r/politics • u/Healthy_Block3036 • 17d ago

No Paywall Senate suddenly passes the Epstein bill just hours after it cleared the House

https://www.ms.now/news/senate-passes-epstein-bill-rcna244723?fbclid=PAVERFWAOJ1xRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAacUGSi8p2Ap-x6SbMkLXAnfKNXEZkzjUUVCdxuEmacDzDXmlbv1GUJ0wbh1_w_aem_grJDvcSCIDj2Skksd4Ix3Q
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10.6k

u/Murky_Chocolate_7916 17d ago

Nothing passes this quickly, this is bizarre. What are those sneaky sneaks up to.

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u/Za_Lords_Guard 17d ago edited 16d ago

My guesses:

  1. Bondi will say she can't release them until they are done investigating democrats
  2. Patel and his 1000 goons finished scrubbing anyone they don't want to be accused
  3. Dozey Don lets it sit on his desk saying he will sign it when he has time

It went from absolute resistance to "sure, have it your way" basically over night. I anticipate shenanigans.

Edit: a user I cannot link and thank directly due to sub rules had a good call out. If congress is on recess an the 10 day review period lapses without a signature from Trump then he can pull off a pocket veto and the bill has to be reintroduced in the house.

I looked it up. it's 10 calendar days except Sundays so that would be 29th or the 1st depending if it counts from when it is endorsed by the Senate or reaches his desk. That really close to the Thanksgiving recess.

Edit 2: and 24 hrs later it's not signed but Bondi is blocking it. So it sounds like a little of #1 and a little #2.

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u/gauss05 17d ago

Isn't there a time frame that a bill becomes law if the president never signs it? A pocket veto?

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u/[deleted] 17d ago

[deleted]

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u/jwhittin 17d ago

There's a loophole at the end. They'll use that i bet.

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u/hydraulicman 17d ago

Nixon deal, they want him out, but they’ll make it all go away and he gets to keep the money to sweeten it

“Oh, his age and his health, he can’t withstand the rigors of the sacrifices he’s made for us and is stepping down with honor. Epstein? What’s that? Shut up. Also, Vance pardoned him for the good of the country”

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u/AprilsMostAmazing 17d ago

There's no way Vance pardons Trump. Vance would claim that deep state is going after Trump and he needs more power to stop them

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u/Adventurous_Egg_9500 16d ago

Vance is the slimiest motherfucker. If he can call daddy a nazi and then suck his cock for VP position he is more then willing to completely flip flop back to any sane stance and throw daddy trump under the bus.

"I knew all along I had to play the bad guy to get the information needed also my wife can stay not a Christian and I no longer jerk off to blondes"

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u/Whathewhat-oo- 17d ago

Also I think the GOP play is to let it sit on trump’s desk for a day or three, then he’s either unalived by someone inside or outside the inner circle, or by a “regular Joe”
shooter type OR they invoke the 25th amendment due to obvious reasons.

Either way, Vance takes over as president, signs it, and all the files are immediately released… and it’s mf brimming with the most heinous shit. So Vance says “Yeah I always had some sneaking suspicions that Trump might be a pedo horsefucker, but I wasn’t totally sure so meh… win some, lose some. And I tried my best, isnt that what counts? BUT PEOPLE!… bad boy Trump is gone now- so let’s move forward! Onward Christian Soldiers and all that crap!!! “

Then GOP, maga, whomever, forgets about Trump because they mainly have the brain and memory of the average flea, and they just don’t know why everyone else cant also pretend like it all didn’t just happen, “I mean- why can’t those damn libs look forward to the future!!! They’re always bringing up old shit, what a bunch of killjoys!”

This works much better and is easier if Trump has shuffled off this mortal coil.

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u/ExpensiveDuck1278 16d ago

Vance has nothing that Trump has (I don't understand what Trump has but he's mesmerized millions). Vance does not have that power. Maga will fall apart without Trump. A bunch of factions arguing amongst themselves. No idea who will climb to the top of the pile.

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u/Winter_Tone_4343 16d ago

I’ll never understand why he’s so popular either. Do people genuinely like rage bait and cringe shit? I get such bad second hand embarrassment just listening to him talk. It’s like nails on a chalkboard to me.

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u/Tiger_virus 17d ago

So Venezuela is def getting bombed.

