Here we go. Massie discharge petition with help from Ro Khanna, filed.
— Jay Kuo (@nycjayjay.bsky.social) September 2, 2025 at 2:45 PM
If the Oval Office Occupant hasn’t stroked out yet, let’s see who wants to help him do so…
?? The silence is over. Tomorrow at 10:30 AM, survivors of Epstein’s abuse will speak on Capitol Hill.
Reps. Ro Khanna & Thomas Massie will stand with them.
Listen to the victims. Believe them.
RELEASE THE FILES ??— Andrea Devon (@andreadevon.bsky.social) September 2, 2025 at 1:00 PM
===
TONIGHT: @chrislhayes.bsky.social sits down with Representatives Thomas Massie and @rokhanna.bsky.social who are holding a press conference tomorrow for Epstein survivors to share their stories.
Watch @allinwithchris.bsky.social tonight at 8pm ET on @msnbc.com— MSNBC (@msnbc.com) September 2, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Archon
I kind of respect Massie. He knows his political career is functionally over by crossing Trump but he’s not going down without leaving some scars.
Chief Oshkosh
Massie is a nut, but he’s our nut…for now.
brendancalling
@Archon:
@Chief Oshkosh:
never underestimate the power of sheer spite. “Fuck me? No, fuck YOU.”
Suzanne
@Archon: Massie is a weird dude.
I have this overall feeling that we’re going to see a rise in the number of Weird Dudes in government in the upcoming years, in both parties.
twbrandt
I despise Thomas Massie, and I’m not a fan of Ro Khanna either, but good for them.
Geminid
@Archon: Massie’s career might not be over. He expresses confidence about a primary and it could be well-founded. Massie’s Republican constituents seem to respect him for his maverick ways.
ruemara
Hmm. I wish I thought Epstein mattered as a voting issue.
Kirk
@ruemara:
Overall I think it’s been like bizarro-Roe – more powerful while sought than when achieved. In that regard, and even after release, I think it’s whole power is in potentially reducing R turnout.
It won’t convince a single voter to vote Dem.
comrade scotts agenda of rage
@twbrandt:
Yup. Khanna is the epitome of a bought-and-paid-for Dem entirely working toward the glibertarian, billionaire, techbro takeover (oops, the hyperbole took over their for a moment) of, well, everything.
But he’s doing something here that’s gotta have some payoff for him along those lines but I sure as hell can’t see it and at this point, don’t care as long as he keeps after this bone.
And just a reminder of Massie’s conservative bona fides:
thomasmassie.com/
Some days he makes Liz Cheney look like FDR. But, again, as long as he’s chewing on this bone, more power to him.
ruemara
@Kirk: They have us on the ropes. We’re disconnected, fractured between racial and leftist lines. Victory is within their grasp to establish one party rule. Their virile overlord raping children means nothing to them even without that.
Kirk
@ruemara: Then why do their rubes keep demanding info on the child rapers?
ruemara
@Kirk: Because they NEEEEED it to be us, since it’s been a very useful propaganda piece for over a decade.
Baud
@ruemara:
Good to see you.
I also would not put all our eggs in this basket (or any single other).
Archon
@ruemara: The Epstein files was basically the last and most important piece of evidence that would confirm to MAGA that they are indeed the good guys in this political morality play we are living in.
It’s going to be very hard to pull off a one party takeover without at least the veneer of “hey we are the good guys doing what is necessary to destroy evil liberals”. Trumps handling of the Epstein files does real damage to that authoritarian cause.
piratedan
@ruemara: agreed, it’s the “man behind the curtain” syndrome. They’ve been pointing to that fucker for decades and as soon as they pull back the curtain….
yet, this is what it all comes down to when politically this is the equivalent of an unmasking of a Scooby-Do villain, yet for these folks, they STILL don’t know who it is.
HeleninEire
@brendancalling: Swear.To.God.
zhena gogolia
Why did we have the monumental stupidity to put him in the White House again? I keep hearing Harris saying he should never again stand behind the seal of the President of the United States. Why didn’t those idiots listen? Why? Why? Why?
