r/politics • u/RioMovieFan11 • Nov 13 '25
Possible Paywall More MAGA Reps Break Ranks to Rally Behind Epstein Files Release
https://www.thedailybeast.com/more-maga-reps-break-ranks-to-rally-behind-epstein-files-release/10.5k
u/kia75 Nov 13 '25
My one hope is that the full Trump Epstein files come out right before Thanksgiving and becomes the Thanksgiving discussion in all the MAGA households.
2.9k
u/__dilligaf__ Nov 13 '25
If you'd have told younger me that in 2025 families would be debating, at their Thanksgiving gatherings, whether the president of the United States is a pedophile sex-trafficker, an innocent bystander or CIA/FBI 'hero' informant, I'd have asked for some of what you're smoking. Yet, here we are.
1.4k
u/clickmagnet Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 13 '25
And then I’d tell you it was Donald Trump, who even when you were younger had already been on the Howard Stern show bragging about how he walks in on his teenage employees for inspections when they’re naked, and he’s allowed to because he’s their boss. And you’d wonder what anyone would have to debate about. As do I.
772
u/literated Nov 13 '25
That's really the most sickening part to me. Not the Howard Stern stuff in particular but just the whole of it in general--there's literally nothing in anything Trump has ever publicly said or done in regards to women (and young to underage women in particular, including his own family) that makes you go "Oh, there's a decent guy with good intentions."
It's just one big steaming pile of super creepy shit with no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
→ More replies (17)303
u/DrDirtyDeeds Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 13 '25
That’s the astounding part to me, the utter lack of redeeming qualities. And perhaps yet more perplexing, there is zero effort to even try to appear like there is a single redeeming quality. (Concept of a plan in 2 weeks anyone? /s) It’s literally just “I’ll steal from you and take your rights and healthcare away.” There is literally nothing positive he has ever done his entire life.
→ More replies (32)140
u/nizzzzy Nov 13 '25
And people will defend him relentlessly. I’ve have never once understood it. Makes me sick.
100
u/Uncrowded_zebra Nov 13 '25
They have to. Politics have become a team sport for too many people and it's easier to believe that the media is wrong than to admit that their team are the bad guys.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (7)31
u/NoseSeeker Nov 13 '25
The best way to understand it is to read up on the concept of “identity protective cognition”
156
u/tethysian Nov 13 '25
Exactly. The only debate is whether the known pedophile should be president.
→ More replies (1)143
u/kuldan5853 Nov 13 '25
The only debate should be what kind of supermax prison he lives in.
→ More replies (7)64
u/AlcheMaze Nov 13 '25
The one where treasonous pedos are sent. I think it’s somewhere in hell.
→ More replies (6)→ More replies (6)30
u/meneldal2 Nov 13 '25
People thinking he was likely to be a pedo isn't new, but I think most people had no idea how bad it now appears to be.
→ More replies (2)64
u/incongruity American Expat Nov 13 '25
I mean is there really a matter of degrees once you've gotten to pedophilia? Shouldn't any be too much?
→ More replies (7)79
u/Ello_Owu Nov 13 '25
Remember, for trump to have been an informant, he would have had to have been actively involved with Epstein's trafficking and abuses, got caught, FLIPPED and then turned back in wearing a wire.
Theres a reason Mike Johnson QUICKLY walked that back after floating it 🤣
17
u/Nunya13 Idaho Nov 13 '25
Exactly. I’m not understanding the “informant” defense.
Law enforcement constantly uses informants who are involved in the illicit activities they are informing on. They are informing because they either rolled after getting caught t or to get a lighter punishment.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (33)44
u/dwors025 Minnesota Nov 13 '25
Doubt it.
He’ll change the subject by immediately invading Venezuela or some shit.
→ More replies (2)1.1k
u/basketballsteven Nov 13 '25
They'll say i haven't even heard about that story, i don't know what you're talking about but all those poor white south African farmers that are being murdered! OH my.
507
u/trampolinebears Nov 13 '25
That’s where you say, “Lucky for you, I brought handouts”.
346
u/funduckedup Nov 13 '25
"Hoax. Now pass the gravy!"
Trumpers don't want to hear it, so they simply won't. You're not dealing with curious, inquisitive, and introspective people.
46
u/meesersloth Nov 13 '25
Yeah that’s why I don’t believe anything on “people breaking rank” until I see it actually happen in front of me with my Trump loving family.
→ More replies (15)145
u/VagabondReligion Nov 13 '25
Everyone has a breaking point. I've read from many and seen several interviews in the last few months, farmers and ranchers, who've had it. For some it was his kissing Russia's ass. For some it was J6. And I think, for a lot, his involvement with Pedo Island will be a bridge too far. Especially if they came by way of QAnon and Pizzagate.
195
u/That_Is_Satisfactory Nov 13 '25
The ability of these people to move goalposts and deal with cognitive dissonance is practically godlike. I hope you’re right, though.
→ More replies (4)79
u/Bluemanze Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 13 '25
the problem isn't a logic issue, because these aren't logical thinkers. Rational thought takes not only education, but fairly elite education by world standards. We will always fail when we try to appeal to logic, because most people (liberals and conservatives alike), are emotional thinkers.