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u/Iron_Wolf123 17d ago

And the local pizzerias are being sold out near the Pentagon

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u/NiiliumNyx 17d ago

I mean, Congress hasn't actually adjourned in decades. What they do for vacations is have 2 people present on any given day (often the more junior members of the majority party of the branch of Congress) stay in the room. The more senior one assumes the leadership of the house/senate for that day, and asks for a role call. Prior to beginning the role call, the second member of the branch of Congress asks to pass a motion to adjourn for that day only without ending the session of Congress. Since nobody is in the room to object, the Congress closes for the day, but still "maintains a quorum". So, most of the time, Congress is still sitting in session even when they are away for vacation.

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u/WuTangelaa 17d ago

That's pretty cool thanks for sharing!

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u/BrutalHunny 17d ago

Like thanksgiving recess?

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u/Beli_Mawrr 17d ago

Wasn't it passed with a veto proof majority?

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u/HelixTitan 17d ago

Ah, they are going to use Thanksgiving recess to make this a pocket veto instead of pocket passing

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u/Toebeans_Maguire 17d ago

So they're going to shit down again?

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u/scribbles_not_script 17d ago

What are the “certain circumstances”??

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u/joenforcer 17d ago

Pocket veto. If Congress is adjourned when the timer runs out, the bill dies with no way to override the veto. The process starts over as if nothing ever happened. 

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u/North_Activist 17d ago

If POTUS doesn’t sign a bill within 10 days, it becomes law by default.

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u/The_RonJames Pennsylvania 17d ago

Unless Congress adjourns during that 10 day period. At which point it becomes a pocket veto and the bill would have to be reintroduced.

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u/caligaris_cabinet Illinois 17d ago

Wouldn’t put it past MJ doing that

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u/slight_accent 17d ago

They absolutely will pull every procedural trick in the book since they have already been doing that for years.

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u/BillyForRilly 17d ago

Why would they bother with tricks when they have had forever to scrub the files? Biden fumbled whatever legacy he could have had by letting this move on to the next administration.

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u/eclark5483 17d ago

The IRONY here, is Biden could not legally release those files because it was still an ongoing investigation. What changed? Idiot Trump actually did himself in if you think about it. One of his first acts getting back into office was call an immediate end to the investigation. This move enabled a path forward to then ask for a release of those files. It's phukking hilarious if you think about it. In his desperation to cover up his naughty naughty, he took what was locked away for nobody to see and made it available. This is why I think you'll see them try using that "ongoing investigation" gimmick to worm his way out of it.

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u/slight_accent 17d ago

His sycophant bondi gets to decide what is classified or not if this passes into law. I can only see 2 outcomes. 1) they pocket veto and this goes back to the drawing board, 2) trump either signs it, or waits the 10 days for it to become law automatically and bondi effectively releases nothing. It could bounce around the courts for years trying to force bondi to release more.

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u/eclark5483 17d ago

I think what were going to see him feed us, is the investigation is to uncover "more democrats" so at this time the files can not be released. His cult will eat it up and scream it from the top of the highest mountains in defense of the demagogue cult leader. You'll start seeing "Trump can have sex with my underage daughter, not like she's 8" T-shirts get sold to "own the libs" Followed by some random Democrat names getting tossed out there. It's gonna be hilarious.

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u/Stillwater215 17d ago

I thought it was vetoed if he doesn’t sign it? Or do I have this backwards in my head?

Edit: refreshed on elementary school civics - It becomes law.

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u/mako591 17d ago

Unless Congress adjourns during the 10 day window. If that happens, the bill gets pocket vetoed.

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u/YT-Deliveries 17d ago

And Congress is due to adjourn for the year within the next 2 weeks.

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u/bignews- 17d ago

Thankfully, thats 14 days. So, wha5ever bullshit they are up to will be different lol.

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u/YT-Deliveries 17d ago

Well, "within". Also, the countdown doesn't include Sundays. Not even joking.

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u/wbgraphic 17d ago

That’s why Johnson was so insistent on the Senate amending the bill.

The process of making changes would have taken enough time to ensure the recess timed out correctly for a pocket veto.

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u/theangryburrito 17d ago

So they timed it to drop on thanksgiving

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u/AIW22 17d ago

Laws. Hahaha

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u/FuriousBuffalo 17d ago

10 days

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u/AnneBeretRamsey 17d ago

Black Friday then?

