People should be pressuring their own local representatives to make sure they ARE voting to release the Epstein Files.

So far in the past 24 hours, Trump’s team has:

  • Threatened GOP members with Truth posts
  • Placed threatening stories with friendly media outlets
  • Called over a dozen House Republicans for secret meetings

I’m sure they will escalate this before any votes happen, but let’s make sure this passes.

  • cheers_queers@lemmy.zip
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    12 hours ago

    All this time i wondered why he cares so much about there being proof of his pedophilia. Now its obvious, he is worried people will find out about him sucking dick, potentially clinton’s. LMFAOOO

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    Someday I want to write a story about a group of time travelers who travel to the past to try and stop Donald Trump from destroying America.

    Every attempt fails. They catch him on tape making fun of handicapped people. They bring forth credible rape allegations. They help ensure he’s convicted of 34 felonies. They make sure he’s clearly implicated in his attempted insurrection. But every attempt fails.

    And every time it’s like, “We’ve got the ‘grab them by the pussy’ tape! Surely this will be it.” Then they get back to their own time and nothing has changed.

    • BanMe@lemmy.world
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      16 hours ago

      Jon Stewart calls it the roadrunner effect, every time you think you have him, he goes “meep meep” and flies off into the distance. It is pretty impressive from a sociological perspective, if horrifying from political and humanistic points of view. And it definitely made me reexamine the simulation hypothesis.

    • partofthevoice@lemmy.zip
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      If Trump and Epstein’s relationship were the 2015/16 October surprise, could have worked. Like the emails, the photos, the rumors of Trump’s coordination via his beauty pageants, … all of that.

      I think part of the problem is that the damning evidence comes right after slightly less damning evidence in every case. It’s like walking his follows up a steady staircase until they’re all full on fascist and can no longer recognize themselves (nor care to).

  • ordnance_qf_17_pounder@reddthat.com
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    Just waiting to see if the Epstein files is the thing that Trump finally falls on. Not holding my breath though since there are a million other things that should have brought him down.

    • Grimy@lemmy.world
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      The conservative subreddit is already saying the emails show he was actually trying to stop it. The fact that he spent 5 hours with a girl but “didn’t bark” means he is the only saint in the files. The files that “didn’t exist” a few months ago.

      I’m pretty sure he could grope children on live tv and his base would still find a way around it.

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        I have wondered this for a while. All the stuff with the child’s beauty pageants. The “grab them by the pussy” comment. The various quotes about liking young women, calling his own daughter hot, etc. Even without the Epstein files it’s pretty clear that his base is not bothered by him sexually assaulting you girls.

        At the same time, he’s scared of something. Putin clearly has something over him, or at least did during his first term. The speculation back then was some sort of “piss tape” with a Russian prostitute, but… Would his base really be bothered by that? And if not, what exactly could Truml have done that his base WOULD care about?

        The rumor I started seeing this morning makes more sense: that there is evidence of Trump giving a blowjob to Bill Clinton. I think any evidence of Trump doing any sort of submissive act with another man would cost him his base.

        Bill Clinton would be especially egregious as a hated Democrat, and there IS a relationship and connection there i could see but it almost seems too ridiculous to be true. And like… He ran against Hillary Clinton. Surely if that happened and evidence existed, it would have gotten out before now, right? Or at the very least the Clintons could have used that aseverage to get Trump to drop his campaign. So I’m not sure I buy that rumor. But it could have been another guy. Or anyone with a dick.

        Another thought I have is that there is a common trope in the BDSM scene where people tend towards sexual roles that oppose their “normal” daily roles. Powerful men like to dominate everywhere else, but like to be submissive in the bedroom. I wonder if it could even be something as innocuous as video of Trump going down on one of his wives that he is afraid of leaking.

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        I’m pretty sure he could grope children on live tv and his base would still find a way around it.

        I mean, there’s that photo of a 13 year-old Ivanka sitting on his lap at a gig.

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      Probably right to be cynical, given we’ve seen him stoke an insurrection in public, while plotting a coup at the same time, and he paid zero penalty for it.

      Meanwhile, on this, we see Megyn Kelly starting to do that skeevy hairsplitting on what is technically pedophilia vs. abusing underage adolescents. I’m not really sure if GOP wants to really die on the “yeah, but the underage trafficking was for ephebophiles!” hill, but I guess we’ll see.

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        I happen to have a career which puts me in contact with a good number of people who say things like, “Have you seen Bob’s daughter? She doesn’t look like she is 14…you’d think she was 23.” As if that’s some form of rational thought process for their inability to stop sexualizing young girls.

        Our lizard brains think a ton of stupid shit. If you’re well adjusted, you turn off those thoughts, or minimally don’t say them out loud.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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      You have to understand that the only thing keeping Trump from being arrested is for a document labeled “Evidence Against Trump” to be released to the public. As soon as people realize that Trump has committed crimes, its game over.

      • Pennomi@lemmy.world
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        As soon as people realize that Trump has committed crimes, its game over.

