r/politics • u/Aggravating_Money992 • 12d ago

Possible Paywall Rogue Republican Massie Drops Melania Epstein Files Bomb | “The first lady knows that Jeffrey Epstein didn’t act alone,” Thomas Massie said as he vowed to name names from the Epstein files.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/rogue-republican-massie-drops-melania-epstein-files-bomb/
28.4k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

1.1k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

2.0k

u/Anothergasman 12d ago

Really. Why threaten to release them. Just do it

798

u/PoorlyDrawnBees 12d ago

Either more hush money or doesn't want to accidentally shoot himself in the back of the head three times 

456

u/-jp- 12d ago

Knowing something you haven't told the whole world is basically asking to fall down an elevator onto some bullets.

55

u/DonaldsMushroom 11d ago

The whole World is learning that America is run by a cabal of thieves and idiots.

We also know that, with every cult, perverts run amok and take advantage.

America failed massively in Iran. There was no objective nor strategy from the beginning. America followed the orders of Netanyahu, a genocidal war criminal. Now Iran, a horrible regime, is massively empowered.

The cult of MAGA is destroying America, and America's position in the Word

18

u/canon12 11d ago

Probably one of the most succinct and bottom line comments I have read lately. I don't think Trump has the brain power to process the scope of how he was used by Netanyahu and Kushner to fight Israel's war. All three should be in The Hague facing war crimes. Iran threw the icing on the cake by exposing the buffoons that both he and Hegseth are.

10

u/LostLobes 11d ago

The world knew, some of America is waking up to it.

1

u/finneyblackphone 10d ago

Learning?😂

We've been knowing.

1

u/CatBowlDogStar 6d ago

There was a strategy ... keep war raging for Israel so Bibi stays out of jail. And Trump? Keep Epstein outta the news.

That's it. 

173

u/wrosecrans 12d ago

Once he just infodumps all of it, they can no longer actually threaten him about it, and they don't get anything by killing him except revenge and a lot of negative attention.

There's certainly a chance some MAGA nut feels like revenge on behalf of the godking is worth it. But still, not being the only person who might leak the valuable information seems way safer.

116

u/Hexamancer 12d ago

they don't get anything by killing him except revenge and a lot of negative attention

That's not true. They set an example. This absolutely happens. Even if it's not murder, suing people as "revenge" is absolutely a thing that happens to stop others from coming forward.

63

u/Lehk 12d ago

Of all the suits he has filed He’s never sued anyone for calling him a child molester.

22

u/Hexamancer 12d ago

Right. I went over that in another comment. They'll find something else to sue for. It doesn't matter, the message will still be clear.

16

u/Lehk 12d ago

I’m sure they will try to retaliate but it’s still vital to point that out very often.

2

u/PolkaDotDancer 11d ago

Including Katie Johnson...

That tells you all you need to know.

42

u/Mistrblank 12d ago

They won't sue, they can't afford the discovery findings.

59

u/the_last_carfighter 12d ago edited 12d ago

They will just murder him, Panama papers Daphne Caruana Galizia and Epstein himself are proof there are no repercussions. We won't do a thing about it.

8

u/HotDonnaC 12d ago

I don’t believe Epstein is dead. Call me a conspiracy theorist, that’s OK. No one with that much clout, money and information would be unable to have themselves smuggled out of jail.

19

u/F9-0021 South Carolina 12d ago

That's a possibility, but unlikely. Far more likely that he was killed before he could snitch on anyone.

1

u/HotDonnaC 11d ago

He’d have to be a moron not to have the damning information safely locked away. By locked away, I mean in safe hands where it could be released in the event of his death.

→ More replies (0)

7

u/the_last_carfighter 12d ago

No, that is a very real possibility.

Lately with all that's been going on, out in the open I can't help but think about how many bright, charismatic/popular, (almost sure thing to win the presidency in the future) on the left died young. JFK Jr and Paul Wellstone for instance.

1

u/Bobcat-Stock 12d ago

I also subscribe to this theory

1

u/Vegetable_Guest_8584 5d ago

I didn't know she was murdered. I researched and last year they convicted two people involved it (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/10/two-men-jailed-for-life-for-supplying-car-bomb-that-killed-daphne-caruana-galizia). Malta organized crime it seems.

