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Last week, Congress lurched from shutdown to meltdown. When Congresswoman Grijalva became the 218th signature on the discharge petition to release the Epstein files, the Republican regime panicked — because authoritarians depend on one thing: the absence of accountability.
The Epstein files threaten that.
Most Americans want a country where those who betray their oath are held responsible, and where power isn’t a shield for the wealthy or the depraved. But we’re now in a fight over whether those shared values still matter.
We’re watching Republican leaders bend themselves into knots to excuse the inexcusable — from Megyn Kelly’s tortured attempt [ [link removed] ] to redefine Epstein’s crimes to GOP officials pretending they never sought to bury these records. Autocracies elevate a central figure as their strongman; today, that figure is Donald Trump, despite multiple findings of sexual misconduct and a long relationship with Epstein that Republicans hope will disappear.
When Representatives Thomas Massie and Grijalva forced the issue, Speaker Mike Johnson dismissed the House for seven weeks to avoid taking action. Now Trump and Johnson feign cooperation while relying on Senate Majority Leader John Thune to use the filibuster as a shield, hoping the truth stays buried.
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Pundits have noted that Trump could simply order Pam Bondi to release the records himself — no congressional vote required. But accountability is the one thing this regime fears most. If the full Epstein files come out, they can no longer pretend the law doesn’t apply to them. It would set a precedent. They would have to answer not just for Epstein, but for the corruption, cruelty, and abuses of power already defining their rule.
Epstein’s crimes were monstrous. Anyone who enabled them is guilty. His admissions — even in death — expose a deeper truth: this authoritarian movement isn’t about serving the people; it’s about hiding the truth to hoard power and wealth. If they will lie about documented crimes against children, what else are they lying about?
Those of us who believe in protecting the vulnerable and defending democracy know what’s at stake. The Epstein files are a test of who we are and who we choose to be. Patriotism demands accountability. Democracy requires it.
We must demand the full release of the Epstein files — and the transparency and truth America deserves.

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