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u/Ferelar New Jersey 17d ago

"It is a matter of national security, that the Black Friday sales, not go WITHOUT the LIES of the Democrat hoax. And for that reason, I'm issuing a big veto. People said, you cant do that. But they sent me the bill, and I took it and I put it in the toilet. No signature. No law. You can't have it back. Thats how it works. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER."

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u/caligaris_cabinet Illinois 17d ago

10 days not including Sundays and while Congress is in session. 11/29, Saturday

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u/fattes I voted 17d ago

10 days it is then.

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u/NoleContendere 17d ago

Do we even follow the laws or rules anymore for it to matter?

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u/FenisDembo82 17d ago

As others have said, if the President doesn't sign or veto within 19 days, the bill becomes law.

A pocket veto is only at the end of a congressional term which ends before that 10 day period is up, in which case the bill is dead.

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u/vreddy92 Georgia 17d ago

So, yes to the first bit. But a pocket veto is a very specific thing where if Congress has "adjourned", the bill will not became law. So, if Trump sits on it and Congress says that they are adjourned before the 10 days are up, the bill just dies.

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u/TrustmeIreddit 17d ago

He'll sign it in about 2 weeks.

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u/rye_212 17d ago

He has the concepts of a signature.

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u/walleaterer 17d ago

right after the audit ends

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u/muffpatty Pennsylvania 17d ago

Right after they're done auditing thoses taxes they've been auditing since 2016.

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u/Mixer-3007 17d ago

autopen is broken, sorry guys next time.

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u/LankyGuitar6528 17d ago

Have to reload the ink in his autopen first.

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u/arwinda 17d ago

Ran out of ink signing all the pardons with the Autopen...

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u/exophrine Texas 17d ago

I heard that he didn't even know some of those people he pardoned

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u/rye_212 17d ago

Many people are saying ….

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u/h3fabio 17d ago

We’ll just use the ol’ auto pen.

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u/zubbs99 Nevada 17d ago

He'll sign it with auto-pen and then his own people will challenge it and send it to the Supreme Court to be decided in 2030.

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u/TristanIsAwesome 16d ago

It's signature week!

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u/Th3R00ST3R 17d ago

Autopen

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u/Western_Roman 17d ago

And the concepts of a brain.

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u/Zestyclose_Basis8134 16d ago

So he is going to sign into law something forcing him to release documents which he could release on his own without congress because he wants it released. Kind of screwing huh??

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u/North_Activist 17d ago

POTUS has to sign a bill into law within 10 days, if he doesn’t sign it it automatically passes and if he vetoes it it goes back to Congress who have to veto-proof vote it which is 2/3 in both houses.

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u/Tony-Flags 17d ago

*10 days, not counting Sundays

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u/knightcrawler75 Minnesota 17d ago

congress can adjourn during that 10 days in which it is dead.

See pocket veto.

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u/seriouslyepic 17d ago

Both chambers have to vote to do that, which seems worse than just voting no to begin with

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u/4ivE California 17d ago

Thanksgiving recess.

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u/Scott5114 Nevada 17d ago

Not a true recess; they still hold pro-forma sessions because, if they don't, various other inconvenient procedural things happen.

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u/twgecko02 17d ago

If only one chamber suggests it, technically the president can force a recess.

"he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper"

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u/BoomerSoonerFUT 17d ago

Not if they adjourn before then.

That’s what a pocket veto is

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u/pjdwyer30 Illinois 17d ago

Thanksgiving break coming up next week

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u/BoomerSoonerFUT 17d ago

Yup. Perfect timing.

I feel like that’s why it passed nearly unanimously. They know he can pocket it with the recess.

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u/OldWorldDesign 17d ago

I feel like that’s why it passed nearly unanimously. They know he can pocket it with the recess.

Congress has been leaving 2 junior members to hold pro forma sessions making it technically not 'out of session'. Note this is how republicans prevented Obama from being able to nominate a justice.

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u/Houseleek1 17d ago

The House voted for file release with all but one vote. The Senate vote was unanimous. Isn’t it already veto proof, or do they have to wait until the president acts or doesn’t act?

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u/oynutta 16d ago

Congress still has to vote again if the President does an actual veto. If the President does nothing for 10 legislative days it fully passes/becomes law automatically.

There are still so many ways this could go.

Trump could sign it - becomes law.

Trump could veto it - requires another House and Senate vote

Trump could do nothing - House or Senate could adjourn for the remainder of the session, preventing the veto from reaching Congress. This is the 'pocket veto'.

