The Real Reason Trump's Joe Rogan Problem is Getting Worse

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Join for just $20 at bjs.com slash mesquite and save 10 cents per gallon for six months. Open soon. Limited time offer. New members only. BJ's. Home of the save. We need to talk about what this Joe Rogan Lake America situation and fallout really means and how Trump accidentally exposed himself. This random Times Square stabbing highlighted a big problem that's just getting worse. Mike Johnson might now be trying to stop Congress from releasing more Epstein files. And you've got a military widow saying that Trump denied her family benefits because he refuses to call his war a war. We're talking about all of that and even more on today's brand new Philip DeFranco show. You daily dive into the news starting with this. We need to talk about this Lake America story because it is dumb, but I don't think people realize, how dumb and how it's backfiring. Because if you didn't hear this dumbass news after threatening to do so, Trump signed an executive order last week, renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America. So if you think about it, we have a gulf and we have a lake. Now all we need is an ocean. And in addition to whatever that made you feel, it immediately posed a problem for GPS service providers because they had to decide whether to stick with the old name or move on to the new one. Right? No matter what they chose, they'd be pissing somebody off. What you ended up seeing were three different companies taking three different strategies. MapQuest, which I found out through this situation, I guess is still around, publicly refused to make the update. Also shout out to MapQuest, not just for this, but for being the reason I probably did not die on the side of a road several times in my teens. And actually, in addition to keeping it Lake Ontario, they're still standing by Gulf of Mexico. Then on the other end of the spectrum, you had Apple Maps, totally caving, slapping Lake America right on there. And actually, according to Trump's interior secretary, that happened after Trump reached out to Apple directly asking to make the change. Then lastly, you had Google going, "Hey, why not both?" Showing Lake America to Americans, Lake Ontario to Canadians, and both names to everybody else. And while, as you had a geographer telling the New York Times, that may seem like an elegant technical solution, it raises a big, huge cartographic question. Is a map telling us what a government calls a place or what the people who live there call it? And then you had another geographer adding, although map tech companies appear on the surface to be simply about delivering the latest and most accurate geographic information, they are actually deeply involved in the politics of representing the earth and shaping whose histories and identities are given visibility and legitimacy on maps. Now, thanks to Trump, which navigation software you use has become a political statement. Because in addition to what I always say, oh, you may not fuck with politics, but politics will fuck with you. It is also true for everyone out there that says, oh, I'm not really into politics. Everything is politics. I don't want it to be that way. That's just the way the world works. So actually as a result of all this, MapQuest is enjoying what some have called a renaissance. Where you had Forbes reporting that on Sunday alone, the app was downloaded 80,000 times just on iOS. That's up from an average of about 500 daily downloads before the whole Lake America thing. It shot up to the number one spot for navigation apps in the US, as well as all free apps in Canada. You, the general manager at MapQuest telling reporters what started as a joke about being so old that we didn't know how to update our maps quickly turned into a viral hit. But also here's the thing, this is not a cleanly left versus right thing. Well, yes, when Trump did this, you had the people that you would expect clapping like fucking seals. It also seemed like even conservatives who applauded the Gulf of America stuff are just exhausted at this point. - I don't know, man, just renaming things, I'm not sure this is gonna do it. I'm not sure this is the way. I don't know, man, whatever. - You even had Benny Boy's colleague and general fuck face Matt Walsh calling it dumb. Though he also got some cards and cardio in jumping through hoops to make this actually an America first thing. Saying, yeah, it's funny when Canadians are upset, I guess, or whatever, but Lake Ontario, the name itself, is American history dating back many centuries. Not sure how you own Canada by deleting your own history. But then also adding, I think, a very important thing. Politically, this is also stupid because the number one challenge Republicans will face in the midterms is the charge that they haven't used their time and power to advance the interests of everyday Americans. This kind of thing will be used as evidence to make that case. Which to all that I'll say, one, if it's not used as evidence, it absolutely should be used as evidence. Right, because I think anyone with even a remotely functioning brain can see that this is just a distraction, a deflection from all of Trump and Republican