(I know there is no answer.)
Kirk
@ruemara: Yep. And while most will call it fake news, there will be a few – hopefully enough, but a few – who break due to it and withdraw. “A pox on both sides.”
zhena gogolia
He just sits there fouling the place up with his stinking evil.
lowtechcyclist
@ruemara:
‘They’ ‘them’ who? I’d argue that a majority of the voters who voted for Trump last November are in the ‘they’ you describe. Maybe even a big majority.
But far from all of them. Plenty of people bought into all the mainstream media bullshit about Biden being (a) old, and (b) responsible for all the inflation. What too many people remembered of Trump was the great economy we had from 2017 right up to March 2020, and everything bad about the pandemic and its aftermath went with Biden in their heads.
There are lots of ordinary people out there who don’t think about things too deeply, but still vote. But they don’t need to think deeply about Epstein. And we all know from childhood on how someone acts when they’ve got something to hide.
mrmoshpotato
@piratedan:
Gloria DryGarden
@ruemara: child sexual abuse is an everyone issue. It’s non partisan. I’ve known this for years, it was reiterated today in a seminar.
rich, poor, any group of people, religion, ethnicity, democrat, republican. They said one in five people of all genders have experienced child sexual abuse.
but I will be happy to have Epstein files released, for all to see what kind of guy mr Cheeto is.
piratedan
@mrmoshpotato: pipe down Scrappy-Doo
Tony Jay
Saw that first photo and wondered what the hell Rand Paul was saying about Epstein.
Other than that, I agree with everything everyone has said. The Epstein Files are their Ark of the Covenant, and you know what happens when Nazis look into the Ark of the Covenant.
Darkrose
@zhena gogolia:
mrmoshpotato
@piratedan: Let me at ’em! Let me at ’em!
Deputinize America
Groceries are getting to be COVID thin again. No matter how great Trump’s sycophants claim the economy is, the Kroger inventory people know different.
Baud
@Suzanne:
Unfortunately, I don’t think liberal women will be allowed the be weird (closest we had was Sinema).
mrmoshpotato
@Deputinize America:
Fixed.
NotMax
Who knew a “massive discharge” on Capitol Hill could be a Good Thing?
//
Joy in FL
I just talked to a person in my MAGA rep’s DC office and asked that the rep sign the discharge petition. I reminded the staffer the prez* had said he would release the files, and he should do what he said he would do.
Suzanne
@Baud: I would categorize AOC as slightly weird. She is pretty open about being a gamer, shares her makeup routine, etc. Definitely not a thing we would have seen twenty years ago.
ruemara
@zhena gogolia: There’s an answer but it’s wrapped up in the shameful 2 fisted death punch of racism and misogyny. And unlike some Black voters, I’m giving white voters a little pass. Harris did better with white voters than past democrats. This was a POC self-own in several swing areas. I’m thankful for all she did to shore up incumbents and newbs so our losses weren’t even more. We just got bitchslapped by the electorate for saving their asses from covid & economic destruction – again. So they voted for Nazified Dementia patient.
ruemara
@zhena gogolia: There’s an answer but it’s wrapped up in the shameful 2 fisted death punch of racism and misogyny. And unlike some Black voters, I’m giving white voters a little pass. Harris did better with white voters than past democrats. This was a POC self-own in several swing areas. I’m thankful for all she did to shore up incumbents and newbs so our losses weren’t even more. We just got bitchslapped by the electorate for saving their asses from covid & economic destruction – again. So they voted for Nazified Dementia patient.
Jackie
@Suzanne: Every time I see a photo or video clip of Massie, I also see a resemblance to Rand Paul – who’s also weird. It’s their hair. I can’t see one without seeing the other Lol
Chief Oshkosh
@Suzanne: Everybody is normal to somebody.
ruemara
@Suzanne: She’s more cool girl weird which isn’t weird, it’s just liking some nerdy stuff.
Baud
@Chief Oshkosh:
How I wish that were true.
ruemara
I need to know why WordPress is as shitty to me as the universe. I have no idea why your Redis connection isn’t working but I am very certain I do not have it, WP!