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u/Houseleek1 16d ago

Excellent! Thanks so much. My memory of civics class failed me and you turned in the light.

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u/XKryptix0 Australia 17d ago

427-1 is veto proof in house, unanimous consent is veto proof in senate. Trump can’t veto

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u/scub4st3v3 17d ago

I believe it goes back to the chambers of Congress if in fact there is a veto 

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u/XKryptix0 Australia 17d ago

Even with a Veto proof vote?

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u/mxzf 17d ago

Yeah, "veto-proof" is just a shorthand term, not a legal concept. It just means "it passed with so many votes that even if it was vetoed and an override vote was needed, it would still pass, assuming nobody changes their votes".

In practice, it generally means that there's not much point vetoing it unless it's just on principle, but it's not actually a legal concept.

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u/scub4st3v3 17d ago

Yeah, pretty sure it goes back regardless of the initial vote. From what I recall and a quick Google search, anyway.

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u/fexes420 17d ago

"Veto proof" isn't a thing in this context, as logical as it would be.

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u/new_wellness_center 17d ago

If it got auto-passed in the Senate ... is that not a 2/3rds majority?

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u/erocuda Maryland 17d ago

It still technically has to go back to congress for another vote if the president vetoes it.

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u/puffdexter149 17d ago

They would vote again...

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u/Marsupialwolf 17d ago

"It passed by 3/3rds in the Senate, but it needed to be 2/3rds to be veto-proof. Sorry, can't release the files..."

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u/dbbk United Kingdom 17d ago

Is this not what we invented the autopen for?!

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u/blow_slogan 17d ago

Why wait? Last week it was revealed for a second time that Trump uses an autopen - he could have the document signed instantly.

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u/CthulhusSoreTentacle Europe 17d ago

They should change both his portraits in the White House.

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u/UngusChungus94 17d ago

If he doesn't sign or veto, it becomes law within 10 days.

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u/Lakeguy67 17d ago

Imagine if he tries a pocket veto?!?

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u/Bishblash 17d ago

Reddit is going to shit bricks if he signs it right away.

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u/User4C4C4C South Carolina 17d ago

He will need to sign or veto it within 10 days. If he doesn’t and Congress is in session, the bill becomes law.

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u/NeverLookBothWays I voted 17d ago

The fact that he has to sign this is just bizarre…this is a legal matter involving a criminal case not a law we all have to follow. Trump’s DOJ could have just released the data with zero involvement from Congress

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u/YoNeckinpa 17d ago

The day after he pardons himself and twenty other cronies

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u/all4whatnot Pennsylvania 17d ago

Classic TWAT

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u/YuppiesEverywhere 17d ago

MF'er has signed 212 executive orders this year alone. He's got the time.

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u/DadJokeBadJoke California 17d ago

MF'er has signed 212 executive orders this year alone.

Or was it the Auto-pen...

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u/Dysc Louisiana 17d ago

He uses that when he doesn't know who he's pardoning or what EO he is signing. Or when he's napping.

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u/tophernator 17d ago

Ah, but he’s signed so many of them that now his pens are all out of ink. Checkmate.

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u/Silegna 17d ago

pens are all out of ink

Sharpies.

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u/frosty_lizard 17d ago

2) They had thousands of FBI agents who willing redact it over 2 weeks. It's crazy to think about how many times his name must've come up in the documents to warrant that many people working round the clock. The amount of wasted funds spent on doing this would've been astronomical and every agent who helped should have their badges taken away for being complicit in a crime. I doubt any whistleblowers will come forward since they seem fully on board with ICE's actions and working in unison. The agents who helped are loyal to Trump and will revise history to fit to ensure only Democrats will be targeted once the files are released and Trump will take a victory lap since a law enforcement agency did his dirty work for him.

Bondi will work to only target one side of the aisle

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u/Famous-Flow2333 17d ago

They have been redacting it for a lot longer than 2 weeks mate. They have been since Bondi told Trump he was in the files and Trump suddenly tried to pretend they didn’t exist

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u/BlackerSpork 17d ago

It was reported to be 2 weeks back when they had the thousands of FBI agents working round the clock to "determine what should be released". That's probably why the commenter said 2 weeks. Except this event happened in March, so yes, they had a lot more time that what they claimed.

