Donald Trump‘s demands for loyalty are so extreme, he comes off as a “wannabe Hitler,” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett. The congresswoman made the remarks when discussing Republican efforts to stop the Jeffrey Epstein files from being released, per Trump’s wishes.
“[Republican lawmakers] want to show they’re loyal to this, you know, I don’t even know what to call him,” Crockett told Alex Witt on MSNBC Sunday. “I’ve called him so many things, but wannabe Hitler for sure.”
Last week, House Republicans repeatedly blocked a Democratic amendment that would have pushed forward a bipartisan bill that would force the Department of Justice to put the contents of the Epstein files on a public website within 30 days.
The uproar over the contents of the files comes after a DOJ and FBI memo stated that the billionaire financier and sex trafficker died by suicide and did not keep a so-called “client list,” essentially closing the case on Epstein and his wrongdoing. A contingent of Trump supporters subscribe to the theory that Epstein was involved in an international child sex trafficking ring that wields control over the government. They believe that Epstein’s death in prison was part of a cover-up to protect wealthy elites who were part of the ring — and allegedly on Epstein’s “client list.”
Trump played into these theories during the 2024 campaign by saying he would have “no problem” releasing the case files. After the election, he was asked if he would “declassify” the files, and he said, “Yeah, yeah, I would.”
“It’s not that they care about Epstein personally,” far-right influencer Jack Posobiec said recently on a podcast hosted by Breitbart News editor Alex Marlow, talking about the MAGA base who wants the files released. “It’s that they care that there’s this optic that Epstein was somehow involved with a shadowy system that actually has control over our government, control over our institutions, control of our lives, and really is a ruling power over us.”
A small contingent of the part, however, is attempting to release the files. GOP Rep. Thomas Massie introduced a similar bill demanding the Epstein documents be made public, co-sponsored by almost a dozen House Republicans, on Friday.
Love Music?
Get your daily dose of everything happening in Australian/New Zealand music and globally.
In an attempt to appease both sides, House Speaker Mike Johnson asked the House Rules Committee to write up a nonbinding resolution asking the DOJ to release all information related to Epstein. This would allow Republicans to vote for the measure without forcing Trump’s DOJ to release the files, angering the president. However, Johnson has not agreed to bring the resolution to a vote.
“We’ll determine what happens with all that,” Johnson told reporters, per Axios. “There’s a lot developing.”
“I think [Republican lawmakers] also are concerned about the damage that it may do,” Crockett said of what would happen if the documents were made publicly available. “If [Trump is] trying to hide it, they understand that it is most likely problematic for him as well as the MAGA brand, as well as the Republicans.”
Crockett continued, “I don’t anticipate that they will be on board for doing anything that may harm them or their fearless leader.”
According to a recent poll, a strong majority of respondents — 89 percent — support the public release of documents in the Epstein files.
From Rolling Stone US