politicians' failures. And two, regarding the history of Ontario and Lake Ontario, I'll just point to what PM Mark Carney said. With Carney noting the name Lake Ontario comes from the Wendat word Ontario, appropriately meaning the lake is beautiful, the lake is big. Noting the name is more than 400 years old, predating both the Confederation of Canada and the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America. With him then also taking a jab saying we know that America is changing their trading relationships, their foreign policies, their national monuments, their hydronyms. But then also adding Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario then, now, and always. But then also with this whole situation, someone that you saw turning on the president here was Joe Rogan. - But what's the purpose of changing the name? - Oh, could distract you from the fact that we're in a war that we can't win in Iran. Doesn't make any sense. Like, who cares? It's Lake Ontario. Well, it's a good name. We've had that name forever. - Now, side note before we get into even meatier things, don't worry. If you don't want to, you absolutely do not need to hand it to Joe Rogan here. You'll see him right back behind Donald Trump in the Oval Office in his little platform shoes, smiling ear to ear like the little useful fucking idiot flip-flopper he is the moment it serves him. He is the biggest podcaster in the world. He helped deliver the White House to Trump. Don't start acting like your show doesn't have an impact because you do not like the impact. And he's experienced an audience bleed like a lot of the other people that Platform endorsed and helped get Trump back into office to do exactly what he's been doing to you this whole time. So they've started publicly distancing themselves, questioning things publicly while also playing that game behind the scenes with the White House. So please do not get tricked by these con men. But then also I'll say, speak out of Iran because this does genuinely feel like a distraction from all the Trump failures, including Trump's war of choice with Iran. A failure that you've probably experienced in a number of ways, especially if you've filled up your car recently. Now, you also have Iran accusing the United States of a war crime after it says that a missile struck a wedding party. Or you've got state media claiming that at least five people were killed, including a four-year-old and a 16-year-old while 68 others were wounded. With all of this apparently taking place at a private home in a coastal city of Southern Iran and from video that was taken by the Iranian Red Crescent Society, it looks like a wedding. You see the roof blown out with debris everywhere. There's patterned flowery wallpaper, chairs, and cushions scattered, colorful wedding streamers and other decorations lying around. Meanwhile, footage reportedly from a nearby hospital showed women in wedding attire watching staff treating injured children. And you had an independent weapons analyst identifying apparent fragments from the munitions as belonging to a Boeing's GPS-guided slammer missile. And as far as in response, you had the US military saying that it was aware of reports of civilian casualties, but insisted that, quote, "US military never targets civilians, unlike Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps," which it does feel important to point out here, is not a denial. So then also with this, you had the chief Iranian negotiator saying, "If a power acts like Satan, picks targets like Satan, and kills like Satan, it's Satan. Shields a junior Satan that does the same, it's the great Satan." With all this, as we talked about a couple of days ago, that the US broke a month of relative calm on Sunday by bombing Iran again, causing them to retaliate. And so this alleged Wedding Party war crime is just one of several strikes that the US conducted last night, with the military claiming that it focused on military targets like air defense sites, radars, and maritime assets. And once again, you had Iran promising retaliation of its own. - The continuation of American mischief in the region will be met with heavier, more extensive, and more destructive responses, and any country that cooperates with the aggressor US military must accept the dangerous consequences. - And then you had Trump firing out on Truth Social. If the failed nation of Iran retaliates for this very justified attack, they will be hit again at a much harder and higher level, but it will not be the biggest attack of them all. That is waiting in the wings, and when it is over, there will be very little left of the Islamic Republic of Iran. But Iran, they already say that they fired missiles at US targets in Jordan, Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the UAE, so they at least do not seem very frightened. But then also I'll say the Iran news doesn't end there because you have things like this Air Force pilot who was killed in the war. You now have his widow saying that she and their children are being denied some benefits because there hasn't been a formal death. This is a formal declaration of war because all the games Trump's been playing during this war of choice. Right, so this is Libby Klinner. She's the wife of Air Force Major