NPR’s Scott Detrow speaks with Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., after President Trump’s latest feedback in regards to the potential launch of information from the Justice Division’s investigation of Jeffrey Epstein.
SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
The story of President Trump and the Epstein information has taken over American politics, nevertheless it’s additionally been lots to observe. So this is a brief abstract.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Yeah, yeah, I might.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: All proper.
TRUMP: I assume I might.
DETROW: Campaigning to return to the White Home, Trump was requested whether or not he’d declassify the knowledge gained from the federal investigation into accused intercourse trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. He mentioned sure, although he tempered that by saying he didn’t wish to have an effect on folks’s lives if these information contained, quote, “phony stuff.” As soon as in workplace, Trump modified his message.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
TRUMP: I do not perceive why the Jeffrey Epstein case could be of curiosity to anyone. It is fairly boring stuff.
DETROW: That stance solely led to much more documentation of the connection between Epstein and his one-time pal, Trump, by media reviews and thru bipartisan efforts within the Home Oversight Committee. A handful of Republicans joined Democrats in pushing for laws to compel the Division of Justice to launch its Epstein information. And regardless of intense lobbying from the White Home to get these Republicans to again off, they pressured the Home of Representatives to vote on it this week.
After which, final night time, Trump modified his message once more. He posted on Fact Social, saying, quote, “Home Republicans ought to vote to launch the Epstein information as a result of we’ve got nothing to cover, and it is time to transfer on from this Democrat hoax,” finish quote. Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie and California Democrat Ro Khanna collectively led the trouble to power the ground vote, and Congressman Ro Khanna joins us now. Welcome to the present.
RO KHANNA: Good afternoon.
DETROW: What was your response to that newest submit from President Trump? Did it shock you that he is now calling for the Home to approve this laws?
KHANNA: It did shock me, however he noticed the maths. He caved to the coalition that Massie and I’ve constructed over the previous 5 months. Look, this is among the most horrific crimes in American historical past. You had Jeffrey Epstein who had a rape island. You had wealthy and highly effective males who principally abused underage ladies or knew about that abuse and mentioned nothing. And we had been in a position to construct such a powerful coalition that there have been in all probability practically 100 Republicans who would have voted for my invoice, my underlying invoice, regardless of the president’s bullying them to get off, and the president noticed the truth.
DETROW: Trump, after all, would not want the Home vote to launch the information, proper? So what’s the objective right here at this cut-off date?
KHANNA: Effectively, the objective is to indicate that there’s an unlimited coalition on this nation that desires the Epstein class eliminated, that we stand with forgotten Individuals and never the Epstein class, and {that a} overwhelming vote within the Home and the Senate goes to place monumental stress to launch these information. We’re having survivors on the Capitol tomorrow, and that is one thing they have been wanting for many years. They deserve justice.
DETROW: What do you imply by the Epstein class?
KHANNA: I outline the Epstein class narrowly because the individuals who both abused underage ladies or who knew about Epstein’s abuse and lined it up. However extra usually, the Epstein class is a bunch of individuals with excessive wealth who’ve donated to politicians and been a part of a system the place they assume the principles do not apply to them, they usually have created a system that has shafted loads of forgotten Individuals. That is why Donald Trump ran and was central to his marketing campaign. And many individuals, like Marjorie Taylor Greene and others, consider he is develop into a part of the swamp that he mentioned he would drain. He is forgotten the forgotten Individuals he mentioned he would arise for.
DETROW: I wish to ask you to answer – I am certain you have heard this criticism many occasions. So there are loads of supporters of President Trump who say that Democrats solely acquired on this ongoing story when it grew to become clear that it might politically injury President Trump. What’s your response to that declare?
KHANNA: Effectively, to start with, I spoke out about this in 2019 with Elijah Cummings, and folks can have a look at my social media about it. After which throughout President Biden, there was a judge-ordered means of releasing information. However what Donald Trump then mentioned is he desires to expedite that and launch all of them. JD Vance mentioned this a number of occasions. I didn’t criticize him as soon as within the first six, seven months. The one time I spoke out with Thomas Massie is when Pam Bondi went on tv and mentioned, nicely, we have launched every thing. It is time to transfer on. There’s nothing extra to see. And that is once we mobilized.
And our hope was that we might get President Trump, again then, to see that he wanted to satisfy his dedication to launch the information. We by no means made this about Donald Trump. The survivors haven’t made this about Donald Trump. That is about justice for the survivor, defending our children and exposing one of the vital horrific, disgusting scandals in our nation’s historical past.
DETROW: There have been 20,000 pages of paperwork that had been launched final week, however that was not the DOJ information. That included every thing from the emails the place Epstein mentioned that Trump, quote, “knew in regards to the ladies” to, you understand, a number of exchanges between outstanding Democrats, amongst others, with Jeffrey Epstein. Do you may have any thought what’s within the DOJ information themselves? Like, what do you count on should you do get your want?
KHANNA: Effectively, what I do know is from what the Epstein survivors’ attorneys say, as a result of they’ve seen the information. There are images of lewd acts that passed off. There are interview memorandum with wealthy and highly effective males who both engaged in intercourse trafficking or truly confirmed as much as Epstein’s island. There may be quite a few emails and data from Epstein’s personal computer systems that may present who was associates with him and taking cash from him regardless of understanding that he abused underage ladies.
DETROW: I feel that President Trump’s insistence that the DOJ examine Democrats talked about in final week’s information is the most recent instance of the political interference that is happening at DOJ. Provided that, how would you strategy verifying regardless of the Division of Justice finally turns over? Would you may have considerations about what DOJ turns over?
KHANNA: I do have considerations. I’ve mentioned that the method ought to be non-politicized nonpartisans. If Democrats are implicated, so be it.
DETROW: I am simply speaking in regards to the factual data, although. How would you make it possible for these are, in actual fact, the complete information? Is there dialog about that?
KHANNA: There may be. And the best way to verify is that we’ve got attorneys who’ve seen the information – the victims’ attorneys. They need to be concerned. There are folks from Biden’s Justice Division who’ve seen the information. There are profession officers who’ve seen the information. And by the best way, we’re getting paperwork from Epstein’s property, that are unbiased. And so if the Trump administration tries to tamper with the paperwork, there are loads of exterior validators who’ve seen the information who’d be capable of name that out.
DETROW: Very, very fast query – do you are feeling assured this is able to move the Senate if it clears the Home?
KHANNA: I do. We simply heard from Senator Merkley that he’ll deliver this up.
DETROW: OK.
KHANNA: And we’ve got bipartisan help there.
DETROW: That’s Congressman Ro Khanna of California. Thanks a lot.
KHANNA: Thanks.
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