SpaceUnit
The DOJ will never release anything that implicates trump. It doesn’t matter what Congress does.
Anything damaging to that asshole will be removed from the files or altered.
Captain C
@Deputinize America: In 6 months we’ll get a FTFNYT headline to the effect of, “We’re not making a big deal out of the empty grocery stores like we would have if a Democrat were in office, and we just can’t figure out why.”
Captain C
@Baud: She’s not liberal, she’s a greedy Dolores Umbridge cosplayer.
satby
@SpaceUnit: that’s why the women speaking tomorrow will be important. Very courageous of them, considering what happened to Anita Hill, Christine Blasey Ford, and others.
Geminid
@Geminid: Thomas Massie’s reputation is founded on being a deficit hawk who walks the walk. He’s already gotten on Trump’s shit-list for voting against the Big Ugly Bill because of that. That triggered the latest of Trump’s threats to support a primary challenger. Massie shrugged that one off like he has the others.
Massie has also taken a heterodox– for a Republican– line on aid to Israel, and for years has been the lone Republican vote on bills for or against Israeli interests. Now Miriam Adelson and some other hard-core Israel supporters have anted up large sums for an as-yet undetermined primary challenger.
I don’t think these two issues together will be enough to prevent Massie from fending off a primary challenger. But I guess we won’t know for sure until next year. It could be an interesting primary.
SpaceUnit
@satby:
Agree. Exposing trump will require a whistleblower (someone familiar with the files) and / or someone willing to accuse him directly. Either would require an incredible amount of bravery.
Not sure even that would do the trick.
WaterGirl
@ruemara:
“she” is AOC, and I completely agree with you.
catclub
@ruemara: yes, this.
catclub
@SpaceUnit: I hope the financial stuff is bombshells.
Unfortunately, Trump (and melania!) being owned by the Russian mob does not disturb his voters.
comrade scotts agenda of rage
Massie has slaughtered, there’s no other word for it, his primary opponents. When you’re pulling in 75-81% of the primary vote in a blood-red district like his, one can afford to swim against the prevailing party current and lose 20% of the vote and still coast to victory.
It would all probably come down to how crazy-ass-right-wing the south Cincy burbs wanna get and from the historical record, not nearly enough to change the outcome of a primary.
Matt McIrvin
@Suzanne: That’s just younger-person stuff. AOC behaves like a Millennial rather than a GenXer. (And that’s no longer the youngest cohort of voters either.)
catclub
@Captain C:
I don’t see that happening after 4 years of fixing supply chain issues.
catclub
The EU has applied many sanctions on Russia. Could they apply the secondary sanctions on India for buying Russian oil? Would they?
Formerly disgruntled in Oregon
@Matt McIrvin: AOC is a younger millennial (born in 1989). Definitely not a Gen-Xer.
JoeyJoeJoe
@comrade scotts agenda of rage: some of that area has moved to the left. Andy Beshear won one or two of the Kentucky counties that are closest to Cincinnati when he was re-elected Governor in 2023, I think
mrmoshpotato
Rudy getting his medal
Geminid
@comrade scotts agenda of rage: Thomas Massie *is* crazy-ass right wing. His big worry is crazy-ass Trumpers
suzanne
@ruemara:
Fair.
The younger set are definitely different in some critical ways, though! It’s gonna start showing up in the candidates. Especially with social media having documented their whole lives.
japa21
So it appears that Trump confirmed he is sending the NG into Chicago, but only doing it because he has to to protect the citizens of Chicago. Listend to Pritzker, Johnson and others address this issue. As usual, Pritzker was outstanding. Listed all the specifics while at the same time conceding that any crime is too much, but troops are not what is needed.
Johnson talked about all the programs that had been working to lower crime and how the Trump administration pulled back all the funding.
Two special things from Pritzker’s speech. He never once referred to Trump as President Trump, only calling him Trump. Secondly, he frequently mentioned Trump and Stephen Miller in tandem, tying them together at the hip.