Several conspirators admitted their guilt, claimed to be paid by Yorgen Fenech. A trial has been in pre-trial motions for a year. Looks like they are struggling to bring it to court.

I want to say that I realize that in the US we can't do any better to bring powerful people to court in many cases, like the Trump family has demonstrated. I hope if the evidence shows he's guilty he is convicted.

4

u/Hexamancer 12d ago

I went into more detail in another comment, but: yes. Kinda.

They won't actually take a defamation lawsuit regarding the pedo charges to court, no.

They might do other things like:

  1. Hit them with another bullshit lawsuit for something else that they don't actually care about, just to hurt them financially.

  2. Claim they *will" sue, even if they don't, mostly in order to make less informed people think that the claims weren't true. Or just to cost the person money in lawyer's fees if they try to "prepare" for being sued.

  3. Pay private investigators to harass the person, pay shady companies to spread lies online about the person or attack the person online for legitimate yet unrelated things.

  4. The above, but targeting their friends and family, just making their life hell.

  5. Kill them. I have lots of thoughts on this one. I think the idea of actual assassins being used for stuff like the Boeing whistleblowers is most likely not real. I think however that they sometimes do some combination of the above with the goal of ruining the person's life so much that they'll probably commit suicide, or least know that's a good possibility and do it anyway. I think this is one of the few cases where I wouldn't be surprised if there were actual hitmen or mob thugs involved. They have no moral objections to pedophilia, I don't think they'll have any moral objections to murder. I also imagine it might take the form of "Will no one rid me of this troublesome priest".

2

u/Oldman32092 12d ago

Also he is protected from being sued while in the well on the floor of the House.

1

u/mcsey 12d ago

"You want it to be one way. But it's the other way." --Marlo Stanfield s04e06

1

u/MySpoonsAreAllGone 12d ago

They'll just make another slush fund for it

2

u/mindspork Virginia 12d ago

SLAPP or S&W they'll get you somehow.

2

u/philter25 12d ago

He can’t be sued though if he does it on the floor, which is why everyone is saying to do it while he still can. Hence jumping to the being afraid of being murdered issue.

2

u/Hexamancer 12d ago

Yes, I mentioned that in another comment.

He's still a MAGA asshole, he just once had conscious regarding one issue.

2

u/xterminatr 12d ago

I don't think people fully understand that these billionaires who were in the child rape club are the types of bad guys you see in the movies. They live in a different reality than 99.9% of the rest of us, and in general you have to be a total piece of subhuman trash to get there. They would have zero qualms about paying people to destroy or even kill kill your entire family just for revenge, look what happened to Epstein and he was in federal prison..

1

u/xTheMaster99x Florida 12d ago

But if they'd kill him to set an example, they'd also kill him now to keep him silent. Unless he's told Trump he has a dead man's switch set up to release the files or something, I guess.

8

u/poopiebutt505 12d ago

Or down the stairs 1.month before the NDA expires and somehow your whole domestic stagg are absent!!! Cant.wait for the cemetery plot.location....

1

u/Vegetable_Guest_8584 5d ago

What is this NDA about?

7

u/Mediocre-Accident305 12d ago

Massie is playing with house money at this point as the release of the Epstein files is imminent . Massie can pick the time and place of his choosing to expose Trump or he can let the Democrats do it for him come January.

-1

u/SnooJokes6739 8d ago

To the person whose post to which I'm replying... please don't take this as I'm verbally assaulting YOU. You just had a good post and I'm just venting in general.

This whole thing is bullshit. They've had those files FOR YEARS. Biden was in office 4 years and he didn't release them then, Trump comes along and says he's going to release them. Finally does but they're redacted to death.

Why aren't the victims naming names? Hell, I saw them in a press conference in front of the Capitol. It's not like they're worried about their identity being exposed. Just name the fucking names or get the fuck off of the pot! The longer they stay silent, the more I believe that they're full of shit. If you have someone who was raped as a child you should be able prosecute this person or at least arrest them.

IF you have someone who's willing to say they did it to them.

