With Congress back from summer recess, the controversy surrounding the release of the so-called “Epstein Files” is back in the spotlight.
The House Oversight Committee released some 33,000 pages of Epstein-related files in a surprise document dump late Tuesday, just hours before alleged victims of the convicted sex offender went in front of the cameras for a press conference organized by Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY). All the while, President Donald Trump called the Epstein saga a “Democrat hoax.”
On Wednesday’s show, Megyn was joined by Batya Ungar-Sargon, host of Batya on NewsNation, to discuss the updates and where the Epstein saga goes from here.
The Document Dump
Late Tuesday, the House Oversight Committee dropped nearly 34,000 pages of material in the Epstein case – including a Justice Department interview with Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell and videos that appear to show the inside of the disgraced financier’s Palm Beach, Florida, home – as part of its probe into Epstein.
“This is the most thorough investigation into Epstein and Maxwell to date, and we are getting results,” Chairman James Comer (R-KY) said Tuesday evening. But some on the committee and in the media were less confident. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) claimed nearly 97 percent of the documents were already public – a sentiment echoed by others who have closely followed the case.
Megyn admitted she is among those unsure if there is anything of value in the latest release. “I’ve got my doubts. This is the House Oversight Committee subpoenaing the DOJ, and neither of these groups has… any real interest in doing anything to upset Donald Trump, who wants this thing over,” she said. “So, to me… it seems like a fig leaf… There is some stuff that may be mildly interesting, but people who know the case really well are saying this is all old, which seems like what the DOJ would do because they are not going to give anything to House Oversight that they actually think is probative, since they’ve already told us that, allegedly, there isn’t anything.”
That is why many believe the dump was actually a bid to neutralize the effort by Khanna and Massie to force a vote on a bill that would direct the DOJ to release all records pertaining to Epstein. Wednesday’s press conference, which Comer called a “political stunt,” was part of that effort.
Survivors Speak Out
On Capitol Hill, Reps. Khanna, Massie, and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) were joined by women who say they were victims of Epstein’s abuse. The point of the press conference was to call for more transparency and urge Congress to vote to release the full files.
One of the speakers was Lisa Phillips, who brought up the rumored “Epstein List” that may or may not actually exist. She revealed that the “Epstein survivors have been discussing creating our own list” of people in his orbit.
“We know the names,” Phillips added. “Many of us were abused by them.”
While she acknowledged the women are “not quite sure how we’re going to release that or even if we’re going to,” Phillips said the alleged victims would “confidentially compile the names we all know, who were regularly in the Epstein world, and it will be done by survivors and for survivors — no one else is involved.”
As the news conference wrapped up, President Trump called the Epstein saga a “Democrat hoax that never ends” while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office.
What Comes Next?
Megyn said she supported the women’s efforts but predicted it could be “an even worse outcome” for those in Epstein’s orbit “who are potentially innocent of wrongdoing.”
Even so, she noted Alan Dershowitz, who was wrongly accused by late Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre, is among the most vocal supporters of releasing all the Epstein Files – including whatever version of a client list might exist. “He thinks men should have to defend themselves, same as he had to,” Megyn said.
While Megyn wants to hear more from the women involved and believes “more sunlight” is best for the case, the president feels very differently. Ungar-Sargon believes he has the pulse of his base in mind because he “knows [them] better than anybody.”
“When he keeps saying ‘this is a hoax,’ he’s not trying to convince them to drop something he thinks will hurt him. I think he feels like no one cares about this,” she explained. “They care about really important things like… what he’s doing to get the country back on track, why inflation is not going down faster… People have real concerns, and they don’t hold him personally responsible for this.”
Ungar-Sargon said that has largely been her experience when speaking with average Americans. “I keep having totally ‘normie’ people ask me, ‘Why do I keep hearing about this Epstein thing?’ They don’t quite understand why it’s such a big topic,” she added. “So, I’m kind of with the president on this. I don’t think you get very far betting against Trump’s understanding of where the average American is at on an issue.”
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with Ungar-Sargon by tuning in to episode 1,140 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.