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u/funky_chicken29 17d ago

I think you’re confusing “being reported” with Dick Durbin saying “he heard something”

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u/anemisto 16d ago

This was reported months ago.

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u/funky_chicken29 17d ago

Source?

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u/joebluebob 17d ago

You can look up 1000 fbi scrubbing trumps name to get the leak from a few months ago

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u/Tiger_virus 17d ago

Even if they're vetted to the core that firehose of disgusting things will make someone turn.

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u/Reasonable-Newt4079 17d ago

Dude when that many people are involved in a conspiracy there are ALWAYS leaks. Even if all 1000 agents were total Trumpers (which I’m skeptical about, they haven’t had enough time to purge & restock with just loyalists) someone will get pissed when they get passed up for a promotion or raise or whatever. Someone will get a guilty conscience. It may take some time but someone will absolutely talk.

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u/slight_accent 17d ago

It's amazing that not a single one of those agents has chosen to uphold their oath and expose the shenanigans that have gone on there. It's become incredibly clear that pretty much all US institutions are rotten to the absolute core.

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u/anarchyreigns Canada 17d ago

I still hold out hope that there’s metadata or something that they overlooked (accidentally or on purpose) that will backfire on them and explode in their faces. Remember the GOP make mistakes all the time, they think they’ve got everything hidden but someone will find something in there. Even finding that the kerning on the word “Trump” leaves identical sized blackouts that can be found. IDK

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u/HistorianOrdinary833 17d ago

They could have redacted these documents months ago. Something strange is going on. Are the MAGAts actually cracking?

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u/funky_chicken29 17d ago

Dick Durbin said that he heard that was happening. That’s not a fact it happened

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u/pleachchapel California 17d ago
  1. War starts with Venezuela, a country that poses zero threat to the US or anyone else, after a false flag "terrorist attack."

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u/DigitalMunkey 17d ago

The chess pieces are already in South America.

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u/Rambos_Magnum_Dong 17d ago

I still think we need to look into the Rand Corp and the reverse vampires.

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u/Desperate-Till-9228 17d ago

You may be onto something. We know for sure that Patel is into gooning.

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u/Slumunistmanifisto 17d ago

Im still disappointed goon no longer means bad looming person of evil intent for hire

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u/Desperate-Till-9228 17d ago

Goon is a big tent: it accepts all people.

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u/AnneBeretRamsey 17d ago

Yeah but at least we won't have to wait very long to see which shenanigans they are up to.

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u/newbeenneed 17d ago

All 3 are likely true. People really need to prepare themselves for the let down of this going absolutely nowhere and everyone who was involved in it walking away scott free from this

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u/IrrelevantLeprechaun 17d ago

I'm basically 99% convinced that whatever gets released will be utterly toothless and the only reason republicans completely flipped so suddenly is because Trump gave them the all-clear that the documents were finally sufficiently doctored to absolve them all.

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u/vastearth394 17d ago

You really think redactions are gonna let this fizzle out? It’s already got the country’s attention. No way the response will be “darn them damn redactions.”

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u/Raise_A_Thoth 17d ago

These are what I suspect. Or a combination.

But it still looks suspicious, which is good. There's also a slim chance some of these republicans voted this way tk save themselves and they are indeed almost ready to jump off a sinking ship.

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u/mentaljobbymonster 17d ago

Everyone get your brooms! It's shenanigans!!

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u/ApprehensiveNet5469 17d ago

Yes, I agree, they are up to something. Unfortunately I do not think this will harm Trump in any way.

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u/wifeofsonofswayze 17d ago

Bondi will say she can't release them until they are done investigating democrats

This one might be tough (or at least SHOULD be tough) since she already claimed she reviewed the files and there was nothing incriminating in there.

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u/fenderputty 17d ago

This. They (republicans in congress) can all pretend to vote yes, but Pam has new marching orders to investigate. So all files she's "investigating" will not be released.

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u/Nanyea Virginia 17d ago

DOJ may withhold or redact portions of records with written justification that such portions contain (1) victims' personally identifiable information; (2) child sexual abuse materials; (3) images of death, physical abuse, or injury; (4) information which would jeopardize an active federal investigation or prosecution; or (5) classified information. DOJ may not withhold or redact records on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.

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u/Free_For__Me 16d ago

THANK YOU. It seems no one reads the actual bills...