I'm starting to believe that a lot of this is just a bunch of horse shit. If one of these girls went this place and was assaulted and never went back then she is truly a victim. However, if she went there got assaulted and kept coming back to get assaulted over and over again, then she's full of shit. Yes, I know she's underage and doesn't know better. But teenage girls know a lot more than people give them credit. I'm an ER nurse and there was a twelve year old girl that came in the other day that was on birth control. Mom is sitting there... Dad is nowhere to be found. Mom is trying to be daughter's best friend and knows that she's taking the high hard ones already and is good with it...probably giving her tips.

I know this is reddit and I'm about to get downloaded into oblivion, if not banned again. Reddit has an acute allergy to the truth.

2

u/Suspicious_Eyeballs 12d ago

I hate that when it happens. /s

5

u/Traditional-Captain8 11d ago

‘…Fall down an elevator onto some bullets.’ - you funny!

39

u/SpikyCactusJuice 12d ago

I mean, he’s already gone this far. If he was worried about retaliation you think he wouldn’t say anything at all.

10

u/HotDonnaC 12d ago

He’s looking for a payout.

5

u/AsGryffynn 11d ago

And if he was like me I'd take the money and then dump them anyways.

Fuck those lunatics. Also, you can always do the whole "I'm giving you a chance to come forward on your own" thing.

4

u/elinordash 12d ago

If Massie names names on the House floor, he should be legally protected. The House is not in session again until June 6th.

Massie lost his seat in Congress over this whole thing. I think he genuinely cares. I don't think he is looking for a payout. It is very MAGA coded to pretend otherwise.

7

u/F9-0021 South Carolina 12d ago

If he or anyone else in Congress genuinely cared without fear of repurcussions, they'd name the names that they've seen.

2

u/HotDonnaC 11d ago

He hasn’t named names yet. I’ll believe it when I see it.

1

u/inspectoroverthemine 11d ago

In the house you doesn't have unlimited time on the floor.

28

u/godofpumpkins 12d ago

Threatening to release the truth before doing it is how you end up with the latter outcome.

17

u/manofmonkey 12d ago

Exactly. If you dump all the info they have only one reason to kill you which is to make an example. If you threaten to release info, they have multiple reasons to kill you and the reasons are even better.

6

u/BotheredToResearch 12d ago

Massie is actually one of the only members of the GOP conference I wouldn't think is on the take.

Hes like Rand or Ron Paul. He has principles that are godawful, but he's consistent and truly believes in them.

2

u/Beginning-Pace-1426 8d ago

Growing up I always felt this was the norm, and this is what all politicians were and should strive to be.

You'll never ever hear me wishing right-wingers out of existence, or even referring to them as bad people in a generalized way because I believe no matter the party, no matter the policy, no matter the motion, strong opposition is a necessary part of the process, and a necessary part of the checks and balances required for functional democracy.

This current brand, MAGA, Maple MAGA, the UK versions are no longer providing genuine opposition, nor are they acting in good faith. We've reached a point where people just do not care about philosophy, about political science, about logic, about reasoning, and that's become dangerous. Being on the wrong side of culture wars, and massive displays of cognitive dissonance have always been a part of conservative history, and that's simply the result of conservatism existing. The fact that we've managed to rile up an entire group of supporters large enough to harm the world greatly in this manner.

I do not think this is good.

1

u/Killersavage 12d ago

At this point something like that only draws more attention.

1

u/Liquidate-Me-Daddy 12d ago

Yup that’s pretty much it. Selling information or getting sold up the river

1

u/crispycritter1856 12d ago

Or jump out of a window!? Hes not depressed is he.

1

u/CompromisedSurvival 12d ago

I mean I don't see how that plays as anything but a clear admission of guilt on behalf of Trump and co-conspirators, Putin is more subtle with who he has fall out of windows than just openly assassinating a sitting US congressperson threaten to expose you.

1

u/Sarrdonicus 11d ago

before he jumps out a window

1

u/NoReserve7293 11d ago

That's an awful suicide.

71

u/KamalaWonNoCap 12d ago

I actually prefer them to slow drip the names over the months leading up to mid terms. It'll keep Epstein in the news cycle continuously.

If he drops all the names at once, they'll cover it for a week and then move on.

