Elias: It's Clear that the Epstein Files Were at the Core of the Shutdown -- and Explain Many of Trump's Other Actions

Why it's time for Democrats and the pro-democracy movement to center this issue.

Marc Elias Democracy Docket

There was always something inexplicably strange about the recent government shutdown. From the beginning, it was crystal clear what Democrats wanted: lower health care costs, affordability and for a lawless president to start obeying the law.

But what about the Republicans?

It was never clear what they wanted to end the shutdown. Even in opposing Democratic demands, Senate Republicans seemed like zombies walking slowly through the halls of Congress, uncertain of why they were there and where they were going.

House Republicans didn’t even bother showing up to work. This is no exaggeration. Until this week, the last day the House was in session was Sept. 19 — 11 days before the shutdown even began nearly two months ago.

During the shutdown, many theories emerged as to what Republicans were up to. But there was one explanation that I kept hearing from House Democrats: it was all about the Epstein Files.

The final vote. In a nutshell, prior to the shutdown, Democrats were one member short of forcing the House to vote on releasing the Epstein Files. Adelita Grijalva — a newly elected Democrat from Arizona — would provide the final vote needed. For that to happen, she had to be sworn in, and for her to be sworn in, the House had to be in session.

For House Speaker Mike Johnson, the shutdown was the perfect scapegoat, and keeping it alive was the only way for Trump and the House GOP to avoid a vote on releasing the Epstein Files — a vote Trump was nearly certain to lose.

As Rep. Eric Swalwell told me, “We have shut down the government to protect Donald Trump and how close he is to the Epstein Files.”

Stunning emails overcome Epstein skepticism. Like many Democrats, I considered this theory as just that: a theory competing with other plausible explanations. Perhaps the GOP wanted to use the shutdown to fire government workers. Maybe Trump wanted to use the shutdown to weaken the Affordable Care Act. Maybe it was all just an effort to distract from high prices.

With today’s stunning release of new emails, we learned it probably was the Epstein Files all along. At a minimum, Epstein emails indicate that Trump was aware of some of what the convicted pedophile was up to, writing that Trump “knew about the girls.” There are other emails, but you get the gist.

So, if the shutdown was actually about concealing the Epstein Files, it raises the question: In what other ways have they been driving the president’s actions?

An administration obsessed with concealment. There are several well-accepted theories about what has motivated the Trump administration during its first 10 months in office: a desire to be an autocrat, revenge against political opponents, the implementation of Project 2025.

But if you look back on the last year, it seems increasingly clear that the White House has been obsessed with containing the damage and fallout from the Epstein Files.

The pundit and political class have tended to downplay the Epstein Files because they believe it’s too salacious and not serious enough to drive government policy and decision-making.

Except, they are doing just that.

Dismissing the importance of the Files ignores who Trump is and who he has always been.

Trump is the guy in the Access Hollywood tape. He is the man who paid off a porn star to conceal an affair. He is the person accused of and found liable for sexual assault. He is, as Spy Magazine called him decades ago, a “short fingered vulgarian.”

The government closure may be behind us. Health care costs are still a crisis for tens of millions of Americans. Affordability in general plagues even more.

But for the guy in the White House — and his GOP sycophants — all of that pales in comparison to concern over the Epstein Files. It is what is driving their thinking and, most importantly, his actions.

Time to focus. For Democrats and others in the pro-democracy movement, it’s time for us to center this issue.

While it is true that Trump is motivated in his pursuit of power, it is also true that he is driven to conceal the thing that threatens that power: whatever is hidden in the Epstein Files.

We cannot be above talking about this issue — it influences Trump’s choices on cabinet picks, the economy, and free and fair elections. It is the one thing that alienates Trump from his base — and he knows that. We need to talk about it.

And now, we need to take this opportunity to look forward and think about what happens next. On Wednesday, Congresswoman-elect Grijalva was sworn in. This will provide the final signature needed to compel a vote to release the Epstein Files. If all goes as expected, Trump and Speaker Johnson will lose that vote.

Whatever is in the files has kept the government closed, captivated the Department of Justice and kept Donald Trump awake at night.

When we finally see what is inside the case file, we need to make sure he is held accountable.

Marc Elias is a leading election law attorney and founder of Democracy Docket. Subscribe here.

Image: The Trump Administration ordered the “Best Friends Forever” statue, portraying Jeffrey Epstein and Trump holding hands, removed from the Capitol Mall in September (New York Times).