We are so gullible. Congress, yes the House AND the Senate, passed a bill to release the Jeffrey Epstein files Tuesday, President Donald Trump told them to. Of course, Trump’s motivation in advocating a “YES” vote came after he figured out that he was going to fail in his months-long attempt to get them to vote “NO.” And, don’t forget that Congress wasn’t even necessary if the president wanted the Epstein files released – he just had to tell Pam Bondi to do it. He did not.
But, and this is a big BUT, if you believe you’ll be reviewing anything real from those files anytime this year, or next, or next, you have fallen into the Gullible Zone.
Let’s be real here. The second this bill passed, and even before it passed, the wheels of obstruction were turning, the partisan politicians on both sides (note: I said BOTH sides) were lining up their “yeah–buts” and power brokers were calling in IOUs.
Did you really think that a few sympathetic, articulate, pedophile victims pleading for justice on the Capitol steps would have an impact? OK, we passed the bill; now what?
Congress, and belatedly the president, agreed that we deserve “the truth.” But our self-proclaimed leaders in Washington say a lot of things, often staring straight into a camera, while figuring out how to bury the truth under a bureaucratic mountain of red-ink, or maybe redaction ink.
The question being asked today is WHEN will we see the complete, unaltered Epstein files. I believe the question is IF we will see them. And the answer to that question is NO.
Why? Let’s explore some convenient, already-in-the-works, excuses that can be implemented by the very people who profess to want the files released, while planning their messages on why they are not.
1. Attorney General Pam Bondi has already acquiesced to Donald Trump’s suggestion to “look into the Democrats” regarding Epstein. He didn’t ask her to look into anyone that might have legal exposure, or to make sure all potential crimes are exposed. He wanted Democrats investigated – a 2025 non-partisan approach to not weaponizing the Justice Department.
You can almost hear the ensuing, “We can’t release files in the middle of an investigation. We want to folks, but it wouldn’t be fair.” It’s the tax-return-under-audit excuse, adapted for 2025. When the audit, I mean “investigation,” ends (spoiler – it never does), all files will get released. The Justice Department will keep you posted.
2. Who does not believe that some of the files (probably the juiciest parts) might be corrupted, or just plain misplaced? It’s more than plausible that we may hear, in an official statement, something like, “Due to a previously undetected archival misclassification event involving a legacy storage system during a scheduled digitization review, certain materials cannot currently be located.” We shredded the wrong boxes again. Oops!
3. The Redaction Pen gets exercised; the facts get exorcised. Visualize this: It’s Epstein Files Release Day and Speaker Mike Johnson, or maybe even more fun, FBI Director Cash Patel, approaches the podium, in a wide-eyed proclamation of total commitment to transparency. He then hands out “the files” that look like an ink-blot test. Technically, the files were “released.”
4. The Delay, Delay, Delay Strategy – A classic Trump maneuver, the file release is delayed until people stop paying attention, or get bored, or another crisis erupts (that never takes long), or until the victims and everyone else just give up. We’ll hear things like, “The review committee reviewing the review requires additional review,” or “We’re awaiting interagency synchronization,” or “The process is playing out, and we must respect the process. Be patient.”
What about the people affected, those who actually matter — Epstein’s victims? These women who endured the abuse as teenagers, have tried to speak up in Congress, in the courts, through hearings and headlines, and through decades of inaction on their behalf. .
They have a sliver of hope this week, believing that that just maybe the system will finally expose the truth. And sadly, the system will almost certainly fail them once more when our leaders ultimately shrug, as they so often do, and say, “Gosh, we did our best; we tried,” while congratulating themselves for their brave attempt at transparency.
It’s important to remember that powerful people in both parties have reasons to keep these files from seeing daylight. Epstein’s social circle was a bipartisan assortment of billionaires, politicians, and celebrities, people who fly on private jets, and who wield enormous power.
Bipartisanship in America is not yet extinct when it comes to mutual self-preservation.
The Prediction? The public will not see meaningful Epstein files — not now and not in the foreseeable future.
There will be announcements, teasing snippets of almost-information, self-serving statements about transparency, promises of what’s still to come, and maybe even some sort of binder handoff.
But the truth? The full truth? I don’t see it. I hope I’m wrong, but my cynicism tells me that Washington will find a way. Power always finds a way.
Congress passed a transparency bill on Tuesday, but Americans should never confuse that with transparency.
When the Epstein files don’t materialize in any meaningful way, what excuse will voters be fed? And will we accept it? We usually do.
Curt MacRae, a resident of Coldwater, MI, publishes regular opinion columns.
To be notified by email when a column is published, or to offer feedback email rantsbymac@gmail.com
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