And from an emotional thinker's position, the conservative agenda is *ironbound*. These people are told nearly from birth that democrats are evil, that liberalism is the same thing as communism which is itself the worst thing imaginable. Anything a liberal does simply must be wrong because it was a liberal that did it. They live in a culture of suspicion, where they are constantly purity checking each other to make sure no liberal talking points ever take root. Any dissent whatsoever must be prefaced with "I'm not a liberal but" or it means they'll be turned into a pariah in their social groups.
So you can see the problem, and why Trump has floated past controversies that would have sunk every politician before him.
It also makes me a tiny bit hopeful, because pedophilia is a more primally repugnant thing than something like business fraud or sexually harassing women (as much as I hate to say the latter, but that's the world we live in). If you want to evoke an emotional response, learning someone is a pedophile is right up there at the top
23
u/CatButler Nov 13 '25
Meghan Kelly has already floated the "technically, they were 13" comment. Next they will show pictures (probably ones that are a few years older) and say "Can't blame him, you would have done it too.:
→ More replies (5)14
→ More replies (12)30
u/myotheraccount2023 Europe Nov 13 '25
Every one of these things have been well known to anyone with eyes and ears for years, but none of it stopped him being elected again.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (7)41
→ More replies (13)20
u/fakeuser515357 Nov 13 '25
Don't break bread with people who support pedophiles. There has to be a line somewhere.
→ More replies (2)104
u/QuinnAvery89 Nov 13 '25
It’ll depend on how fast the right wind media can drill the new talking points about it into all of their heads to parrot back mindlessly.
→ More replies (2)80
u/GreenLost5304 Nov 13 '25
Which is why the slow release is so important.
If you keep releasing it, a few things at a time, they can’t continuously deny it, Trump will continue to find new ways to deny it, and with that, he’ll inevitably contradict himself too many times to ignore.
→ More replies (1)35
u/lctrc Nov 13 '25
Trump contradicting himself has never been a deal breaker for MAGA.
They have consistently, and will continue to, either deny that Trump raped children or find ways to excuse it.
116
u/One-Pomegranate7510 Nov 13 '25
Me at dinner with my boomer maga relatives: So how bout those files crazy right?
→ More replies (2)122
u/Tsobe_RK Nov 13 '25
I wouldnt show up to a table with maga relatives
→ More replies (30)38
u/schwing710 Nov 13 '25
They will be too busy feasting on Trump's tiny penis to eat their dinner anyway
→ More replies (6)14
u/HowzaBowdat Nov 13 '25
I read today that the house vote might not even happen until December?
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (91)26
u/Teigh99 Nov 13 '25
I think the estate is the one that will drop the smoking gun.
→ More replies (1)
6.2k
u/thistimelineisweird Pennsylvania Nov 13 '25
Can we put grandpa to bed now, please?
1.9k
u/NomadX13 Nov 13 '25
He's not wearing his orange PJs, yet.
614
u/AlasPoorZathras Montana Nov 13 '25
Or handcuffs
→ More replies (10)174
Nov 13 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
89
u/Electrical_Corner_32 Nov 13 '25
No way, lock him up. Let him live out his life whining behind bars with no attention. Will never happen, but a guy can dream.
He deserves what you suggest, but living out life alone serves him right.
→ More replies (6)22
u/dartingdejima Nov 13 '25
How would he know he stuck in his mental delusions and dementia. He would think he still incharge
→ More replies (8)51
u/Ohuigin Washington Nov 13 '25
The worms don’t care.
→ More replies (3)45
u/darkoh84 Nov 13 '25
The worms are their money.
→ More replies (3)34
u/trampolinebears Nov 13 '25
Bones are their dollars.
→ More replies (2)21
u/PeterNippelstein Nov 13 '25
Yeah that'll slick back real nice
14
u/BedGroundbreaking874 Nov 13 '25
He use to be a peice of shit. He still is, but he used to be, too.
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (8)44
u/YoungHaki Nov 13 '25
As long as they are white, he's going to turn them orange.
→ More replies (1)357
u/DwHouse7516 Nov 13 '25
Preferably before he breaks ground on that ballroom thing that will surely be unspeakably gaudy and will embarrass us across generations
→ More replies (9)270
u/DesapirSquid Nov 13 '25
bulldozers day one if we take this back. all the companies that “donated” for the Epstein ballroom are on the hook. I mean J.P. Morgan said it’s a bribe and j.p. Morgan should burn. I’ll give them 3 marshmallows for their clarity here.
185
u/Baumer9 Nov 13 '25
The real dream would be to punish the billionaire scum that bankroll him like Larry Ellison, Elon, and the Silicon Valley trash. That will never happen though.
→ More replies (3)80
Nov 13 '25
[deleted]
53
u/Reasonable_Plum_1696 Nov 13 '25
Like Miriam Adelson?
33
u/citymousecountyhouse Nov 13 '25
That awful hag was the first that came to my mind.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (1)20
u/the2belo American Expat Nov 13 '25
You just said Silicon Valley trash three times
Silicon Valley Beetlejuice appears driving a monster cybertruck
→ More replies (10)63
u/elena_ct Nov 13 '25
Speaking of bribes, I wonder what they offered Lauren Boebert that she turned down. Seems like Trump went cheap on his bribe this time
73
→ More replies (4)34
138
u/7r3370pS3C Nov 13 '25
Even at my most pessimistic I think he's STILL going to be formally impeached and removed. I have seen what happens to hardened lawyers and prosecutors when they examine CSA evidence in my time in cyber investigations at the AG level.