Alex Klinner, who is one of six service members who died in a KC-135 refueling crash as part of Operation Epic Fury, or which is what Team Trump called the first round of bombing back in February when they destroyed Iran's missile production, its Navy, and other security infrastructure. And Alex, he was 33 years old when he died. He was a father of three. He had a two-year-old son and seven-month-old twins. He joined the Air Force in 2017 through the ROTC program at Auburn University, where he went to college and met Libby. And he was deployed four times and had flown more than 360 combat hours and 181 combat support hours. And when he died back in March, there was that whole ceremony for him and the other victims of the crash. Trump was there, along with Pete Hegseth and a handful of senators and representatives. And this ceremony, you might remember, was actually the one where Pete Hegseth said that the family members of those servicemen and women came up to him and said, "Finish this. "Honor their sacrifice. "Do not waver. "Do not stop until the job is done." Though that story seems unlikely to be true, with parents pushing back almost immediately when that made headlines. seems like they've escalated from lying about these military families to actively harming them or at least neglecting them. Or because just now, nearly six months after Alex's death, Libby says that the Air Force is denying her and their children necessary support. Because in an Instagram post this week, you had Libby saying that officials told her because the government hasn't officially declared war on Iran, they aren't eligible for some benefits. And you had Libby saying that came straight from her casualty assistance officer and that the missing benefits are combat pay related and were missing from Alex's last paycheck. And so you had a writing, so not only was my husband killed in a war he never wanted to participate in, but now the benefits we're left with are being dictated by semantics and public perceptions. With the caption reading, "Six months of a war that we can't call a war." And you had this very quickly escaping containment and Libby's story, it's spread across the internet. People then saying things like she lost her husband and their young kids lost their dad because he fought for his country and now they won't be compensated because a five-time draft dodger, a drunk Xbox news host and their enablers in Congress won't call a war a war, disgusting. But also note, not everyone was supportive. In fact, Libby, she eventually had to turn the comments off on her original post saying that she was receiving quote, "Bot comments saying "hateful things and that it was getting out of hand." Though bot or not, you also had people attacking her saying, you know, her family has seen an outpouring of support since Alex's death. People pointing to how her sister actually set up a GoFundMe shortly after the funeral that since raised $1.5 million, or with the vast majority of that coming before this benefits thing ever saw the light of day. But then with that, you have people saying, well, those are two completely separate things. One is money and benefits from a public that is thankful for service that feels horrible about what happened. And the other thing is the denial of benefits for someone serving their country because the sundowning, president wants to play a word game about a war that he started. Arguing GoFundMe or not, that's the breaking of a social contract. And it does feel like, and we were talking about this on the tour the other day, it feels like we have an administration and a president that love the war, hate the fighter. But also jumping back, right? This story, it doesn't end with one post. The waves of backlash have seemingly gotten the attention of the Air Force, right? With Libby following with another post saying that the director of mortuary affairs reached out and told her that they'd be doing an audit to make sure that Libby and her kids are receiving all the benefits that they're entitled to, right? And then you also had Air Force officials confirming that they were working with Libby to make sure that she gets everything she can and to answer any of her questions. And we also saw the undersecretary of war, Anthony Tata saying on Twitter, "While benefits cannot replace a devoted husband and father, we are committed to providing major cleaners, wife and children with seamless long-term support." But also here's the reality of the situation, right? Whatever comes from this audit, it will still be a horrible look for the Trump administration. Because either a military family was denied money that it was entitled to for six months until the public backlash became so massive, or a widow is left with, or was left to believe that the government refused her benefits because it does not want to call this a war, even though numerous times the president has referred to it as a war. And then it also begs the question of what is going on with the other 17 families of service members who've died in the Iran war? Are those spouses and children being told the same thing and left shorthanded? All because of Trump's insane refusal to label this what it very much appears to be to everybody. But whatever the case, this is gonna be something that we're gonna have to keep our eyes on, right? And then from that, we've got to talk about this crazy situation at a New York. But first, we have a quick word from today's sponsor. Long time viewers of me know that I'm a fan of having a fun night out, but I'm also a fan of making sure that tomorrow me has a chance. And now between doing these crashing out live shows on the weekend, travel in general, this show, family, just everything else that comes with being busy, I've really learned that it's the little things that you do to stay on top of your routine that really matter. 