this post was submitted on 17 Nov 2025
237 points (99.2% liked)

politics

26409 readers
2208 users here now

Welcome to the discussion of US Politics!

Rules:

  1. Post only links to articles, Title must fairly describe link contents. If your title differs from the site’s, it should only be to add context or be more descriptive. Do not post entire articles in the body or in the comments.

Links must be to the original source, not an aggregator like Google Amp, MSN, or Yahoo.

Example:

  1. Articles must be relevant to politics. Links must be to quality and original content. Articles should be worth reading. Clickbait, stub articles, and rehosted or stolen content are not allowed. Check your source for Reliability and Bias here.
  2. Be civil, No violations of TOS. It’s OK to say the subject of an article is behaving like a (pejorative, pejorative). It’s NOT OK to say another USER is (pejorative). Strong language is fine, just not directed at other members. Engage in good-faith and with respect! This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban.
  3. No memes, trolling, or low-effort comments. Reposts, misinformation, off-topic, trolling, or offensive. Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.
  4. Vote based on comment quality, not agreement. This community aims to foster discussion; please reward people for putting effort into articulating their viewpoint, even if you disagree with it.
  5. No hate speech, slurs, celebrating death, advocating violence, or abusive language. This will result in a ban. Usernames containing racist, or inappropriate slurs will be banned without warning

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.

That's all the rules!

Civic Links

Register To Vote

Citizenship Resource Center

Congressional Awards Program

Federal Government Agencies

Library of Congress Legislative Resources

The White House

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Senate

Partnered Communities:

News

World News

Business News

Political Discussion

Ask Politics

Military News

Global Politics

Moderate Politics

Progressive Politics

UK Politics

Canadian Politics

Australian Politics

New Zealand Politics

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Mike Johnson accused Democrats of “cherry pick[ing] three emails out of 20,000 documents” to “try and imply that the president was guilty.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has claimed that the Democrats rushing toward a vote next week to release files linked to the sex trafficking investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is a part of the party’s “entire game plan.”

“President Trump has clean hands. He’s not worried about it. I talk to him all the time. He has nothing to do with this. He’s frustrated that they’re turning it into a political issue,” the Louisiana politician told host Shannon Bream on “Fox News Sunday.”

Johnson called the move “not surprising because the Democrats have nothing else to talk about.”

top 49 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 day ago

I demand a more clear plan. Let's assume the files contain damming evidence Trump raped kids, evidence that would have any ordinary citizen immediately arrested. What will happen next? Impeachment? Prosecution? Since he wasn't president when he committed those crimes, he shouldn't have immunity but he probably will somehow.

[–] KarlHungus42@lemmy.world 32 points 2 days ago (2 children)

“Democrats made it a political issue”

trump literally campaigned on releasing the files. Vance promised to release the files after they took office.

How the fuck are the people seriously trying to claim that trump is innocent, yet releasing the files would be damaging to him?

[–] FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

How in the holy hell is it political to seek for those who commit crimes to be exposed and punished?

[–] KarlHungus42@lemmy.world 2 points 20 hours ago

A great question for republicans. Especially those who claim to care about the rule of law.

[–] lb_o@lemmy.world 9 points 2 days ago

This is such a crazy mental exercise of them to witness.

Literally Orwell's double thinking.

[–] boydster@sh.itjust.works 159 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Raping children is a political issue? That's a weird thing to say, Mike.

[–] FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca 73 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Remember when it used to be non-controversial to say nazis are bad?

[–] Quexotic 31 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Peppridge farm remembers.

Edit: couldn't help myself:

[–] FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca 10 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Next it'll be up for debate whether murder, arson, and burglary should stay illegal

[–] takeda@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

No, those will stay on, it's just certain people will be justified.

They really trying to have the same model Russia has. Theoretically they have legislature, courts, rule of law, but not really. One person has final word on everything.

[–] just_another_person@lemmy.world 118 points 3 days ago

Why would it bring down Trump if there's nothing in the files as they say?

[–] BigMacHole@sopuli.xyz 81 points 3 days ago (1 children)

How DARE the Democrats try to get to the Bottom of a GLOBAL CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING RING! How DARE they!

[–] FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca 17 points 3 days ago

Yes, their motivation can ONLY BE political

[–] Yawweee877h444@lemmy.world 68 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Does he know something we don't know? Like they've already destroyed evidence or some other tactic to hide his obvious guilt. Trump sycophants are leading the CIA, FBI, DOJ. I have zero trust or faith in our system. No rule of law for the elites, no checks and balances.

Trump is guilty and belongs in prison along with everyone covering for him.

[–] ripcord@lemmy.world 15 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Trump is suddenly pushing for their release. So yeah, whatever destruction of info/etc they've been working on for the past several months has been done.

[–] BanMe@lemmy.world 7 points 2 days ago

There are multiple copies of the files, in many hands - I don't think editing is possible anymore. I could be wrong.

What I am expecting is Trump to just say "there see I told you, it's nothing" even as it's salacious and incriminating as hell, and Fox News carries that message, and people just move on, as our society hits a new low.

[–] III@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Trump is pushing for investigations by the DOJ into the Democrats on the list - which effectively makes the files unable to be released to the public during the investigation.