        Bahahahahaha

        • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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          I mean, I want to laugh, but I’ve seen so many people who genuinely believe its just a matter of better messaging. We’re all InfoWarriors in the end.

  • altphoto@lemmy.today
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    22 hours ago

    They now have a bunch of records showing when trump was visiting. All they need is a record snowing that abuse was happening that day. Or someone to say that.

  • Ancalagon@lemmy.world
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    If you don’t think something will happen to Trump you’re part of the problem. Get in the hold him accountable mindset and not all these bots whining. Go out and organize within your community.

    • samus12345@sh.itjust.works
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      I’m just being realistic. The man has never faced real consequences for any of the blatantly illegal and immoral things he’s done for his entire life. To the contrary, he’s been rewarded for it. He was convicted of 34 felonies and his punishment was…absolutely nothing. Definitely continue to treat him as if he were susceptible to consequences like a normal person, because it has to be done, but to expect consequences to actually happen is setting yourself up for disappointment.

    • FlexibleToast@lemmy.world
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      Do you really think this will be the end? He survived everything and got elected with people knowing full well he had ties with Epstein.

      • melsaskca@lemmy.ca
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        Yes. I really do think that. I agree with you on all of the power/political folks being in on the dangerous knowledge but it’s more than rumour now and it’s finally hitting the masses, and they are the true power. Also, his old mind/body cannot take much more of his angry outbursts and desperate deflections. I’m practical though, I hope, but I’m not holding my breath.

        • defunct_punk@lemmy.world
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          I really hope youre right. The Trump is at this point a drag on the GOP and is costing them wins across the country. Any party with a spine (I know who we’re talking about but bear with me) should see how smart it would be to take him out

          • FlexibleToast@lemmy.world
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            at this point a drag on the GOP and is costing them wins across the country

            At this point? Every election that he isn’t in has been massive losses for the GOP. Candidates that he backs tend to do horrible. MAGA fails when Trump isn’t on the ballot.

          • coyootje@lemmy.world
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            It’s starting to sound like some republican senators are actually standing up to him at times. You can question their motivations but it’s something I guess. I hope the vote for the Epstein files makes it all the way to his desk and then he has no choice. Release them and have everyone read about how guilty he is, or not release them and have everyone know that he’s guilty and hiding his crimes.

        • FlexibleToast@lemmy.world
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          but it’s more than rumour now and it’s finally hitting the masses

          The masses have known for years at this point. I really don’t expect this to move the needle as much as we would hope it does. Nothing ever does for him.

        • FenderStratocaster@lemmy.world
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          it’s finally hitting the masses, and they are the true power

          That’s wrong. The masses DO NOT have any power. The billionaires hold all the power. If they wanted him gone at any point, he would have been gone already. They want him where he’s at. He will stay there until he dies.

      • DNS@discuss.online
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        He was also elected by saying that he grabs women by the pussy, and let you do whatever you want to them. Somehow, he captured the religious voting bloc because “he tells it like it is.”

        Nearly half of white women also voted for him, as the majority of white men did as well. HMMMMM

      • Kühlschrank@lemmy.world
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        I’m always a cynic on everything and I’m not holding my breath but there are a bunch of QAnons that the Epstein stuff is gospel to them and it’s more important than Trump. Full on MAGAs aren’t going to care but the ones that came to the coaltion from their Q cult miiiight just care enough to bring him down.

        Again I’m not holding my breath but this situation is different from anything else that he’s survived in that respect.

          • samus12345@sh.itjust.works
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            Trump derives his power from his populist cult. Nobody in the establishment actually likes Trump, they’re scared to confront him because of the cult support that they benefit from. If he lost that support (which is incredibly unlikely at this point, no matter what was revealed), the establishment would turn on Trump immediately, as his usefulness to them would be over.

            • FlexibleToast@lemmy.world
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              He has already turned that cult into establishment. The chair of the GOP is his daughter in law. He can easily get someone primaried if he wants.

              • vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works
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                By establishment I think they mean old/non trump based Republicans, the ones who will probably still be there once the Trump dies and the cult implodes. While Trump is certainly the establishment more or less at this point there isn’t a much better term for that lot.

                • FlexibleToast@lemmy.world
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                  24 hours ago

                  Many of them retired because they didn’t have a backbone to stand up to Trump and were replaced. GOP currently is the party of Trump. He is the establishment right now.

                • samus12345@sh.itjust.works
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                  Yes, precisely. While he certainly has infiltrated a lot of the establishment, the true core that don’t rely on him are who I’m referring to.

              • samus12345@sh.itjust.works
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                24 hours ago

                And when his lame duck, almost 80 year old ass is gone (one way or the other), all of the ones that rely on him will be gone as well. His grip on the party is very fragile.

                • FlexibleToast@lemmy.world
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                  24 hours ago

                  That is regardless of Epstein files. MAGA has consistently under performed when Trump isn’t on the ballot.

    • mkwt@lemmy.world
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      The discharge petition is just discharging a resolution that amends the Epstein stuff as a rider onto a regular bill.