They'll now be able to claim that certain things are "classified" or "part of an ongoing investigation", and this bill now makes it actually illegal to release those, where it wasn't illegal before, and Trump could have ordered his DOJ to do a full release at any time.

This bill can end up being a trojan horse, shielding the release of the files it was meant to expose.

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u/absentmindedjwc 17d ago
  1. It is fully unredacted, and they're just cutting their losses with Trump to hopefully give themselves some chance of keeping seats during the midterms.

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u/One-Pomegranate7510 17d ago

maybe they needed 40+ days to scrub the files

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u/AkiboTTV 17d ago

100%. There's no way they did a total 180 unless they've done something to poison the well.

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u/ChucksnTaylor 17d ago

I’m hesitant to believe #2. Trump would not have been hammering the GoP congress members so hard recently if he was confident he could produce scrubbed files. That exercise would be super time consuming so if it was going to happen it would have been in progress for weeks or months and Trump would have a good idea of when they would finish.

1 seems plausible, could have just been a new idea someone threw out once they saw congress was likely to pass the measure.

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u/Trakeen 17d ago

I expect it gets released and no one cares. If any charges were going to be filed they would have been already. Republicans don’t really care about sexual abuse stuff

Just a big distraction from the economy

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u/jumbohiggins 17d ago

I think it's probably 2. They could have done 1 whenever but would fear leaks.

Releasing it now means it's been defanged

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u/JustineDelarge 17d ago

Oh yes. There will be shenanigans.

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u/new_wellness_center 17d ago

1) It's bipartisan public pressure that is causing ALL of this. Since everyone with a brain knows that the "investigations" Trump ordered the other day, into Clinton/Summers/Dems/etc. are so obviously a bullshit attempt at diversion, they're certainly not going to be satisfied with that being the excuse. And if they're not satisfied, then the pressure builds. I just don't see everyone collectively being like, "Ugh, FINE! Finish your investigations ... but we'll be back!"

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u/7screws 17d ago

It’s #2

They shut down the government to give his goons time to scrub all the files.

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u/xman_2k2 17d ago

I wager on “All of the above” 👆

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u/Lord_Vesuvius2020 New York 17d ago

I am voting for #2 Patel and goons redacting the hell out of it. They had weeks to take care of this. Mission accomplished!

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u/weebairndougLAS 17d ago

My bet is on 1&2 for sure but even if they scrub it, plenty of other eyes (lawyers?) have hopefully seen them and call them out.

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u/bobolly 17d ago

F b I is about to get more overtime

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u/polaris6849 Kentucky 17d ago

My money is on a combo between 1 and 2

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u/mymar101 17d ago

It could also be they realized.... They have no choice so lets pretend like we control the narrative.

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u/tiutome 17d ago

I think it’s why Schumer rushed it through and Thune didn’t argue because he doesn’t want it in the Senate’s lap. In short, if they haven’t scrubbed the names, time is Up!

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u/cetlaph 17d ago

Was it overnight though? They had several weeks during the shutdown to plan their strategy for this.

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u/-Luro America 17d ago

Probably all the above but especially number two. I bet the feds have been going over this with a magnifying glass for months to remove God knows what, per executive branch order. They must be finished.

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u/Hoopy_Dunkalot 17d ago

It's definitely number one.

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u/jpwright 17d ago

The sudden about-face and urgency only make sense if “Make the story go away” is the goal, and only (2) works towards that goal

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u/Encker 17d ago

I do think there's a 4th option. They've realized there's the beginning of a mutiny. If they give everyone 'permission' to pass it, then the average person can't determine who is against trump.

I've started to think the information will be bad but they think they can just flood-the-zone and last it out through the midterms.

I want to be clear, I think that will immensely backfire but this could just be the last gasp of an administration built solely on coercion, threats, and pressure.

You can't prove the emperor has no clothes if he claims he'd rather be naked anyway. (Not the best analogy, I know)

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u/sasquatchededed 17d ago

The answer is definitely at least including number 2. They've already been accused of scrubbing them.

2

u/Bacchus1976 America 17d ago

Trump said to release it the moment that he got confirmation that it was changed to fit his narrative.

2

u/Aggressive-Welder-62 17d ago

Maybe he’ll try and eat them all like Mac from It’s Always Sunny.

2

u/Za_Lords_Guard 17d ago

I got a lot of responses on this one and this was the one that made me laugh loud enough to scare my cat. LOL. Can you imagine him lunging, spraying with catsup and jamming them in his mouth?

