By Tom Mullen
Talks Freedom
May 27, 2026
Thomas Massie is one of the two best U.S. House Representatives of my lifetime. Were I a voter in KY-4 during this recent primary, I would have voted for him early and often. I would have persuaded my parents to vote for him (and they're both deceased). I have agreed with Massie on absolutely every contentious issue he's taken a stand on, except one.
The "Epstein Files."
I realize this renders the vast majority of those whom I consider political allies apoplectic. I would ask all reading to bear with me. Make no mistake, I would still vote for Massie despite this one disagreement, but it is an important one not only for him but the entire "liberty movement" or whatever we're calling it these days.
The fixation with Epstein has become so pervasive among anti-establishment groups of all kinds - libertarian, America First conservatives, some left-wing groups, etc. - that it has become fashionable to refer to the people previously called "the elites" or "the globalists" as "the Epstein class."
There is no denying this has been effective. The targets clearly don't like it, and it provides coalition building between groups that may not have much else in common. That Massie was able to partner with Ro Khanna on this issue may remind Ron Paul libertarians of Paul's coalitions with Dennis Kucinich against unconstitutional wars of aggression. But this coalition is fundamentally different, for several reasons.
First, the overall theory isn't true. As rapacious as the so-called globalists may be economically, it is probably not true that sexual crimes against girls under the age of consent is rampant or was so when Epstein was alive. If it were true, then proponents of this theory would be able to present clear cut individual cases which should be prosecuted but haven't been.
Repeatedly, I have challenged my fellow libertarians to produce a solitary case against someone where the evidence of guilt is clear and but for reluctance to prosecute the perpetrator would be sitting in jail. I have yet to be presented with a single such case.
And no, Prince Andrew is not an example. He was thoroughly investigated and prosecution was not possible due to lack of evidence.
The second reason this coalition is different is its basis in Marxist-feminist reasoning. The invitation by the left to "believe all women" necessitates destroying due process, a fundamental pillar of liberty itself. Libertarians were willing to defend Bush ally Brett Kavanaugh on these grounds when just such an accusation was made, despite having no love for Kavanaugh.
That Massie has bragged about the people whose careers have been destroyed based purely on an accusation with no due process is startling to this Massie supporter. Is this not the "cancel culture" we fought so hard against during the Obama and Biden years ? No, I won't be losing sleep that a member of the World Economic Forum lost his job but surely we can see this is not a legitimate power to wield, can't we?
A third reason the Epstein theory is different than Paul-Kucinich is its overall implausibility. That Epstein hired prostitutes, some of which were below the age of consent, is not only plausible but almost certainly true. But that he then "trafficked" these girls to the most powerful men in the world and blackmailed them to make different political decisions than they would otherwise make is beyond implausible.
As I've said before, this explanation for our present political reality is a cop out. It prevents libertarians especially from facing the much grimmer reality that the vast majority of their fellow citizens support, actively or tacitly, the system we have. Encouraging the belief that "if we could just put the pedophiles in jail, we'd all be free" is not productive for our movement.
Everything wrong with our system, from the massive entitlements to the administrative state to the military empire, has broad public support. If it didn't, Ron Paul wouldn't have lost his Republican primaries by landslides. That's not a knock against Paul. It's a knock against the public.
The truth is Massie wasn't defeated due to his advocacy for the Epstein files, but for his opposition to the War Party. That's been the basis of opposition to him since long before he ever even mentioned the Epstein case.
Yes, his pushing of the issue did seem to anger Trump, as does any dissent whatsoever from Trump's whim of the day. And it is also true that release of the files did/would make some of Trump's friends look bad. Any association with Epstein in this environment makes one look bad. But it doesn't make them guilty.
As one assistant U.S. prosecutor said (paraphrasing), it wasn't illegal to ride on Epstein's plane. It wasn't illegal to visit his island. If we had a case against someone we would pursue it.
To those who say this is just the Swamp covering for its own, I present the same challenge: show me the case where the evidence supports a prosecution. Millions of files have been released and there should be at least one. To suggest the government has successfully withheld the incriminating ones among all those millions assigns a level of competency to government that exists only in progressive Hollywood films and television.
That third party advertising in Massie's primary was $20 million - $5 million against and virtually the whole $20 million came from three Israel First billionaires was not because of Massie's Epstein bill. It was because of his opposition to the unconstitutional war in Iran and other U.S. interventions. Unlike the Epstein files, this is a real issue that affects the lives of every American and which Massie is completely right about.
Massie has had complete support from libertarians and a large swath of conservatives on his previous stands against the administration on the Covid atrocities, out of control spending, and unconstitutional, aggressive wars. The last of these provides an opportunity to coalition with the left on a legitimate issue, as did Massie's predecessor Ron Paul.
Constructive advice from a Massie supporter: Leave the Epstein Files, take the anti-war.
This article was originally published on Tom Mullen Talks Freedom.
Tom Mullen is the author of Where Do Conservatives and Liberals Come From ? And What Ever Happened to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness ? Part One and host of the Tom Mullen Talks Freedom podcast.