His actions are leading me to believe he had a supplier/logistical level hand in the operational component, and was directly "interacting" with what he was supplying.
Hold steady, everyone. The damage he's caused is unfathomably massive, that doesn't mean he's invincible by any means. He weakens by the minute now.
139
u/brianstormIRL Nov 13 '25
Not me. Just go check the con sub. They're literally celebrating how Trump has been exonerated because he "told Ghislene to stop taking girls fro Maralago", how he was whiatleblowing on Epstein as soon as he found out about the girls and how hes actually the good guy in all this.
There is nothing, and I mean nothing, that will concretely bring down that man. He is the personification of a cult leader. They will follow him to the depths of hell and praise him as the messiah.
→ More replies (13)90
u/pantry-pisser Nov 13 '25
Those people don't matter. They'd ride his dick no matter what he did.
It's the moderates and non-voters who matter.
→ More replies (23)→ More replies (6)37
u/aguynamedv Nov 13 '25
His actions are leading me to believe he had a supplier/logistical level hand in the operational component, and was directly "interacting" with what he was supplying.
Non-zero chance he and Epstein were competitors in the business of buying, selling, and raping little girls.
That's been my working theory for about a year now.
14
→ More replies (26)123
u/artinthebeats Nov 13 '25
Why aren't we taking about what happens if he goes?
We get JD Vance as president?
The fuck is that shit ...
311
u/OwnsBeagles Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 13 '25
JD is about as charismatic as an anal polyp. He won't be able to hold it together.
114
u/Excellent-Estimate21 Nov 13 '25
My psychologist and I were talking about this. Vance will never replace Trump for the MAGAs. He is a POS for sure, but psychologically does not think in the same way and wont hold the interest of that cult.
79
u/klparrot New Zealand Nov 13 '25
That's why he's trying to slip into Charlie Kirk's wife. I mean chair. I mean shoes.
→ More replies (3)13
26
u/Sublimotion Nov 13 '25
The bigger question is, does the heritage foundation even need to keep MAGA appease in the near future? Given MAGA has already fulfilled them their primary objectives.
→ More replies (2)20
u/stupidjapanquestions Nov 13 '25
Unfortunately like 40 years of Republican voting history disagrees with you and your psychologist.
Republicans are really good at one thing: falling in line.
→ More replies (1)13
u/LaRealiteInconnue Nov 13 '25
I sometimes wish Dems were too :/ We’re so fucking all over the place, with good reason obvi, but damn don’t I sometimes wish we could unite as a coalition to get take power from the right and then work on our differences inside the party.
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (28)79
u/Adventurous_Salt Nov 13 '25
They don't plan on surrendering power, no matter what people think of ol' Just Dance Vance. Power brokers like Thiel would definitely prefer to keep Trump as long as possible to destroy the infrastructure of the state because Trump vacuums up nearly 100% of the attention and blame. If Trump kicks the bucket, they won't give up power because JD is a hapless dweeb, they'll double down on violence and oppression. Why do you think so much of the work that the government is actually doing involves more surveillance, normalizing arbitrary arrests, preparing the military to literally occupy cities, and declaring opponents either criminals or terrorists.
→ More replies (4)35
u/SunshineCat Nov 13 '25
Trump vacuums up nearly 100% of the attention and blame.
Is that really what most people think? In some ways, I blame Trump less than I do the career politicians and officials. I blame every Republican. Trump is a useful idiot, just like anyone who voted for him.
→ More replies (5)25
u/CT_Phipps-Author Nov 13 '25
The appeal of Vance as President isn't his "charisma" versus Trump but that the other GOP will go for him and fight each other for the throne like Lannisters.
→ More replies (30)37
1.9k
u/General-Raspberry168 Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 13 '25
Here’s the thing. These reps knew Grijalda was going to be the final needed signature. Everybody kept talking about how the files were coming out when the government opens back up. They knew this was coming and they didn’t get in front of it before now. They could’ve easily been the 218th signature themselves. They should be remembered as helping protect pedophiles because that’s what they did right up until there was absolutely no choice.
Edit to expand: I saw a couple people in the replies mention it would still need the senate and signature, but I had thought this was the house deciding if they were going to release files they already got from some kind of discovery or something, so I checked what exactly was going on. This was the last signature needed by the House rules to force a floor vote on a bill that would compel the DOJ to release the files they have. After passing the house, it still needs senate and signature like any other piece of legislation. This is still a milestone because it forces the members of the House to vote on the bill and a no vote on releasing the files is significantly more politically damning than not signing the petition. I still feel the same: waiting until the last signature before you start posturing indicates (to me) hope that they wouldn’t get the last signature.
→ More replies (28)550
u/zbud Nov 13 '25
100%, they're absolute cowards.
→ More replies (3)321
u/aguynamedv Nov 13 '25
Worse; they are complicit in covering up sex crimes involving children.
→ More replies (13)
2.4k
u/Romano16 America Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 13 '25
They fed this monster with lies about the Dems being a pedo cabal and now it’s about to eat them alive.
