
A Kentucky Republican and a California liberal: The unlikely alliance pushing Trump on Epstein
Asked for comment, Bannon listed Khanna as one of a group of figures on the populist left and right who have found common ground on 'neo-Brandeisian antitrust.'
On X, Massie is keeping a live whip count of cosponsors for his proposal to release the Epstein files and encouraging his 1.3 million followers to ask their representatives if they support the idea. When Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Thursday the Justice Department will move to release grand jury transcripts — a decision seen as an attempt to appease the MAGA base — Massie declared: 'Folks, Keep the pressure on, it's working. But we want all the files.'
Should it come to pass, the resolution would be symbolic — Congress doesn't have the power to force the Justice Department to release any information. But under procedural rules, action on the floor can't take place until September, meaning that Trump's Epstein problem could linger in Congress for several more weeks.
Khanna said he has a 'very friendly' relationship with Massie. The idea for the discharge petition came about after Khanna introduced an amendment to release the Epstein files, and Massie texted him to propose they draft a bill on the topic.
'We text back and forth all the time. I will often see him on the House floor, pick up the phone and call him,' he said. 'Obviously, we come from different ideological perspectives, but there are areas where we have agreement in making sure that we're preventing wars of choice overseas and transparency.'
A spokesperson for Massie declined to comment. Earlier this week, Massie said in an interview that the pressure will intensify on House Republicans over the upcoming recess.
'They probably want to let the steam out, but this will build momentum over August,' Massie said. 'They can't sweep it under the rug.'
It's not the first time Massie, often an iconoclast in his party, has found strange bedfellows in Democrats. He and other conservatives joined forces with libertarian-minded and anti-interventionist lawmakers on digital privacy and war powers measures. And just last month, he teamed up with Khanna on a measure to reign in Trump's ability to use military force in the Iran-Israel conflict.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Hill
10 minutes ago
- The Hill
6 in 10 voters view Democrats negatively: WSJ poll
The Democratic Party is viewed negatively by 63 percent of American voters — the lowest approval rating of the party in more than 30 years of The Wall Street Journal's surveys — according to a new poll from the newspaper. The survey found that while voters disapproved of President Trump's handling of a variety of issues, they generally said they trusted Republicans more than Democrats to take care of those issues in Congress. On tariffs, for instance, voters disapproved of Trump's policies by 17 percentage points, but trusted Republican lawmakers more than Democrats on the issue by seven points. Only 8 percent of voters viewed Democrats 'very favorably' in the poll. President Trump himself had an approval rating of 46 percent. The Wall Street Journal poll follows a survey from CNN released Thursday which found that just 28 percent of voters viewed the Democrats favorably. Democrats are confronting widespread voter malaise and perceptions that the party is listless ahead of the 2026 midterms as key parts of the party's national infrastructure have been rocked by infighting. Still, they are seeking to capitalize on Trump's more unpopular policies. They hope the GOP's 'big, beautiful bill,' with tax cuts favoring the wealthy alongside significant cuts to Medicaid and other social services, could galvanize voters. A slight majority — 52 percent — of voters in Friday's Journal poll disapproved of the bill. The ongoing controversy over the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — a flashpoint for MAGA voters that Democrats have sought to exploit — may also come into play as members of Congress head home for the August recess. The Journal's poll found that voters were highly skeptical that the Justice Department had thoroughly investigated the issue, with 65 percent of Democrats and 30 percent of Republicans saying they had 'no confidence' in the department's review. The poll of 1,500 registered voters was conducted between July 16 and July 20 with a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points. It was conducted by Democratic pollster John Anzalone and GOP strategist Tony Fabrizio.