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But hey, if you wanna try it yourself, scan that QR code or head to zbiotics.com/defranco and use code DEFRANCO for 15% off your first order. And if you're not satisfied, they'll refund your entire order, no questions asked. And then diving right back into the news, we've got to talk about this nightmarish combination of Times Square, a mentally disturbed woman, and kitchen knives. Right, because this woman, who's now been identified as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros, ultimately killed a 32-year-old woman and sent a 68-year-old man to the hospital. When she refused to drop her knives, a police approached, they shot and killed her. - We're here at South Beauty. Talk to you later. We have more than one. We're at Three Times Square. I got one. - Okay. - Let's back up. - We now know that the woman who was stabbed to death was Bank of America employee, Erin Piacenti, the man who was released from Bellevue Hospital yesterday, is reportedly from Rhode Island, believed to be visiting his family in New York. And you're looking at an attack that was completely unprovoked. It was completely random. Cisneros had no connection to either of these people, but she did have documented mental health history with the NYPD with incidents in 2018 and 2019. Right, and you have her father, Mara, Mario Cisneros now revealing that she's lived for decades with serious mental health problems and even tried to take her own life in 2019 by jumping in front of a subway. With the family after that episode, then getting more involved with her care, and he began taking her to monthly mental health appointments where she would, quote, receive injections that kept her stable. And it at least sounded like the treatment was working for a while, with Mr. Cisneros saying that he felt his daughter was really turning a corner. But then this last April, she turned down a ride to her appointment at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in Queens, telling her father, "No, dad, don't worry. I'm good. Don't worry about me." But despite the potential warning sign, he says that, he never would have expected that his daughter would become violent, telling the Times in Spanish, "What she did just doesn't make sense. It just doesn't fit." Adding, "I am so sorry as her father. Nobody should take a life. Not God, not a human being, nobody." With him describing his daughter as a noble and polite Christian girl who all of a sudden acted like an animal. And as far as more details about her mental health crisis, her dad really wasn't clear on what medication his daughter had been receiving or the specific condition that she was being treated for, saying that he did suspect that she suffered from postpartum depression because he started noticing her mental health struggles after the birth of one of her children. But what he said he knew for certain is that she was recently growing frustrated and having to rely on medication and was fighting not to take it. Though still saying that he tried to help her in every way possible. And so the mental health aspect of this, very big piece of the puzzle that a lot of people have been talking about. But then also a big part of the conversation has been the police response. Right, because when the police fatally shoot a mentally disturbed person, there's usually days or weeks of discourse that follows, with people debating if the death was really necessary and if the police were in the wrong. And I will say, there is a little of that on social media. Tweets popping up like, "American police, any other way to handle the mentally ill? Nah, just murder them in broad daylight at Times Square because we're lazy pigs and that's what we're paid to do." And someone else way again saying, "This shooting is deeply troubling. Whatever crimes this woman may have committed against others in Times Square, these officers had time and distance. Arguing the job is to protect life and property, not simply end a difficult encounter with gunfire." But also really, for the most part, if you're looking online, even with progressives who are not huge fans of the police, they're seeming to support the NYPD's approach to this case. And actually one of those progressives is New York City Mayor, Mum Thani. Who I will say, despite a lot of the concerns and fear mongering during the campaign, has actually taken a more moderate approach than expected with the NYPD. Keeping Jessica Tisch as the police commissioner following her lead on matters relating to the department. And when he talked to the press in a news conference about this Times Square stabbing, he stood firmly with the NYPD. - I