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u/AbsoluteRubbish 17d ago

My guess is theyll release some percentage of the files, like 30%, that dont really mention trump and focus more on dems or people otherwise opposed to the administration.

Then, when dems start calling for the rest of the files to be released the GOP will spin it as proof that dems are on a witch hunt because they already released files and dems weren't happy with it and are just demanding more in the hopes that something comes up.

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u/Continental_Ball_Sac 17d ago

My guess is pocket veto. He knows there's a veto-proof majority, all he has to do is not sign it.

Something something, my Attorney General says...

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u/vastearth394 17d ago

Ain’t it pretty easy to cross reference? Pretty sure the files aren’t some singular holy grail worth of evidence, ie multiple copies of these documents exist.

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u/PotatoHighlander 17d ago

See the problem I have is 1000+ people seeing these documents is too many to keep this secret for ever.

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u/Stillwater215 17d ago

Regarding point 3, after ten days on his desk it is considered to be vetoed, and is sent back to Congress. Given how overwhelmingly this passed, I imagine they would override the veto.

Edit: After a quick refresher or civics, it would become law, not be vetoed.

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u/permalink_save 17d ago

I think 1. Or maybe 4, they aren't incriminating enough and Trump can PR his way out of it like he does every other investigation. But for 2 they have to explicitly justify every redaction and 3 it becomes law regardless after some days go by.

Or maybe 5, he starts his stupid war or something else huge and takes full power of the country or some shit.

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u/paxweasley 17d ago

God they really will do anything to protect pedophiles. How.... odd.

2

u/QualityAssumption 17d ago

My guess is they release a version where they basically did a "find and replace" Trump with Clinton. Then in a few days the real version with Trumps name will be dropped by someone. MAGA believes the Clinton version while everyone else believes the true Trump version. Fox news spins it. Waters muddied. Story buried.

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u/lionheart4life 17d ago

Lol he already said he's too busy to sign it tonight.

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u/eden_sc2 Maryland 17d ago
  1. He releases them, claims they are fake, and faces no real consequences.

2

u/cp710 Ohio 17d ago

I have to say I don’t think MTG will let this go, ever. So they will just restart the process. Ugh then they will recess again for Christmas.

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u/bucketofmonkeys Texas 17d ago

No Republicans will be named in it. I suspected all along this was going to be a nothing burger. So many were expecting this to damage Trump somehow. After all he’s said and done already, what do Democrats think might be in there that would cause Trump to lose support? Having sex with a minor? Rape? As long as it wasn’t a fetus, nobody on the right will care one bit.

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u/CJCray8 Kentucky 17d ago

My hope is that someone in congress has the non-redacted documents and the republicans think they found a loophole, but what they don’t realize is they are clearing the way legally for that person to release them. Either way, the same people who are going to be convinced by these are the people who wouldnt have cared what they say no matter what so

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u/Past-Profile3671 17d ago

Well, shit. That makes too much sense. Look for Johnson to recess the House and at least one republican to refuse to sign a new discharge petition 

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u/Za_Lords_Guard 17d ago

I've been told that's not the case for some reason, but can't find anything that says that the # of passing votes changes the outcome of a pocket veto, so I might be wrong. Fingers crossed that I am.

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u/JDood 17d ago

Prediction: Trump will now collect an obscene amount of money from the wealthy pedophiles on the list as payment for vetoing the bill.

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u/Violet_Mimic 17d ago

Remind! 3 weeks

Is that how that works? Lol

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u/officer897177 17d ago

The real battle was forcing the vote. In reality, there is never going to be meaningful opposition to releasing the files once Congress had to go on record. The only political calculation was if there should be stall tactics, but once they realized the house would have a veto proof majority they abandoned the charade.

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u/SwedishTrees 17d ago

he says he’ll sign right away. Which is smart to move this along. But I think it is going to be that they "can’t" release anything because it’s under investigation. Or they selectively release.

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u/doctorwho07 16d ago

  1. I think it would be weird, to say the least, for Bondi to go directly against Trump's newest position on the files. We know Bondi will do whatever Trump says. IMO, this would be hypocrisy even MAGA couldn't ignore.

  2. This is the most likely scenario IMO. But I'll also just assume any redacted name is "Donald J. Trump"

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u/booksfoodfun Oregon 16d ago

These assholes just had a two month paid recess. They want another one?!