He also spoke in depth about how Chicagoans should handle the incursion, specifically talking about how Trump hopes for some provocation. And apparently it will be the Texas NG.
Geminid
@Geminid: That’s why it could be an interesting primary in Massie’s district. Massie won’t be afraid to oppose a President who is adding $2 trillion a year to the national debt, and his stances on the Epstein matter and Israel could be assets.
WaterGirl
Fucking TACO announces Air Force move at his highly promoted press conference, too chicken to announce that he’s trying to bait Chicago into riots.
Aziz, light!
I remember when the Mueller report was Trump’s Waterloo. Oh how avidly we awaited its release. This too will pass.
MagdaInBlack
@WaterGirl: I’m listening to him (Taco) tell me what a hell-hole Chicago is right now. People are begging him to do something ( which he can, he has that right, he says) because they’re petrified to leave their homes.
Just so ya know….
Another Scott
@Suzanne: Riffing off your comment…
Maybe everything old is new again…?
Margaret Chase Smith ran for the GOP presidential nomination in 1964. She debated Eleanor Roosevelt in 1956.
Ambitious women have to consider every possible element of interactions to get ahead. AOC does that, HRC did that, MCS did that, … In many, many ways, men have it much easier.
And it’s yet another example of debates not being mostly about facts and propositions and cogent arguments. It’s also about how one behaves under pressure, how one attacks, and how one deflects attacks. People want to feel good about their vote, and it helps a lot if they can feel good about the candidate (for whatever reason).
Thanks.
Best wishes,
Scott.
mrmoshpotato
@MagdaInBlack:
I’m sitting on my front porch more scared of mosquitoes sucking all my blood out!
jefft452
They wont get to 218
Massie is the only R and expect to see the Quisling Wing of the D party to show up
MagdaInBlack
@mrmoshpotato: Surprised they can get to you, what with all the body armor you must have to wear to go outside.
mrmoshpotato
@MagdaInBlack: I know, right!
NotMax
@mrmoshpotato
“People come up to me with tears in their eyes demanding something be done about the bloodsuckers infesting the streets of Chicago.”
//
mrmoshpotato
@NotMax: Can you hurry up with that sunset out there please?
WaterGirl
@MagdaInBlack: Those “immigrant” neighbors aren’t kind, or interesting. They are dangerous – they are trying to poison you with the pierogies they give you!
They are just pretending to be kind. //
Geminid
@jefft452: Politico put up an article an hour ago, about the Discharge Petition Rep. Massie filed today. They reported that besides Massie, three Republicans have signed it so far: Reps. Greene (GA), Mace (SC) and Boebert (CO). It sounds like Mike Johnson and other Republican leaders are trying to forestall further defections by means of half-measures and symbolic votes.
The reporter said that Democrats are expected to sign “en masse.” I guess we’ll know soon enough which– if any– Democrats hold out.
WaterGirl
@jefft452: Maybe, maybe not.
But each person will be on record as supporting the release of the documents. Or not.
NotMax
@mrmoshpotato
Hurry Sundown.
;)
Geminid
@WaterGirl: The Politico article I referenced at #71 gives a pretty good summary of the state of play regarding Massie’s Discharge Petition and related actions. I expect tomorrow morning’s Politico Playbook will cover it also because this seems a hot topic right now in the House.
The Epstein matter seems to be a hot topic among the general public as well. I saw reporting on a recently-released Harvard/Harris poll that indicates this.
The question asked:
Forty-two percent of respondents said “Very important” and 23% said “Somewhat important;” tolal, 65%. Twelve percent checked “Somewhat unimportant” and 10% said “Very unimportant.”
What struck me was how the Epstein matter has attached so personally to Trump. But he made sure it would by the way he wouldn’t shut up about the story when it popped up in the news again some weeks ago. What a dumbass!
Paul in KY
@Tony Jay: What a great scene that was in Raiders… Just thinking about it puts a smile on my face.
Paul in KY
@comrade scotts agenda of rage: There’s alot of crazy South of Cincinnati.
Paul in KY
@Geminid: This should be a Whip Situation. Any D that fails to vote Y gets major problems from the leadership.