want to thank the NYPD officers who stepped in and prevented a horrific attack from becoming even worse. This is what the men and women of this department do every single day to keep our city safe. As is standard, there will be an internal investigation and body-worn camera footage will be released to the public. - And then notably there, you had an instance where a reporter was reminding Mum Thani that he previously advocated for mental health professionals to be at calls like this before and asked him, hey, would that have changed anything in this situation? But Mum Thani, he replied that the mental health professional strategy would not be applicable when there is the threat of violence. And he added. - And what we are speaking about is an alleged perpetrator who stabbed two individuals before then being engaged by police. - And you even had younger people on the left on TikTok sharing that perspective. - If I started to stab people and kill them, hypothetically, of course, I would actually want you to stop me and shoot me. - But then also, right on cue, you had right-wing media politicizing this horrible violence and using it to make sweeping claims about how Democrat-run cities are in squalor. The New York Post even running the headline, "Time Square Stabbing" is just the latest proof progressives are the enemies of public order. And you had Fox News just having a field day. - But the fact that what is happening in this city right now has led you to literally have, you know, eyes behind your head, always looking around. Is that what the leftist leaders that run this place want this place to be like? - Well, that's what it seems like. You know, they're doing nothing to stop it. - But also, like, if you get away from the MAGA hallucination land and back into the world of reality, violent crime has actually dramatically fallen in New York City this year, with homicides down 24%. Murders in the first half of the year are at their lowest count in history. Shootings have dropped, major crime overalls down. And actually, despite what Fox News and the Post would have you believe, New York's one of the safest large cities in America. But there are more than 8.5 million people there, right? So we do not live in a utopia. We do not live in a country that also just, specific to the situation, really cares about mental health other than, like, saying some shit online. And so with that specifically, but also in general, random instances of violence are going to happen, even if you've got the very best leadership and the most effective policies in the world in place. And while that in no way makes what happened in Times Square any less horrific and sad, I don't think that we take one awful random case and say, "Hey, that's everything you need to know about New York." But what it does highlight is another example of what can happen when serious mental health struggles go unchecked, right? As we're talking about this, there's also the Lindsay Clancy case that's been playing out. But she's the mom who's said to have killed her kids while experiencing postpartum psychosis. But with that appearing to be another case where someone was very clearly struggling and did not get the help they needed before something horrific happened. And so there are a lot of conversations that can be had here. Conversations about how to intervene earlier and be more proactive when people are experiencing mental health crises. Conversations about reaction, response, punishment. And hopefully conversations that lead us to a better place and isn't just about trying to get clicks and turning one tragedy into a defining story about a city. But then also I feel like I need to mention that this is not the only reason New York and Mamdani are making national headlines. Right? And that's in part because New York City Public Schools just unveiled what they're calling the most expansive student-facing AI moratorium in the nation. So it'll bar students in pre-K through eighth grade from using AI in school. a move that's gonna impact around 600,000 students. The moratorium, it's gonna last a year for the 2026, 2027 calendar, which starts next week. It's then gonna be reevaluated for future school years. And then on top of that, individual screens aren't gonna be allowed in class until third grade. And students that are older than that, they'll have recommended caps at 30 or 45 minutes, depending on what grade they're in, right? And so with this, you had Mayor Mamdani saying in a press conference. Children need their teachers and human connection in order to learn and in order to grow. And they need to develop skills alongside their peers build relationships with their teachers and wrestle with tough problems on their own. The tech industry wants us to believe that AI in early education is not only inevitable, but that it is necessary. We do not see it that way. I have yet to see a study showing that AI is beneficial for students in elementary and middle school, with the exception, of course, of research sponsored by the very corporations that stand to profit. With this elementary and middle school AI ban, it's gonna apply to all software using student-facing AI and companion chatbots are gonna be barred across all grade levels. Though very notably, high schoolers