'Basic fact': GOP rep says Trump covering for 'rich and powerful friends' in Epstein files

One House Republican is accusing President Donald Trump of preventing the American public from learning the names of Jeffrey Epstein's co-conspirators for selfish personal reasons.

The New Republic reported Monday that Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) went after both Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel in a post to his official X account. The Kentucky Republican told his 1.4 million followers that he recently confronted Patel with knowledge that Epstein was far from the only wealthy and well-connected person who preyed on young girls.

"I told Director Kash Patel that the FBI has names of 20 men to whom Jeffrey Epstein trafficked women and girls. This basic fact seemed to surprise him," Massie tweeted. "Why? Is the FBI withholding those names to protect the President's rich and powerful friends? Release the Epstein files."

Massie is cosponsoring a bipartisan resolution with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) to force a vote on compelling the Department of Justice to release all remaining Epstein-related material. The resolution — which has been filed as a discharge petition — is designed to bypass House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and bring the bill up for a full vote on the House floor if it reaches 218 signatures.

Currently, the discharge petition (known as the Epstein Files Disclosure Act) has 217 signatures. In addition to Massie, three other Republicans — Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) — have signed along with all 213 Democrats. The petition is expected to get its final signature later this month after the safe Democratic seat previously held by the late Rep. Raul Grijlava (D-Ariz.) is filled in a special election.

Both Massie and Khanna held a press conference with several women who had been victimized by Epstein and his chief co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell earlier this month. Some of the survivors of Epstein and Maxwell suggested that they had been compiling their own list of people who played a role in Epstein's sex trafficking operations, and Massie told CNN that he would read aloud the names of the people on that list on the floor of the House of Representatives if necessary.

"We're willing to help those survivors get those names out there," Massie said, adding that Greene had also agreed to read the names of Epstein's co-conspirators.