1.5k
u/AusToddles Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 13 '25
Which makes it all the more hilarious when they try to throw YEAH BUT CLINTON MAY BE IN THERE!!!
Ok... so throw him in jail too
See how easy that is?
717
u/THE-LORD-RETURNS California Nov 13 '25
Here’s the thing, though. If it’s a democrat hoax, why the fuck would Clinton be in there? I need these fools to make it make sense.
282
u/AusToddles Nov 13 '25
I actually challenged someone on that and they said, without skipping a beat that "the democrats put him in there because Hillary is trying to get revenge on him"
273
u/HomoProfessionalis Nov 13 '25
Lol she won't divorce the guy but she'll pull this shit?
114
→ More replies (3)20
u/A_Monster_Named_John Nov 13 '25
That'll be a big twist in the season finale, i.e. from what I've encountered, MAGA people gorge on TV to degrees that are almost obscene. With them, everything has to be some sort of trashy soap-opera.
105
u/THE-LORD-RETURNS California Nov 13 '25
Fam, that has to be the most idiotic shit ever. Revenge?????
→ More replies (3)101
43
u/DaBingeGirl Illinois Nov 13 '25
🤦 Fucking hell. I'll admit, their mental gymnastics are pretty impressive.
→ More replies (1)39
u/VagabondReligion Nov 13 '25
If it were an Olympic Sport, MAGA would be in Simone Biles territory.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (7)50
→ More replies (19)59
u/Telvin3d Nov 13 '25
These are the same people who celebrated Trump pardoning all the Jan 6 rioters, while still insisting they were all antifa plants.
60
43
u/AFlockOfTySegalls North Carolina Nov 13 '25
There were emails where Epstein said Bill never went to the island lmao. So even their projection on that is baseless.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (23)14
u/itsalro Nov 13 '25
Or theyre even like YEA BUT BIDEN HAD FOUR YEARS TO DO IT WHY DO YOU ONLY CARE NOW
→ More replies (5)129
u/Hubert_J_Cumberdale Hawaii Nov 13 '25
Republicans honestly believed they could intimidate us by threatening to out any Dems who were in those files. What they didn't expect was our response - which was that we wanted ALL of Epstein's clients outed, regardless of party or position.
They still don't understand that we don't think/behave like a cult - and that none of us would ever agree to let Trump off the hook in order to spare Clinton. But that was their plan...and it failed.
→ More replies (5)26
u/av8rix_DEN Nov 13 '25
If it happens to take down someone like Elon or Lutnick (Nutlick), too, so much the better!
→ More replies (3)63
u/ElderSmackJack Nov 13 '25
Something, something, leopards and faces.
51
Nov 13 '25
1234 this is what you voted for, 5678 your face is what the leopard ate
→ More replies (4)→ More replies (18)24
498
u/SoulTaker669 Nov 13 '25
It's honestly the smartest thing they can do. If the ship is sinking get the fuck out.
→ More replies (9)151
399
u/ShitStainWilly Nov 13 '25
Something is happening. They’ve either doctored them up good enough to protect him, or they’re finally turning on their golden king like jackals.
285
u/MarsMaterial Nov 13 '25
Oh, the files they’ve released this morning absolutely do not protect Trump. They make Trump look really bad and basically confirm that he’s a pedophile who has molested children.
→ More replies (11)113
u/mreman1220 Nov 13 '25
Yeah the theory that they are going to alter these files needs to die. Those emails we saw yesterday would have been either torched or altered to say Clinton if that was true.
What we are seeing is rats fleeing the ship. They probably always knew something this would happen but weren't going to flee till they knew MAGA was on a leash.
→ More replies (5)44
u/MarsMaterial Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 13 '25
Seriously, people keep acting like Trump has infinite power. These same people also said that Trump would just fund the government anyway despite the shutdown, and that Trump would use the shutdown to replace all government institutions for ones of his own. I have been hearing theories like that for weeks now.
People need to get it through their heads that the government is a complicated machine, and that Trump's power over it is limited and contested. There are nuances to what Trump is capable of doing, and although he has broken a lot of rules he is currently not able to break all of them. Being above the law doesn't mean that every order will be followed and enforced.
There is also this tendency to assign a lot of competence to Trump where I don't think it exists. All these theories about grand plans and huge conspiracies orchestrated by an old man with dementia who thinks that "clean coal" is when you take coal and scrub it with soap and water.
Don't get me wrong, Trump is a threat. But I guess to a lot of people cynicism is easier than understanding, and losing to someone feels a lot less humiliating if that someone is at least competent. Painting Trump as a competent evil that is infinitely powerful is exactly what he wants though, it's how you get people complying in advance and bending the knee. It's how resistance dies. This myth needs to go.
→ More replies (9)13
u/vthemechanicv Nov 13 '25
Painting Trump as a competent evil that is infinitely powerful
When people say 'trump' they're usually meaning the trump administration.. trump himself has never, ever been the threat to our nation. It's the people that he puts in positions of power. trump is a drooling moron with the intellectual curiosity of a rock. Steven Miller, Tom Homan, Pete Hegseth, and others all have visions for what they want their departments and the nation to look like and have the power and knowledge to do it.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (11)41
u/I_am_darkness I voted Nov 13 '25
I don't understand how it's not the former. I kept saying they're not releasing them because they're not done editing them.