will not be subject to the full ban that younger students have. But all high school students will take to AI literacy courses to teach what the tech can and cannot do, as well as the biases, the risks, and ethical implications tied to AI. And actually, around 50,000 taking certain general education classes will participate in limited pilot programs with AI education, which will happen under the direct supervision of teachers using tools that have been vetted and approved by the district. And so that's why you had Mamdani adding. We will embrace new technology, but only when it serves our students. And at every step of the way, we will ensure that the challenge and struggle that are so critical for learning remain at the heart of our educational system. And I also think it's worth noting to you that there will be some exceptions to the policy. With that, including for students with disabilities, multilingual learners, and those in career programs. It also notably doesn't stop with the students. Right, teachers will also face a policy of their own that prevents them from using AI for grading and crisis management. And of course, all of this, it comes as the debate around AI in schools has been a major issue everywhere, but especially in New York. In fact, this one-year moratorium for younger grades, it falls short of what parents were asking for. Right, you had them writing an open letter and petition urging Mamdani to enact a two-year moratorium. With that letter adding, AI use in schools has a negative impact on students' cognitive skills, critical thinking, and creativity. Saying it undermines the relationship between teachers and students, which is at the center of how students learn. And actually also back in June, dozens of city council members wrote a letter to Mamdani asking him to immediately pause AI use in public schools. And so while this doesn't address every single concern, some still believe that it is a step forward. But of course, this is also bigger than New York. And in fact, earlier this year, we had a report from the Brookings Institution finding that at this point in its trajectory, the risks of utilizing generative AI in children's education overshadow its benefits. Which is not to say that there cannot be perks or benefits, right, there can be. But Brookings found that the risks of AI undermine children's foundational development and may prevent the benefits from being realized. And so part of the belief here is that whatever advantage there might be, it doesn't matter if the kids are not cognitively able to soak that up. And then on top of that, other studies have found that screen time in general can hurt kids in class, when it comes to test scores and emotional development. Right, in LA, which is the second biggest district in the country, only behind New York City, parents have long been expressing frustrations over screen time in class. Right, in places like the New York Times, speaking to families who are upset with students being given school-issued devices, even just in kindergarten. Also others, they were upset that kids were easily able to play video games and watch YouTube during class. And then you also had some claiming that an AI app assigned for fourth graders to use generated sexual imagery. Right, and then some have also taken issue with apps that kids are given that gamify their homework and learning. People concerned that this will hijack the development of a student's motivation and jeopardize their ability to learn. And actually, the outrage from parents there led to the school district enacting the nation's first screen time restriction, which starts this school year. So that means that first grade and younger, they're not gonna be allowed any time with tablets and laptops, and the rest, they're gonna have weekly limits. And so you've got many, you know, looking at this as maybe a turning point. Right, starting this year, parents in the two biggest school districts in the country, they just got huge wins when it comes to tech restrictions for their kids. And based off of the learnings there, there's a hope that that'll trickle through. And with this, I will ask, especially for the parents out there, what are your thoughts here? Regarding kids and tech and school, as well as kids and AI. Because I will say, I'm a very tech-forward person, and so when I was younger and I heard, oh, well, kids in school, they're gonna be using their computers like in every class for every test, I was like, oh, that kind of makes sense. And I was a parent, especially as a parent that's talked to a number of teachers, it seems like the way that tech is implemented in schools is very haphazard at best and very detrimental at worst. And I will say, this is an issue that there is nuance, one, because there's several categories, right? AI is in a very different bucket from the bucket that is school-issued devices, which is a different bucket from students with their phones. And the impacts can range from, you know, what students are actually learning to things like their wellbeing, right? And then we've got to talk about news around Trump, Massey, and the Epstein files in just a minute, but first, a quick word from a sponsor. After doing this show for years, I've learned that my biggest productivity