New York Post
40 minutes ago
- New York Post
Democratic Texas congressional candidate dragged out, arrested after rant at redistricting hearing, wild video shows
A Democratic congressional candidate was forcibly removed from the Texas State Capitol Thursday and arrested after he filibustered a hearing on redistricting in the Lone Star State. 'It is a shame. It is horrific. For what you have … ' Isaiah Martin shouted as he was dragged out of the House Redistricting Committee meeting in Austin, just before a capitol security official fell on top of the 27-year-old House hopeful. 3 Isaiah Martin is running to represent Texas' 18th Congressional District in the House of Representatives. CBS Austin Advertisement Martin is seeking to replace the late Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-Texas), who died on March 5, as the Texas' 18th Congressional District representative. The Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed Martin was arrested and booked into Travis County Jail on charges of criminal trespass, disrupting a meeting or procession and resisting arrest, according to local outlet KVUE. All charges against Martin were dropped Friday, and he was expected to be released from jail, his brother said in a social media post, arguing that the state was trying to make 'an example' out of Isaiah. Advertisement Republican state Rep. Cody Vasut ordered the sergeant-at-arms to remove Martin from the hearing after he went over his allotted two minutes to speak and refused to stop talking — even after his microphone was shut off. It took three men to wrestle Martin out of the room. 'Jesus! Get off of him!' a woman in the crowd demanded after the candidate fell to the ground with the sergeant-at-arms on top of him. 'He tripped,' one of the security members assured the woman. Advertisement 'America will rise up against you!' Martin screamed as he was finally pulled into the hallway, where it appeared he fell, or was taken down, once more. 3 Martin was forcibly removed after he refused to stop speaking at the hearing. Fox News West Texas 3 As he was being dragged out, Martin appeared to trip and fell to the ground. CBS Austin Martin's brother contends that Isaiah was simply using his First Amendment rights and 'willingly walked with the officers out of the building' after his arrest. Advertisement 'He shouldn't have been arrested in the first place,' Martin's brother said. Martin, who previously worked as a staffer for late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), is one of eight Democrats currently running in a special election race for the Houston-area congressional district. He is opposed to Republican-led efforts in Texas to tweak the state's congressional maps further in the GOP's favor. The redistricting proposal may create five new winnable seats for Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.


New York Post
40 minutes ago
- New York Post
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine signs off on longer terms for lawmakers — now voters get to decide
Suffolk lawmakers could soon serve twice as long — from two to four years — under a new measure signed Friday by County Executive Ed Romaine. But voters will still need to approve the term-limit change on the November ballot. The 'Term Limit Preservation Act' will ask voters on Nov. 4 whether they support doubling the term length for county legislators, while still capping their total time in office at 12 years. Advertisement Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine signed a new measure Friday that could lead lawmakers in the county to serve twice as long. Brandon Cruz / NY Post Romaine signed the bill to place the measure on the ballot in Hauppauge, framing the move as a way to give residents more control over how local government functions due to a new controversial state law dictating election schedules. 'This is an opportunity,' Romaine said. Advertisement 'If you think that less politics and more government is a good thing, then this is something to support.' The proposal, first passed by the legislature in early July, stems from a 2023 state law signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul that moves all local elections in New York to even-numbered years to coincide with state and federal races — which Hochul said would reduce voter fatigue and save taxpayer dollars. But Long Island politicians, especially Republicans, say they're worried about important local issues being drowned out by the national noise, and argue the shift has created confusion and could wreak havoc on the county's election calendar. The legislation signed by Romaine will allow lawmakers to serve four-year terms, but voters still need to approve the term-limit change on the November ballot. Suffolk County Government Advertisement 'If the elections stay in even years, I am concerned that local issues will get lost in the shuffle of national and state politics,' Romaine told reporters. He said this amendment would allow legislators to spend less time campaigning and more time doing the work of local government, as they would essentially win in November and have to start immediately campaigning again due to the changes. If the ballot measure passes, current lawmakers would be allowed to serve out their final term if it goes beyond the 12 year maximum — a move politicians claimed was to avoid the 'chaos' of midterm resignations. Advertisement Although lawmakers used the shift in election years as justification to beef up the length they could serve without campaigning, Suffolk recently pushed to stretch lawmakers' terms from two to four years in 2020. More than 70% of voters voted against the measure on ballots. Westchester County's Board of Legislators similarly tried to extend term limits in 2024, with voters promptly voting against the measure.