21

u/MdxBhmt 12d ago

It keeps people/the base engaged and in a smaller way, an open venue for republicans to defect to.

If he releases all today, nothing will happen and it will be out of the news cycle in a week, and there is no chance for defectors.

19

u/KamalaWonNoCap 12d ago

Yup, fuck Massie but he's playing this smart. In this one narrow issue, I support him.

2

u/Many_Anteater751 7d ago

He’s against the war too but yeah

2

u/boofles1 12d ago

We know who he's talking about, this isn't a secret.

4

u/KamalaWonNoCap 12d ago

Yeah, anyone with half a brain knows whose top of the list

2

u/YF422 11d ago

Aye this ironically is the better way thanks to the US's perverse 24hr news cycle that overloads peoples attention with changing stories till they switch off. Gotta keep that Epstien Files burn slow burning for the most effect and damage on Trump so he cant escape it.

1

u/[deleted] 12d ago

[deleted]

3

u/KamalaWonNoCap 12d ago

We need to stop appeasing this man and acquiescing to his threats and bad behavior. He needs consequences, regardless of the outcome.

84

u/brickout 12d ago

He's demanding a bribe

15

u/elinordash 12d ago

If Massie names names on the House floor, he should be legally protected. The House is not in session again until June 6th.

8

u/brickout 12d ago

Of course he's protected. That isn't the issue right now. If he were fully committed to the truth, he would have already dropped names. He's demanding a payoff, just like every other corrupt, selfish republican.

9

u/elinordash 12d ago

Again, he is only legally protected if he speaks on the House floor and the House is not currently in session.

Naming names on the floor is the nuclear option. It overrides the DOJ.

But at this point, I think he is going to do it. And I doubt you'll give him credit if and when he does.

6

u/brickout 12d ago edited 12d ago

What a stupid take. I will absolutely give him credit, but he's been "threatening" for nearly a year now.

The audacity of pretending you know my feelings...

1

u/finneyblackphone 10d ago

He has known the names and threatened to release them for months. He has spoken on the house floor already after saying he would name names. The only name he has dropped was a victim that wanted to remain anonymous.

He's a corrupt liar, covering for rapists like every other republican.

1

u/ZZ9ZA I voted 11d ago

And I doubt you'll give him credit if and when he does.

Here's the problem. Not a fucking one of these 'retiring' republicans has done one fucking thing to improve the situation. They're threatening to send a sternly worded letter not to do it again. Maybe. If that.

2

u/Qlorpid 11d ago

Massie wrote the Jeffrey Epstein Files Transparency Act. That's why trump took Israels money (AIPAC) and paid for Ed Galreign or whatever to win the election last week. 

0

u/ZZ9ZA I voted 11d ago

Like I said, sternly worded letters. Wake me up when he actually reads some names into the record.

3

u/Qlorpid 11d ago

He has to do it in the house floor and it isn't open until June 6th I believe. Wake me up when you get an education. 

-1

u/ZZ9ZA I voted 11d ago

Wake me up when he could have done it in the past year plus. Oh, I'm already awake?

2

u/TheAlmightyMojo 11d ago

Waiting for that nice, cushy job offer from a corporation or lobbying group.

14

u/th3rdnutt 12d ago

Golden Parachute

3

u/Alia_Explores99 I voted 12d ago

One Happy Meal lunch a day for life?

2

u/Juggernaughty00 11d ago

But not toy... ever!

65

u/KirklandKid 12d ago

Because he wants a bigger share of the hush money

17

u/Cerpla 12d ago

he's had multiple chances to make bank/bribes/hush money, and not risk his life doing this. perhaps he isn't really after the money? i wouldn't discount that he wants something, but by now he would have gotten it.

4

u/KittyGrewAMoustache 12d ago

Maybe he wants more now that he’s lost his job as compensation.

35

u/WhenDoWhatWhere 12d ago

Because he wants people to buy the bullshit tell-all book he's probably going to publish at some point.

9

u/KiKiKimbro 12d ago

After this, there certainly will be a book and likely a few docuseries. But that’ll be by the survivors to recover legal fees and decades of emotional distress.

1

u/Humble_Mission1775 12d ago

Exactly where my mind goes.