problem, it's not getting things done, it's protecting the time where I can actually focus. When your day is constantly getting interrupted, it can take forever to get back into that same headspace. And that is why I am thankful for today's sponsor, Brain.fm, right? It's become one of those tools that I use when I really need to lock in. Because Brain.fm, it's not just music, is audio engineered by neuroscientists to help your brain focus, relax, sleep, or get creative depending on what you need. Like that it's designed to work with your brain instead of competing with like a song where suddenly you're focused more on the lyrics than the task. And it uses patented neural phase locking technology, and you can adjust the neural effect depending on how much help you need staying focused. Whether I'm working through a story, writing, editing, or trying to carve out some uninterrupted time, Brain.fm gives me something designed for that moment. And they have modes for deep work, creativity, relaxation, sleep, power naps, and even an ADHD mode for people who need extra support staying focused. It's also the only music app backed by a National Science Foundation grant studying how sound affects focus. So hey, ready to try it? Scan that QR code or head to brain.fm slash DeFranco to get 30 days free. That's brain.fm slash DeFranco. Hey, it's Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. So I thought it would be fun if we made $15 bills, but it turns out that's very illegal. 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But then, from that, we should also talk about the news about how outgoing Representative Thomas Massey is trying to force the House to vote on a bill that could compel the release of more Epstein files. But also right now, you've got Massey claiming that House Speaker Mike Johnson might be interfering to have a way to vote. So last month, Massey and a handful of other lawmakers introduced a bill called the Epstein, Epstein, Epstein, Epstein Files Transparency Act 2. And in a press release, you had Massey claiming that the DOJ is illegally withholding three million pages of the Epstein files that they should have released after Congress passed the first Epstein Files Transparency Act. Right? And that number, it's one that's been tossed around before with many claiming that the department only released half of the files that they actually had. But you've also seen Attorney General Todd Blanch hitting back, claiming that the missing documents were duplicative, unrelated to Epstein, or protected by legal privilege. But you've then also had a lot of people pushing back on that claim, accusing the Trump DOJ of hiding key evidence. And so with that in mind, Massey's bill would give state attorneys general, members of Congress, and the victims of Epstein and his co-conspirators the legal standing to, quote, sue the U.S. Attorney General for unlawfully withholding, redacting, delaying, concealing, removing, or failing to publish Epstein-related records. Also, the bill would give victims the right to obtain full, unredacted records about themselves, subject DOJ officials to criminal penalties for withholding or misrepresenting files, and prohibit the agency from using common law privileges to avoid disclosure requirements. And then, actually also beyond that, the legislation would require the DOJ to provide state and local properties, prosecutors with unredacted records needed for investigations and prosecutions. And that's a really key thing because as Massey recently explained, Well, we give, as you said in your introduction, three groups of people standing. Most importantly, state attorneys generals because they, the one in New Mexico hasn't got any cooperation from the U.S. Attorney General, which is almost unprecedented. And he believes he can prosecute some of these crimes under state law if he could get the cooperation of the federal government. And so, we didn't really anticipate that problem with the first Epstein Files Transparency Act. So, now we're trying to create a conduit for the attorneys in the various states to prosecute these crimes. - And so, in addition to the release of more files, I mean, we're talking about a piece of legislation that can actually help lead to criminal prosecutions and accountability. But, a key takeaway here, the press release also says that if the legislation isn't considered within seven legislative days, lawmakers would circulate what's known as a discharge petition, or which would force a floor vote on the measure as long as they can collect signatures from 218 House members. If that sounds familiar, this is what he and Ro Khanna did last time because Speaker Johnson refused. And just like last time, leadership has not moved forward with this bill. And so, true to his word, we saw Massey officially introducing a discharge petition when Congress returned from a summer recess this week. And you had him taken to the House floor to call for lawmakers to pass the bill while also demanding accountability for Epstein associates. - Mr. Speaker, it's been a year since the President signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and the government continues to withhold over three million files. That's why we've introduced the Epstein Files Transparency Act