House Republican Dragged by Mike Johnson Fires Back at Speaker Over Epstein Files: ‘I Have Questions…’ 

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) ripped Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) over his fellow Republican’s ongoing efforts to seek the release of the Department of Justice’s files regarding Jeffrey Epstein.

Epstein, the dead sex trafficker and financier, is back in the news this month after the Trump administration declined to release those files, despite Attorney General Pam Bondi teasing a long-rumored “client list,” which she said in February was “sitting on my desk.” As pundits, FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino had repeatedly discussed the Epstein files, which they alleged contained damning information about criminal wrongdoing by rich and powerful people.

In an about-face, President Donald Trump, a former friend of Epstein’s, is now dodging questions about the matter. Following Trump’s lead, Republican politicians have mostly ignored Epstein. Meanwhile, coverage of the case has died down in right-wing media.

Massie is one of the few exceptions, and he is co-sponsoring a bill that would force the DOJ to release the files. That has rankled the speaker, who this week said of Massie, “Bless his heart.”

“One in particular just gives me lots of consternation. I don’t understand. I don’t understand Thomas Massie’s motivation, I really don’t,” Johnson said on Tuesday. “I don’t know how his mind works, I don’t know what he’s thinking.”

The speaker added that while he tries not to publicly speak ill of other Republicans, “My gosh, it’s hard to do sometimes around here. I also try to follow the scripture. It says, Bless those who persecute you.'”

Johnson’s remarks caught Massie’s attention, who on Friday offered a rebuttal:

I have questions after watching this video: Why would releasing the Epstein files cause political pain to congressmen, does avoiding political pain take priority over justice, and how exactly is the Speaker being prosecuted by a vote on the Epstein files?

Watch above via PBS.