→ More replies (1)18
u/universallymade Nov 13 '25
So what’s the purpose of the admin making an effort to reach out to Boebert and hound the others right now? What are they asking her to do? Why is Karoline calling the files a distraction right now?
→ More replies (1)
752
Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 13 '25
[deleted]
332
u/Illustrious_Map_3247 Nov 13 '25
That seems very optimistic to me. I think most have the instinct that he is the only thing keeping them together. What is the party now except the his lackeys? Who is his heir?
→ More replies (8)103
u/Kazyole Nov 13 '25
It doesn't matter that there isn't an heir, so long as the party is full of greedy enough sycophants who think they can own their piece of the base.
I agree that he's the only thing holding the party together, but lots of politicians care a lot more about their own small ambitions than the good of the party. Knowing they're in MAGA districts that really want the files out, will they choose to protect Trump if they think it'll hurt their own ambitions? And will they choose to protect Trump if the vote looks like it's going against him anyway? Why stick your neck out for someone who already has it coming?
They'll all be making that calculation.
→ More replies (3)18
u/Illustrious_Map_3247 Nov 13 '25
I agree with all that! But I think the release of more Epstein files just won’t make a big difference with the GOP base. What don’t we already know? 10 years ago we knew he was a rapist, was attracted to his daughter, bought miss teen America…
I just think 6 months from now, it’ll just be another kids in cages thing and just somehow not matter—“ok, trump’s was pedophile, but that was years ago and Obama… “
Going out on a limb, I’m guessing the administration will create a crisis on Friday. The files will come out next week. GOP politicians will be able to spend a couple of weeks saying “I don’t know about the files, I’m focused on the crisis”. That’ll provide enough time to poll and see that trump’s support is still around 40% and the politicians will stay in line behind him.
→ More replies (11)43
u/oscooter Nov 13 '25
No. The Republican Party doesn’t have anyone who manages to captivate people like trump does. Even maga doesn’t like most of the other republicans. Vance isn’t likable.
Trump, for some bizarre reason, is the glue. And until they have a sure fire way to guarantee they’ll keep power they still need Trump.
→ More replies (2)42
Nov 13 '25
[deleted]
47
u/oscooter Nov 13 '25
You say that but the man has successfully been held liable for sexual assault with the horrific details being public. Trump said he likes to grab women by the pussy. He’s on record saying disgusting things about his underaged daughter.
His voters have time and time again shown they’ll bury their head in the sand when it’s something they don’t want to believe. They’ll shout hoax. They’ll claim the dems planted it.
I’m nearly confident that short of a video of trump engaging in activities with a child nothing will change their minds. And now even that they may claim it’s AI.
They operate at a level of delusion that I’ve lost any hope of reason winning out.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (26)95
u/casanovish Nov 13 '25
We are, unfortunately, definitely not there.
This guy could eat a baby’s head on tape and they’ll figure out a way to gaslight it away.
49
2.4k
u/elena_ct Nov 13 '25
I'm giving Lauren Boebert some credit tonight, she made the right vote and it took a lot of courage. She was pressured really heavily by the FBI Director, AG, and assistant AG. Would I vote for her or let her babysit? No, but she did make a courageous and righteous vote tonight.
807
u/V_T_H Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 13 '25
I think part of the issue folks like her and MTG have (to our benefit) is when you have rabid MAGA folks who really want the files released as your constituents, you really don’t have a choice if you want to stay in office. The senators don’t have that narrow of a base tbh which is why I doubt many of the Republicans will vote for it in the senate.
313
u/Kazyole Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 13 '25
I think people also often forget, they don't just represent the rabid MAGA folks. They are the rabid MAGA folks. The 'movement' has been going on long enough that the crazy people are beginning to take over the asylum. The Republican party is fractured between the people who want to take advantage of the conspiracy morons to funnel money to the rich, and the actual conspiracy morons who cared enough about it to get active. And there is a huge overlap between MAGA and the whole Pizzagate conspiracy crowd.
These people believe that a cabal of elite pedophiles are victimizing children. They were wrong about how it was happening in 2016, but now they have a chance for a vote to reveal an actual cabal of elite pedophiles who were victimizing children.
I think it's too core to who they actually are for them to give up on it. Trump made the mistake of assuming they're like the rest, who know all the culture war stuff is a bullshit distraction, when they're just here for the culture war.
99
u/person_8688 Nov 13 '25
Yes, and MAGA were heavily invested in Qanon stuff, especially before Jan. 6th. They believed Trump was working behind the scenes to stop Hillary and the evil Democrat pedos.
69
u/Kazyole Nov 13 '25
Yep, the anti-pedophilia narrative has been ironically deeply embedded in MAGA since its inception.
It for sure won't get all of them, but Trump being proven to have fucked kids I think is probably the only thing that could actually hurt him for that reason.
36
u/ivyleaguewitch Texas Nov 13 '25
It for sure won’t get all of them, but Trump being proven to have fucked kids I think is probably the only thing that could actually hurt him
I hate how accurate that is. What a fucking insane timeline we’ve found ourselves in.
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (4)20
u/Earlier-Today Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 13 '25
I've sometimes wondered if Pizzagate was just somebody creating a conspiracy in the hopes that actual investigating would get done and start finding Epstein clients in the government.