to bring the fight to the state courts, accountability to the Department of Justice, and closure for survivors. We want perpetrators of these crimes to be investigated and prosecuted. Men like Jess Staley, Leon Black, Les Wexner, David Copperfield, Lapo Elcom, Tom Pritzker, Glenn Dubin, Frederick Fakai, Eduardo Teodorani, John Luke Brunel, conveniently dead by suicide in prison, Daniel Siad, recently discovered dead in Paris, Ramsey Elkoly, and Prince Andrew, who committed sex crimes in the United States, too. And women like Leslie Groff, not a victim, who conspired with Epstein to traffic other women. Perhaps hearing these names will shame the Department of Justice into delivering justice. Now, notably here, none of those names are bombshells, right? All those people have appeared in the documents released by the DOJ. And of course, I have to note, being mentioned in the files doesn't automatically implicate criminal action, and most of them have denied wrongdoing. But in a social media post, you had Massey describing the group as co-conspirators who should be investigated. And with that, I do have to note, while Massey and Khanna, you know, they were successful last time, it might be even more of an uphill battle this time. Because in order to get enough signatures, Massey and his allies need all the Democrats and three Republicans to sign on. But unlike last time, they don't have Marjorie Taylor Greene, who was one of the four Republicans who signed on to the first version last year. And in fact, a big part of the reason she left Congress was because they're falling out with Trump over his handling of the Epstein files and her demands that they be released. That is one of the reasons that Massey is going to be a former Congress member. That said, as far as where things stand, you had Massey announcing yesterday that Representative Nancy Mace, who also signed the first discharge petition, has now added her name to it. And so with Massey, that makes two Republicans. And if they can get Lauren Boebert to sign on again as well, they'll have enough Republicans. And that's also assuming that all the Democrats will add their name. But then on top of that, you have Massey claiming that Johnson could get in the way again with him writing on Twitter, now there are rumors Speaker Johnson will soon recess the House until after the midterm elections to avoid the vote. And to his point, you know, Johnson does have a track record of doing this the first time. When lawmakers tried to bring it to the floor last summer, he moved the House to the House of Representatives. And so, you know, that's a recess, cutting the vote short. And then for nearly two months, he delayed the swearing in of a Democratic representative who vowed to become the final signature needed for the discharge petition. And while there's been speculation that Johnson may call an early recess, it's also been reported that the reason is apparently because Republicans just want to get back home ahead of the midterms. It's not about not wanting real accountability when it comes to the Epstein files. Why would you think that? What, because Trump's in the Epstein files a million times and has a storied history? And also while he was president, he openly wished Ghislaine Maxwell well? That's basically, you know, ultimately we'll see what happens. The lower chamber, it's already set to recess on October 1st. And leadership says that they're focused on passing a spending bill on the government and deferred a shutdown with the House actually approving a stopgap funding measure yesterday. Though I will say, Massey, for his part, he did express optimism about F to 2. And that's actually partially connected to the midterms because he told reporters that even if he can't get enough Republicans on board, he's confident that he'll reach the 218 threshold if Democrats retake the House majority. And so seemingly just yet another reason to vote in these upcoming midterms thrown on top of the pile. Though I will say for all my differences, and there are many, that I have with Thomas Massey. If it is a seat that a Republican has to have, it is disappointing that Congress will be losing one of the single biggest voices. And again, one of the only Republican voices who has fought for accountability on all things Epstein and calling the Trump administration to stop all their bullshit. But then my friends, you beautiful bastards, is the end of your Wednesday show. Though I actually have more for you right now and in the future. And that's because one, right now, because it's Wednesday, that means there's a brand new episode of my podcast crashing out with me and my buddy Alex Perlman that's out today. It's great for a little bed rot session, a second screen while you work, or maybe, oh my gosh, while you go outside. And so then the note of going outside, you could do that for a second to come crash out with us live at crashingouttour.com. Not this, but next weekend, we're going to be in San Francisco, Phoenix, and then Denver, followed by five more shows in five different cities. And then who knows when we're going to go on tour again. Links in the description and top comment as always. But that said, thank you for watching. I love your faces and I'll see you right back here tomorrow.