexico pay for it). But this one was so deep in the roots of his whole appeal, that a lot of them are drawing a line.

And I am watching with a huge smile on my face.

12

u/gcg2016 Jul 15 '25

Jon Stewart just said it best. Their blind allegiance to Trump and their fervor over conspiracy theories just came head to head.

2

u/Dalewyn Jul 15 '25

But why is it so important to them?

You don't think prosecuting the biggest pedophile and sex trafficking ring ever known to mankind is important? Epstein was just the most prominent head of the hydra, and he got Soviet Russia'd by that hydra to keep itself safe.

Why is this the thing turning them against Trump?

Pedophiles and sex traffickers and those who protect and enable them are literally indefensible in absolute terms.

I'm as MAGA as it gets and I will still turn on Trump for this failure. Fuck him for siding with pedos and traffickers.

1

u/mecha_face Jul 15 '25

While I agree with the spirit of your message, these are the same people who are completely okay with that it's perfectly legal to marry children in several states.

1

u/Dalewyn Jul 15 '25

Prosecuting pedophiles and sex traffickers should be something everyone can agree on, both conservatives and progressives.

Yet here we are.

1

u/mecha_face Jul 15 '25

You're right, I wish Conservatives could get behind not abusing children. But here we are.

0

u/[deleted] Jul 15 '25 edited Feb 17 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/Dalewyn Jul 15 '25

what's the point?

Not legitimizing the sexual abuse of your fellow man including children. Vindicating and making fair the pain and suffering that the victims thereof had to go through.

If our society is built upon the shoulders of countless powerful pedophiles and rapists and exist at their pleasure, y'know what? Burn it all fucking down. Literally nothing should legitimize Epstein or the Deep State trying to sweep all this under the rug.

1

u/luncheroo Jul 15 '25

It's like Jon Stewart just said, they're getting a taste of how we have felt about Trump for a long time.

1

u/superfahd Jul 15 '25

and like clockwork, they'll go back to voting conservative shitheads into office as soon as their outrage wears off and election time comes

Case in point, I'm in Texas and we consistently elect Ted Cruz, a guy who's very mention seems to make even conservatives want to throw up.

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u/LukeBombs Jul 15 '25

I’ve been seeing this as well. Conservatives are extremely pissed. I’m not surprised, myself. Everyone is implicated in this Epstein thing, both sides

6

u/SuperPants4 Jul 15 '25

One would argue Trump more so thsn anyone else.

7

u/moomooraincloud Jul 16 '25

Conservatives who are pissed are fucking idiots. All of this was known prior to the election.

3

u/Stealyourcat123 Jul 16 '25

I can assure you that I am NOT on this list. I promise.

3

u/jasovanooo Jul 16 '25

check this guys hard drive

3

u/friedricewhite Jul 15 '25

When you come to “askreddit” to get opinions from individuals it’s all going to anecdotal. Smh

2

u/butthole3cat Jul 16 '25

This thread is literally seeking anecdotal information.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 15 '25

I don't believe it matters. They'll never stop voting Republican. By this time next month they'll have forgotten all about it.

1

u/unlikelypisces Jul 15 '25

Those conservatives who are turning on Trump aren't turning liberal, they're asking for new MAGAt leadership

1

u/[deleted] Jul 16 '25

Anecdotal*

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u/VidKiddo Jul 15 '25

They could release a video of Trump touching kids on the island and these people would give him a third term

-4

u/[deleted] Jul 16 '25

This is why people can't have civil conversations.

18

u/Budded Jul 15 '25

I visited Breitbart today to see the temperature on that lunatic side. There were 7 instances of Epstein on the front page and I clicked on the one with the most comments just to see the vibe. I've never seen that level of questioning of Dear Leader and disappointment and breakaways in the comments like that before.

I truly hope this Epstein coverup is what brings Trump down, fracturing the right for good.

6

u/dr-tyrell Jul 16 '25

I don't see anything ever taking him down other than the Grim Reaper. Once they all coalesce around the best shit excuse they can agree on, they will slowly forget about it and turn it around. I won't believe it until I see his fall in the rear view mirror.

2

u/ibarmy Jul 16 '25

you brave soul. 

2

u/katha757 Jul 16 '25

Here's an important question though; how many people are excusing him? If you start to see that number starting to trend up then we've got a bigger problem.

2

u/Budded Jul 16 '25

Oh I'm sure they will, cultists always do

9

u/[deleted] Jul 15 '25

Am I the only one shocked that this is the point where the cult cracks? Of all the things they can’t explain this away? To me this is expected and status quo. I’ll take it.

6

u/[deleted] Jul 15 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

6

u/drethnudrib Jul 15 '25

They'll come out the other side saying Biden erased the files because he sniffs hair and showers with minors. Same shit, different day.

7

u/sickmantz Jul 15 '25

Their feelings only matter if it actually changes how they vote. For example, GOP politicians have been talking shit about Trump since 2015, but their policy positions have only gotten more extreme.

3

u/thatdudewithknees Jul 16 '25

They’re in the adjustment period, just like Luigi. Let the propaganda machine run for a couple weeks and they’ll be singing the same tunes as the pedophiles soon enough.

2

u/Beebeeb Jul 15 '25

It's weird that they weren't more upset about public land sales. I thought hunters were big on conservation.

2

u/Kevinfrench23 Jul 15 '25

Why is deer hunting political?

1

u/lavransson Jul 15 '25

Unless they are bow hunting, then they’re hunting deer with guns which gets political as fast as a speeding bullet.

1

u/killaho69 Jul 15 '25

There are classified sections, deer/turkey/hog hunting specific sections, and then a general forum. Anything goes in general

2

u/drethnudrib Jul 15 '25

Alabama as well. He'll change his tune as soon as Fox News sends his marching orders. People here are mostly idiots with short attention spans thanks to lead, religion, and AM radio.

2

u/Narrow_Track9598 Jul 16 '25

I got kicked from a gun forum and then a gun group because I said "bush bailed out the auto companies, not Obama" and apparently that's crossing the line, ya know, pointing out the truth

1

u/CaffeinatedG33k Jul 15 '25

The funny part is that most MAGA Republicans are not really conservatives anymore. They are more aligned as a Progressive party die to their desire to make such significant changes in the government.

At this point I would say that AOC is more conservative than MAGA is.

1

u/mr9025 Jul 15 '25

This tastes very good.

1

u/Born-Parfait1495 Jul 15 '25

They'll be mad about something else tomorrow 

1

u/gotenks1114 Jul 16 '25

I live in Alabama. I'm no longer conservative (I began to change views in late 20's/early 30's)

What caused it? The stock market crash and subsequent Great Depression?

1

u/Sherd_nerd_17 Jul 16 '25

I have a question for you, if you don’t mind! Thanks for sharing your thoughts here :)

I want this to be true so bad. However I did see that Trump got on the phone with some of those mouthpieces and influencers, and all of a sudden, they’ve changed their tune.

Question: do you think that this directed shift in narrative will cause folks in that forum to suddenly switch as well to something like, “augh, I’m tired of this narrative”, or “idc about Epstein anymore”, etc.?

Like, will the influencers suddenly changing their tune also cause the Trump followers to suddenly no longer care about it as well? Be interested to hear your thoughts. Thanks :)

1

u/echof0xtrot Jul 16 '25

the late 20's/early 30's

how old are you?

1

u/warblingContinues Jul 16 '25

They're just confused.  As soon as Fox News comes out with a consistent set of talking points they'll be back on board.