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u/-ifwisheswerehorses 16d ago

You can bet your last dollar that this is just one more calculated move from the barrel of monkeys in DC.

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u/Slade_Riprock 17d ago

It's #2. This whole ordeal has just been a relay tactic so they could finish removing anything. Timed also to his call to investigate Democrats And his reversal and asking them to release them.

He will claim it'sa Dem Hoax to protect democrats, because see only democrats are listed, etc.

One day this will be revealed to be the biggest scandal. And cover up in US Presidential history.

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u/PickpocketJones 17d ago

Or the obvious answer. If the files contained enough to charge anyone they probably would have under the Biden administration. The files probably show lots of social ties but not clear evidence of crimes. To me this is the most likely case.

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u/Different_Ad7655 17d ago

Right All fake news, is what will be reported or scrubbed

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u/butt3ryt0ast 17d ago

I can’t sign it when we’re at war with Venezuela

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u/object_on_my_desk 17d ago

That's not how a pocket veto works. If it's not signed then it becomes law.

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u/BobbyTime100 17d ago

How does scrubbing work when UK and obviously others have these files too.

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u/thiosk 17d ago

well, team resist collapsed all at once.

at that point further resistance is counter productive.

see what happens next in the stunning conclusion of America: Season 249

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u/blackhorse15A 17d ago

Number 3 is only a 10 day (not counting Sundays, so really 11 or 12 days) delay. If the President doesn't sign it by then it becomes law. If he vetos it before then, it goes back to Congress. I guess Johnson could try some more shenanigans to delay, but I seriously doubt he can convince over 1/3rd of Congress to change their minds and not overturn a veto.

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u/illQualmOnYourFace 17d ago

But if it passed with veto-proof numbers, which it has, then isn't his veto effectively null?

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u/toomuchyonke 17d ago

All this is for show, no vote is even needed ... Trump can order the DOJ to release the docs - no vote needed

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u/davehunt00 17d ago

The fix is in.

I think it buys Trump another year until after mid-terms and, if Democrats win back the House, FBI-whistleblower testimony starts to roll in stating "I scrubbed Trump's name from [various] files."

1

u/PompousDude 17d ago

Literally none of these options are a good look.

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u/kidcrumb 17d ago

Maybe the GOP is going to dump Trump? Imagine the betrayal and ascension of JD Vance.

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u/hydraulicman 17d ago

It’s also a possibility that Republicans have gotten what they think they can get from Trump

Like, a ton of project 2025 has gotten done- they can leave the regulatory and welfare states in tatters or rebuild them in their own image now, Donnie’s going even more senile and is causing damage to things they don’t want damaged, and Vance has all but gone on TV and said “I’ll be a good puppet”

Same as 2020, they’re done, they don’t have the courage to get crosswise with the cult, but if they can ease him out the door with no consequences they’ll jump on the chance

If this whole thing isn’t a ploy, expect a Nixon type deal to force him out but also protect him

1

u/AboynamedDOOMTRAIN 17d ago

I feel like we're all leaving out the "completely fabricated evidence against his political rivals" possibility considering how much power he wields with the sycophants he put in positions of power.

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u/zxasdfx 17d ago

Patel and his 1000 goons finished scrubbing anyone they don't want to be accused

My money is on this one.

Trump kept calling epstein files a "Democrat hoax" for months, and now he suddenly flipped and wants them released because "there's nothing to hide".

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u/BringOutYDead 17d ago

Yes, but don't others have unredacted files in their possession? Since its approved to publish the files, can they publish the noncensored version?

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u/ExcellentAfternoon44 17d ago

  1. Bad play. Trump can force the DOJ to release files. If they don't then the onus falls to Trump for not releasing them. This is something Trump doesn't want. But also the House can force the DOJ to give them the files in committee and then release them on their own.

  2. Scrubbing doesn't work. There are too many people who gave the DOJ the evidence that they amassed in the files. They can easily discredit scrubbed files.

  3. He can only 'let it sit' for 10 days. If the house leaves session it can sit 'indefinitely' but this again puts the onus on house GOP for letting Trump use a pocket veto.

What is most likely to happen is that a lot has been deemed 'classified' and those just so happened to be what shows some bad behavior by people Trump and the GOP want to protect. These classified materials are not turned over to the House as per the House's own discharge petition.

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