We don’t know why the Trump administration suddenly reversed course this summer on its promise to release extensive new documents in the Jeffrey Epstein case. What we do know is that every time the public has demanded answers, we’ve gotten half-measures in return — moves that look good on paper, but ultimately protect the powerful more than the truth.
That’s why Republican Congressman Thomas Massie (Ky.) stepped forward with a measure that would force the Department of Justice to release *every* *single* Epstein document that exists. And he’s just two GOP votes away from making that happen.
The White House immediately fired back, warning that any Republican who supports Massie’s petition is committing a “hostile act.” Let’s pause there. If the administration is truly committed to full transparency, why fight so hard against it?
Massie seems to know the answer; he said on ABC News’s “This Week” on Sunday, “I think it’s going to be embarrassing to some of the billionaires, some of the donors who are politically connected to his campaign.”
And then he went further: “There are probably intelligence ties to our CIA and other foreign intelligence, and the American people would be shocked to know that our intelligence agency was working with a pedophile who was running a sex trafficking ring. These are the reasons I think that they’re resisting this, but we can’t avoid justice just to avoid embarrassment for some very powerful men.”
This is where things get even murkier. The acting deputy chief of the Justice Department, Joseph Schnitt, was caught on hidden camera saying the government will “redact every Republican” from an Epstein client list. That video was released by O’Keefe Media Group — a far-right outlet — but the point is undeniable: the Epstein case is splitting the Trump administration and its MAGA base right down the middle.
And yet, instead of showing concern for survivors, the president himself downplayed the scandal last week: “It’s really a Democrat hoax,” said President Trump, “because they’re trying to get people to talk about something that’s totally irrelevant to the success of the nation since I’ve been president.”
It may be “irrelevant” to the president’s idea of success, but it’s not irrelevant to survivors of sexual abuse. One survivor made that crystal clear:
“Mr. President Donald J Trump … I am registered Republican, not that that matters because this is not political; however, I cordially invite you to the Capitol to meet me in person so you can understand this is not a hoax. We are real human beings, this is real trauma.”
That’s the heart of this issue. Sexual violence isn’t partisan — it’s a national crisis. More than 423,000 people ages 12 and up are sexually assaulted in the U.S. each year. Nearly 70 percent are between the ages of 12 and 34. Behind those numbers are children, teenagers and young adults whose lives are derailed by trauma while too many abusers walk free.
Yet even now, the Justice Department is fighting to keep names secret. Just days ago, they asked a federal judge to block the unsealing of Epstein associates who received six-figure payments from him in 2018. Their reason? “Privacy concerns.” Privacy for Epstein’s associates. Not for his victims.
So we’re left asking: Why does our system protect predators more fiercely than it protects survivors? Why are powerful names still hidden while survivors have to plead to be seen?
If we are serious about justice, then full transparency is not optional. Survivors deserve to be believed, heard and protected. And no one — no matter how rich, powerful or politically connected — should ever be above accountability.
America has to stop protecting predators and start putting survivors first.
Lindsey Granger is a News Nation contributor and co-host of The Hill’s commentary show “Rising.” This column is an edited transcription of her on-air commentary.