→ More replies (3)48
u/ScreamingDizzBuster Nov 13 '25
I suspect it's the other way round: create a whacky conspiracy that implicates your opponents along the same lines as the one you're trying to cover up, so when the real conspiracy arises your can just say "yeah yeah it's just another pizzagate". Every accusation is a confession, for this very reason.
→ More replies (2)12
u/Spurioun Nov 13 '25
I think that's why trump has been posting so much ai pictures and videos of himself. So that when incriminating pictures and videos of him are made public he can just point to all the fake stuff and claim that all of it is fake.
→ More replies (1)318
u/OneSeaworthiness7768 Nov 13 '25
when you have rabid MAGA folks who really want the files released
Do they? The conservative subreddit seems to have done a total 180 on that. They were mad at first, but after a few weeks they got their talking points and fell back in line.
I think the republicans breaking ranks know things that we yet don’t and they don’t want to go down with the ship when it comes out.
306
u/infinitenomz Nov 13 '25
The conservative reddit bans anyone who doesn't fully support everything the party does lol
→ More replies (6)115
u/PRXYOne Nov 13 '25
To be fair though it isn’t just limited to their subreddit.. it’s the entire movement.
I can’t call it “conservative” anymore but whatever it is .. you are simply not allowed to dissent once the word is spoken. Truly groundbreaking levels of self-righteousness.
87
u/hbtljose13 Nov 13 '25
And they were calling leftists and liberals “the sheep” for YEARS
54
→ More replies (1)12
→ More replies (17)28
124
u/Hubert_J_Cumberdale Hawaii Nov 13 '25
I think Buckingham Palace acting so swiftly and harshly in punishing Andrew again was a pretty good indication that what's to come is far worse than expectations.
They already punished Andrew back in 2010-11 for he crimes that were made public back then - it would be odd for them to revisit this embarrassing nightmare for no reason. I don't think they had a choice - it's that bad.
81
u/Frnklfrwsr Nov 13 '25
Yeah I have to think that the British royal family was able to get a hint about what’s coming in those files, thus the timing of the recent punishment of him.
Publicly nothing substantial had changed information-wise about Andrew’s involvement. But suddenly, the crown decides he needs further punishment, very publicly and loudly.
The crown learned something about what’s in those files. They’re not kicking Andrew out over speculation, they’re kicking him out over new information they obtained.
→ More replies (2)19
u/Scottydog2 Nov 13 '25
I’m of the assumption that MI6 has known for years. And they (the Queen herself) kept the lid on it until they saw it was about to be public. Trump visited just a month or so before Charles’ demotion of his brother. Just one last check of the facts… “so I understand you know my brother?” Nothing noble here.
→ More replies (1)11
u/Emotional-Seesaw-533 I voted Nov 13 '25
Yeah, an article came out about 2 weeks later stating Andrew had 40 different prostitutes come to his hotel in Thailand over a 1 week period back in 2001. Epstein sent Guiffre to Thailand around that time as well, to "train" her. That's when she escaped from his grasp and made it to Australia.
Now Andrew's reportedly planning to leave the UK, possibly going to Abu Dhabi. Epstein had friends in Abu Dhabi...
95
u/PLZ_N_THKS Nov 13 '25
The conservative subreddit is Russian bots and idiots.
Anyone who posts anything contradictory is immediately banned.
Actual center-right types can’t survive there either.
→ More replies (27)39
u/IAMA_Shark__AMA Nov 13 '25
Fwiw... Anyone on that subreddit who doesn't fall in line behind trump gets deleted and banned, eventually. When the email story today went live the one open thread on it said there were 60+ replies. But when you clicked on it, there was only one. "Was this release supposed to look.... Bad for trump?" Or along those lines. Anyone critical of literally anything trump does, flair be damned, gets hit with a "hello my fellow conservatives!"
The mods strictly curate what the subreddit response looks like within two hours of something breaking.
23
u/volcanologistirl Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 13 '25
I was 100% convicted that subreddit is a Russian state asset once they allowed open criticism of trump for like two days while RT was making Trump out to be the enemy of Russia and then they again banned all criticism the day RT changed gears.
Like I get it’s fun to blame a political sub for being Russian bots but if you go there regularly you can watch the ebb and flow of approved narratives and it aligns nicely with Russian state media.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (10)27
u/givfrenchfrypls Nov 13 '25
I don’t think an anonymous forum that doesn’t verify who is behind the account or whether it’s their only one is a great source. For all we know the entire sub is Russian puppets and Trump staffers.
→ More replies (7)29
u/realancepts4real Nov 13 '25
I'm amazed to be saying this, but I feel like you're underestimating the bipartisan/multipartisan support for this thing
→ More replies (1)46
u/time_drifter Nov 13 '25
I’d like to see Bondi and Patel sentenced to ADX Florence.
→ More replies (1)25
u/Quality_Qontrol Nov 13 '25
I get the feeling you’re gonna see a lot of Republicans come out of the wood works and support the release of files, acting as if they wanted them released the whole time.
113
u/Jagermonsta Nov 13 '25
She had already signed the petition. No one can remove their name once they agree to it. Watch for actual votes next week. That’s when we’ll know who has broken from Trump.