Same pedophile protection, different path.

[–] ripcord@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

That is another thing happening. Not the only thing.

[–] BrotherL0v3@lemmy.world 59 points 3 days ago

Trump raped kids.

Nothing about the way he has handled the Epstien investigation makes sense UNLESS he raped children.

There is no word in my vocabulary that captures how disgusted I am with Mike Johnson and the rest. They know he's a child fucker. They're not stupid enough to believe otherwise.

Soulless, inhuman, evil pieces of shit. Every bad thing that happens to him for the rest of his life will be less than he deserves.

[–] tonytins@pawb.social 47 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I do find it funny that all of this coulda been avoided had Trump's campaign not made Epstein an issue.

[–] Zier@fedia.io 10 points 3 days ago

Actually, had trump just shut his fat orange mouth and stayed in his criminal lane, he would still be quietly scamming people and may never have been caught. But his ego flared up like terminal herpes and he had to be the "president". He put himself in the spotlight, he deserves every bad thing that happens to him. I wouldn't doubt he had a hand in killing Epstein. Then again, he is as dumb as a broken rock. He thinks no one knows what magnets are, what a "stable" genius.

[–] ilinamorato@lemmy.world 7 points 2 days ago

My desire for the people on Epstein's list to go to jail has nothing to do with who they are.

[–] jdredbeard@lemmy.world 29 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Fun fact. Bill Donohue, the President of the Catholic League, is saying that it's not pedophilia to rape minors, if they are going through puberty. That's right, another Catholic shit stain is justifying the current Republican Narrative that rape of minors isn't half bad.

[–] Hope@lemmy.world 13 points 3 days ago (1 children)

This was disgusting to read. For one, arguing in any capacity that it is acceptable to rape children between the ages of 11 and 14, and that it's not a church problem because most of those children were boys, is absolutely heinous.

But they don't stop there!!?! They essentially brush over that 22% of victims WERE prepubescent?! That's still many thousands of pedophiles, even if you want to argue that most of the rapists are um actually hebaphiles?!

[–] Kaliax@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

Vile af. The propaganda never stops. I am so disturbed by the direction of the 21st century so far.. ugh.

[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 28 points 3 days ago (3 children)

This is what makes Schumers actions last week make even less sense.

He had Trump on the ropes. He could have had Republicans dismantle the fillibuster.

Then a Epstein vote coasts through.,

[–] Cruxifux@feddit.nl 20 points 3 days ago (1 children)

That would require schumer to actually be useful. And that’s not who he is.

[–] eugenevdebs@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 3 days ago

He's useful for the people who pay him. Just not the people who he is meant to represent, or the party as a whole.

He represents AIPAC, not New York.

[–] eugenevdebs@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

A possible vote on the Epstein files is apparently worth sacrificing healthcare and SNAP for millions of Americans and making Republicans worried about consequences.

Controlled opposition.

[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Yeah but like, you still could have forced Republicans to own actually shitting those programs down.

[–] eugenevdebs@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 2 days ago

Nah, clearly the out of touch DNC knows something we don't. Giving Republicans what they want is somehow good, according to them and the bootlickers here.

[–] Serinus@lemmy.world -2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

My theory is that he traded the release of these files. Still questionable at best.

[–] grue@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago (1 children)

My theory is that he's a neoliberal corporatist traitor who decided to sabotage the party because the socialists and progressives did too well in the election. Can't have success associated with a leftward shift, ever, at all costs -- even capitulating to fascist pedos for zero gain.

[–] Serinus@lemmy.world -2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Absurd. I get that you want everything to be black and white. It's certainly easier to just rage indiscriminately. But it's not productive.

[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

It's far less absurd than what you first suggested.

Schumer outright said his primary allegiance is to Israel.

[–] aeternum@lemmy.blahaj.zone 18 points 3 days ago

if dumpy isn't in the files that apparently don't exist (despite being 20K files being released just a few days ago...), then why would it bring down dumpy's regime?

[–] LuxSpark@lemmy.cafe 15 points 3 days ago

Why not release this nothingburger?

[–] Rhaedas@fedia.io 14 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Think of the childre... oh, we're not doing that now?

[–] aeternum@lemmy.blahaj.zone 12 points 3 days ago

they do, every night.

[–] Tolookah@discuss.tchncs.de 12 points 3 days ago (1 children)

As we've learned, trump's hands may be 'clean', but that mouth sure isn't.

It's the current game plan because it's got high visibility, the people want less pedos, not less pesos.

[–] DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social 15 points 3 days ago

Nothing about Trump is clean

[–] kmartburrito@lemmy.world 10 points 3 days ago

Bitch is guilty. Full stop

[–] IHeartBadCode@fedia.io 8 points 3 days ago

Mike Johnson accused Democrats of “cherry pick[ing] three emails out of 20,000 documents” to “try and imply that the president was guilty.”

Buttery emails anyone?

[–] dan69@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

Yup prop your candidate and use as the scapegoat classic shooting yourself in the foot..

[–] FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

But how exactly will they bring him down? He made a deal with the devil so he can never face consequences for anything.

[–] Quexotic 3 points 3 days ago

Yeah, all the Republicans' souls in exchange for his freedom.

[–] devolution@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago

And they are right...?