      So even if everything passes the House, the Epstein provision still has to complete the rest of the Schoolhouse Rock process:

      • Pass in the Senate
      • Survive conference committee
      • Re-pass both chambers
      • Trump veto
      • Veto override on 2/3 votes in both chambers
      • samus12345@sh.itjust.works
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        Yup, 20 Republican Senators would have to defect (not to mention DINOs like Fetterman). There is no way it’s happening. Which is why I don’t know why Trump is so worried about it. Maybe because he has to find a good narrative for MAGA as to why releasing it is woke.

    • NatakuNox@lemmy.world
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      The DOJ is never going to release the files. God himself could come down from the clouds to tell Trump live on television to show the files and Trump would still refuse. And the sad thing is, his supporters would still try to explain away why Trump was right to disobey.

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    I truly don’t understand what people think is going to come from this. SHOULD these pedophiles be held accountable? Absolutely. Every last one of them regardless of political affiliation. But for real, there won’t be any consequences. No real ones at any rate. Nothing beyond a public shaming and maybe another feckless impeachment.

    That’s the world we live in. There are no consequences for the ultra rich and powerful. None.

  • Optional@lemmy.world
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    NoooOOOOooooo what happened to the shutdown?!? It was working great! The corporate news sewers barely mentioned Epstein at all! How did that disappear?!?!

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    They’ll just pay off the republicans who are threatening to vote in favour of releasing the files. I dunno why Americans think this is going to actually lead to anything - is Trump suddenly gonna stop being corrupt? No, if the files are as damning as we know they are, his team will use every possible route to secure him.

          • DNS@discuss.online
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            Those dumbasses do know he’s a pedophile as they deflect it back to everything being about Clinton. This country is fucked as half the population lives in an alternate truth while a third doesn’t give enough of a fuck to care

    • coyootje@lemmy.world
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      But stuff keeps leaking. If they somehow manage to block the release of the files, eventually most of (if not all) the files will be leaked I think. There’s not much happening in the white house that doesn’t leak at this point.

    • just_another_person@lemmy.worldOP
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      Seems it’s already happening. Lots of GOP defectors, and if that’s all that comes from it, so be it, but it gives everyone else more leverage in the future. His base is crumbling anyway because of everything else.

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        I understand that you are optimistic, and I can appreciate that. But if you take a step back and this about it, these “defectors” will fall back in line. They will NOT impeach Trump. They will NOT charge him wit any crimes. They like it exactly as it is right now and have no reason to change anything. Why would they rock the boat now? This will all go away in a week or two when the news decides that kissing his ass is making them money again.

        This isn’t about Trump or Republicans. This is about the powerful billionaires behind them and they would have him gone already if they wanted him gone.

        • just_another_person@lemmy.worldOP
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          Well, it’s not optimism, it’s cause and effect, and it’s already taking place, so it’s not like I’m throwing Hopium around.

          • FenderStratocaster@lemmy.world
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            Oh! I was not being serious about you being delusional before. Now I am. It’s not already taking place and it won’t take place. It’s theater and you are taking the bait. If in 2 months there’s another president due to the Epstein files, I’ll buy you the tallest beer they sell.

            • just_another_person@lemmy.worldOP
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              2 months? I don’t even know what you’re talking about here…

              Facts:

              • The number of GOP reps voting FOR the release of these is increasing, and others expected to vote for it as well when the time comes “according to sources”
              • Trump’s own base is eroding: check the exits from last week’s election, or current polls in safe Trump areas, or even go back and see where he’s underwater on issues stemming back to when this all started. It’s Epstein as much as anything else.

              Even though he can’t be reelected, GOP members are feeling the heat on this issue in contested areas, and aren’t going to stick their neck out for this guy if it means losing their seats, or having to run against someone who voted FOR the release in contested areas. How do I know this? Because they’re saying it plainly.

              Not sure how you think this is optimism, it’s currently happening, friend.

              • FenderStratocaster@lemmy.world
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                “Turning” on Trump is all theatrics.

                Not that I would, but what would you be willing to bet that Trump isn’t affected by this? $100? $1000? $10,000?

                • just_another_person@lemmy.worldOP
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                  I mean…you’d be a sucker. Again, this is all already happening. Did you not just read that he had summoned a handful of MAGAts to the White House in the past 24 hours? Multiple turned it down, two publicly said they’re still voting to release the files.

                  It kind of sounds like you’re in denial of the emprical evidence that he can’t stop this, and his own party is turning on him. Fuck, I don’t even like bringing up her name as if she’s Candyman or something, but look at MTG…like WOW.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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      No no no. You don’t understand. People simply don’t understand that Donald Trump was a friend of Jeffery Epstein and a frequent flier on the Lolita Express. They don’t understand that he’s a filanderer and a creep who routinely sexually assaults women. They don’t understand that he’s involved in criminal misconduct and has broken the law.

      It’s not that Trump is somehow immune from prosecution, under both D and R administrations going back decades. It’s just that we haven’t seen the files yet. Once the files are released, everything changes. You just wait. As soon as Robert Mueller gets his hands on those documents…