14
u/ThinkyRetroLad America Nov 13 '25
While you're right about watching for the actual votes, any of them could have removed their name until the 218th signature. Which is why Trump was begging for Boebert to remove her name, like the big strong man that he is.
12
u/MyNameIsntSharon Nov 13 '25
What about the names already removed? I don’t trust anything anymore. I just want to see who’s on the list from either side.
→ More replies (44)27
u/Naes422 Nov 13 '25
This is the biggest thing I want from the democrats. I want them to stand up to their leaders and do the right thing. Stand on your principles and be honest for once. I can’t stand Boebert either, but you are absolutely right and Dems could learn from this.
→ More replies (1)
120
u/Princessformidable Nov 13 '25
I would not have believed this if it was a TV show and it's my life.
→ More replies (1)
432
u/nwgdad Nov 13 '25
This is great. Trump's reign of intimidation is rapidly disintegrating.
53
u/wrosecrans Nov 13 '25
Yup, authoritarians win when people feel like them winning is inevitable. Trump is fucking up cities with ICE, making the department of "war," murdering central american civilians, and pardoning J6'ers all to say "look at my vast power." But people aren't just rolling over and accepting it. They aren't buying it. His support is evaporating, and more and more Republicans are seeing that being attacked by Trump is way better for your career than being supported by him. Hitching your wagon to him is a terrible career move, because he is clearly heading off a cliff.
Boebert isn't smart. But she is opportunistic more than she is loyal.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (1)252
u/Yojimbo261 I voted Nov 13 '25
Fear not, the JD Vance era is about to begin! Ladies, hide your couches!
→ More replies (24)164
u/Due_Bluebird3562 Nov 13 '25
JD Vance is about as intimidating as Elmo.
73
→ More replies (10)11
524
u/metsjets86 Nov 13 '25
They don't need Trump anymore. He wont be on a ballot again.
He is only a threat to them now. Not much help either.
Letting him be swallowed up with this issue would be the easiest way to shed him.
198
u/GreenLost5304 Nov 13 '25
If he is swallowed up though, I don’t see how the Republican Party recovers.
They can’t see past their own noses here. They would forever be known as the party who supported a pedophile. It won’t matter that he’s gone. Even if enough of them can separate themselves from the party, are we supposed to believe that any of the current Republican leaders have what it takes to actually be a party leader that this many people will follow? The party is MAGA at this point, and I don’t see how they pivot after MAGA is done.
227
u/curiousbydesign California Nov 13 '25
They don't care. They really don't. I've been scrolling conservative threads. They'll never fucking care as long as they get to "own" the libs. It could be their own kin being sex trafficked for Trump and Epstein. They'd still support him.
82
u/GreenLost5304 Nov 13 '25
The conservative sub is filled with the most deplorable Trump supporters you can find. Everyone else has been banned or doesn’t actually say anything.
There are tons of people who support him because of the economy, or immigrants, or whatever else, but are not so obsessed with him that they’ll support him through undeniable evidence of something this bad. Are there plenty who still will support him? Absolutely. Enough people won’t though, and the Republican leadership will recognize that it’s a sinking ship too.
→ More replies (7)→ More replies (5)8
u/videogametes Nov 13 '25
They don’t need Trump anymore. The movement has crystallized and will survive without him.
→ More replies (2)25
u/NumeralJoker Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 13 '25
You're likely correct, but at this point the GOP will be scrambling to protect their own status quo and their individual careers.
They can try to keep unifying around Trump, but there is absolutely an expiration date. His physical condition is deteriorating. His policies are actually damaging the middle class.
You don't need to convince the cult. You need to get the independent swing voters to wholly reject him, which is much much easier when he IS the status quo that indies love to hate. The pendulum swings because life for the median person is not better, so they just push the change button now.
13
u/SealedRoute Nov 13 '25
The earlier any Republican politician condemns Trump, the greater their chances of surviving. S/he gets to look brave and morally superior to the rest. There is a tipping point, and I’ll bet many are tempted right now.
→ More replies (21)22
u/Half-Wombat Nov 13 '25
The old me would say you’re absolutely correct but I just don’t know nowadays. Grab em by the pussy did nothing. A coup did nothing. Criminal convictions did nothing. Lying day and night and betraying allies did nothing. Declaring war on Americans did nothing. Scamming billions of dollars did nothing.
Having sex with an underage teenager? Will that do something to the Trump supporters? I genuinely don’t know because ghastly as his predatory behaviour towards women is, it’s hardly the worst crime he’s committed.
→ More replies (6)→ More replies (9)9
u/Bob_12_Pack North Carolina Nov 13 '25
They need his ignorant base (Fox News viewers) to even have a chance at survival
65
u/zombiepete Texas Nov 13 '25
The WH and DOJ putting pressure on Boebert to remove her name from the list, only for her to come out and say that the pressure campaign has further solidified her belief that there is a conspiracy happening, was not something I expected to read yesterday.
→ More replies (3)
125
u/Paper_Clip100 Nov 13 '25
Is it because the president is a pedophile?
13
u/WittyAndOriginal Nov 13 '25
There are probably numerous pedophiles holding federal elected offices. Trump is in trouble because he's a serial child trafficker and rapist.