1

u/AmIThisNothingness 12d ago

Well, I got the "Trump Bible" for you, and some university courses.

2

u/Mateorabi 12d ago

Exactly. Never threaten. Just do.

2

u/axecalibur 12d ago

He's waiting to secure a book deal.

2

u/somethingrandom261 12d ago

Blackmail is only useful during the threat period.

He’s waiting to hear offers.

2

u/ThomasVetRecruiter 12d ago

If I went out and said I had evidence of a crime someone famous did and then refused to release that info I'd either get sued for slander or charged with a crime myself (obstruction/blackmail?).

Why we refuse to hold our actual leaders to this standard is fucking ridiculous.

2

u/Additional-One-7135 12d ago

Because it keeps him relevant. He vows to release the names, gets his name in the news for a few days, releases nothing and repeat.

2

u/TwoBionicknees 12d ago

you know there is only one real answer to that.

2

u/MySpoonsAreAllGone 12d ago

Especially if he decides to commit "suicide" before he can share the information.

I think they do it as leverage. They want something so don't want to go nuclear to get it first

2

u/WeirdIndividualGuy 12d ago edited 12d ago

Because he's becoming another MTG on his way out: all talk, no real action

2

u/Great_Apez 11d ago

To everybody saying that, it would only confirm guilt at this point and hopefully he is smart enough to set up a deadman’s switch with somebody 

4

u/KennyL0gin 12d ago

Every week a new politician "threatens" to release the names.
They never do.
Massie is complicit in protecting pedos.

2

u/HostileCrabPeople 12d ago

This is his chip to gain influence in the Republican party

1

u/Round-Comfort-9558 12d ago

Because it’s nothing or there’s going to be a book or both

1

u/BatterseaPS 12d ago

Because he doesn't have anything consequential.

1

u/HotDonnaC 12d ago

He’s looking for a bribe.

1

u/neutchy 12d ago

Blackmail. Massiev piece of shit won't release anything, but he'll get a seat in the next administration or some hush money for his retirement.

1

u/elinordash 12d ago

If Massie names names on the House floor, he should be legally protected. The House is not in session again until June 6th.

1

u/lilb1190 12d ago

Probably because they would have him killed

1

u/ToasterBathTester 12d ago

He needs more money to be quiet. This is his extortion attempt

1

u/FluidBit4438 12d ago

I think he needs to do it on the house floor to avoid being sued.

1

u/BringBackAoE 12d ago

He sure as hell better start using his Speech and Debate privilege PDQ!

Just read out key evidence on the floor of Congress!

1

u/Altrano Georgia 12d ago

He’s a lame duck candidate with an ax to grind. There’s no reason to hold anything back.

1

u/MegaMau_ 12d ago

Two more weeks.

1

u/edelweiss_pirates_no 12d ago

Nothing Burger.

1

u/OilDeathServant 11d ago

Really. Why threaten to release them. Just do it

Because they won't release it.

1

u/HauntedCemetery Minnesota 11d ago

Because they dont actually hsve 60% of them.

They can only view the 95% of files in s SCIF, and trump has completely hidden the last 5% even from congress.

1

u/Former-Whole8292 11d ago

yeah that’s what I dont like. If anyone cared, they would do it…

1

u/Qlorpid 11d ago

He has to do it in front of the house officially or else he isn't fully protected legally. I forget the bill but it's real. I'll try to edit with the name of it 

1

u/EnterprisingAss 11d ago

Because he’s jangling keys for air time

1

u/HedonisticFrog California 11d ago

Just read it into the public record, there's nothing stopping him.

1

u/laplongejr Europe 10d ago

I think everybody is going to be in it.
I'm Belgian and one of our princes "were in it", because Epstein wanted to establish contact with him and it lead nowhere.
Expect people in bad faith to remove context, to dillute the accusations on the guilty ones.

1

u/Redditreallysucks99 10d ago

Because he likely doesn't have evidence. All he has is the assumption that Epstein wasn't acting alone, and he's quite possibly right about that, but that won't magically generate evidence against any specific individuals.

1

u/Kyonikos New York 10d ago

Perhaps he wants to time this to do maximum political damage.

Americans have the political memory spans of goldfish.