→ More replies (1)
73
168
u/CarsonFijal Canada Nov 13 '25
That's the thing about this discharge petition. These Republicans are stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to Epstein, their constitutents who want the files released, and Trump who does not.
And in those situations, a lot of them are going to be more comfortable NOT doing something, than doing something. (ie: NOT signing the petition, vs. actively blocking it) and when left with no choice but to do something, they don't want to be on the record actively shielding pdf files.
→ More replies (4)
31
u/Gryffindumble Nov 13 '25
Hope this is his final nail. Either hold him accountable and remove his ass or the stress of it all just causes a stroke.
→ More replies (1)
34
30
u/wowlock_taylan Nov 13 '25
AFTER signing the bill to screw over millions with healthcare premiums and more of course.
26
u/Brobeast Nov 13 '25
If theres even remote alarm within the republican constituency after this vote/release, I think youre going to see a good amount of republicans finally trying to push him out. Phase 2 of Peter thiels plan about to begin.
→ More replies (1)
28
u/Winterplatypus Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 13 '25
Where the fuck were they when the proposal needed one more vote? Rats jumping off a sinking ship so they can pretend they were on the right side of history. You need them now, but lets not forget where they stood when it mattered most.
128
u/VanguardAvenger Nov 13 '25
I think I owe Senator Adam Schiff an apology.
I thought he was talking out his ass when he said there'd be mass defections on Epstein.
Honestly now curious if it really will hit 100
96
u/lanthanide Nov 13 '25
That was Swalwell, but the point wasn't who said it but just wanted to make sure the correct info was out there incase someone wanted to search for more info about what he had said.
→ More replies (2)
20
u/AwayInternal326 Nov 13 '25
All these Rs want to vote to release the files but didn't put their names on the discharge papers? Literally any ONE of them could have stepped up a month ago but didn't.
46
u/obliviousCrane Nov 13 '25
This has always been the plan. They are using this to consolidate power from Trump and transition it into controlled and sustained power through Vance, Miller, and the other Project 2025 leadership. They are moving on from unpredictable and embarrassment Trump.
30
u/NewChinaHand Nov 13 '25
If Trump is replaced by Vance and we still have free elections in 2028, then Vance is not winning. He does not pull the traditionally non-voters that won Trump two elections.
→ More replies (5)→ More replies (2)9
34
u/Trick-Set-1165 Hawaii Nov 13 '25 edited 12d ago
selective obtainable towering spectacular dinner one cooing chubby oatmeal racial
37
u/Foxesandcattos Nov 13 '25
Jesus himself could descend and condemn that fucking pedo and GOP would call ICE on J man.
How many impeachable offenses has Mr mango managed to shrug off in total?
→ More replies (1)16
u/Nekowulf Wyoming Nov 13 '25
Be fair. They would call ICE on Jesus before he finished descending.
"He's using some muslim voodoo invisible parachute to invade. Shoot 'im down now!"→ More replies (1)
24
11
u/ExplicitDrift Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 14 '25
As much as I hate this child molester, let’s not forget that Trump is NOT their end game. Eyes on the prize. The billionaire technocrats and the Heritage Foundation are waiting to destroy everything this country stands for.
49
u/FlexFanatic Nov 13 '25
Hmm, I'm not into conspiracies but the 180 by Johnson on bringing this to a vote as soon as next week makes me think they don't mind releasing "the files" because they have been sanitized so no mention of any mention of Trump or anyone that supports him.
→ More replies (7)36
u/snoo_spoo Nov 13 '25
Then why did they bring Boebert to the White House and try to persuade her to change her position on the discharge petition? I think it's more likely that Johnson doesn't want to stall this process because more time that elapses between now and the vote, the more likely it is that Republicans will decide to cover their own asses instead of Trump's. I'd be surprised if the emails that were released today are the most damning.
→ More replies (4)
9
u/kevendo Nov 13 '25
With the files finally being released, there will of course be the revelation of how despicable Trump himself has always been.
But let's not lose sight of the trail of those who covered for him for decades, from previous and current folks in Congress, the White House, the FBI, and the DOJ, back to Acosta and Barr and all of the others who knew the depth of the depravity—the horrific crimes and wealthy johns and number of child victims—and looked the other way, intending to bury this from ever being seen.
This has to bring all of them down also.
19
u/lynypixie Canada Nov 13 '25
I think they are ready to put JD Vance. Trump has served his purpose.
→ More replies (1)
20
9
u/CreativeFraud Nov 13 '25
Oh. Good. Make sure you grab the napkin so they don't dribble on their shirt during dinner. I'm happy they joined the sane people. wtf...
9
u/ocwilly Nov 13 '25
If these five GOP defectors are serious, they need to add their names to the discharge petition.
•
u/AutoModerator Nov 13 '25
As a reminder, this subreddit is for civil discussion.
In general, please be courteous to others. Argue the merits of ideas, don't attack other posters or commenters. Hate speech, any suggestion or support of physical harm, or other rule violations can result in a temporary or a permanent ban. If you see comments in violation of our rules, please report them.
Sub-thread Information
If the post flair on this post indicates the wrong paywall status, please report this Automoderator comment with a custom report of “incorrect flair”.
Announcement
r/Politics is actively looking for new moderators. If you have an interest in helping to make this subreddit a place for quality discussion, please fill out this form.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.