During a press gaggle at the Capitol on Wednesday, Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) broke with President Donald Trump and asked for the release of the Epstein files. Trump previously called it "foolish" for Republicans to continue to ask for files related to the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein.
00:00On your decisions will come in from the Senate.
00:02You okay with that or not?
00:04I'm not happy that they're honoring.
00:06Hold on.
00:07Wait for everybody.
00:08Okay, start again.
00:09Yeah, I mean, it's disappointing that we're, you know, $37 trillion in debt.
00:16This, to me, was low-hanging fruit.
00:19We saw how Doge exposed a lot of this misuse of funds.
00:24It's disappointing that the Senate took it out.
00:26Yeah, but does that mean you can support it?
00:28I mean, at some cost.
00:30I mean, at the end of the day, I'll take a base hit, right?
00:34It's better than nothing.
00:36So I think that at least we're able to make some spending reductions.
00:42Do you have any concerns about the fact that we've heard from Pam Bondi, the attorney general,
00:48now that there's probably nothing further coming on Epstein?
00:52Do you share those concerns from some of your fellow conservatives that if there are files that they want them released?
00:57Yeah, I do.
00:59Look, this is a really touchy issue.
01:08The American people deserve to know the answers on this and a number of things.
01:12And I think that this is kind of highlighting the frustration that the American people have where they feel like their government is – they can't trust their government, right?
01:23And so to me, because this is such a horrible issue and the fact that you have all these victims, hundreds of victims, they deserve to have their voice heard.
01:37And justice needs to be done.
01:40So I think that at the end of the day, this is a question of does this government belong to the people or do the people belong to this government?
01:49The president.
01:49And so I did – I have co-sponsored Massey's – with great reservation because I don't want to – I'm not doing this because I'm trying to be difficult.
02:02I just morally cannot stand by and let this not be transparent.
02:09Forgive my interruption, Congressman, but the president said today that Republicans who are still pushing on the Epstein matter are foolish is the word he used.
02:16Is he wrong to say that?
02:18I don't know.
02:19He probably has more information than I do.
02:21But if he does, then at least get that information out.
02:25Let us know.
02:25If there's information about that all the content was created kind of like the Russian hopes and that kind of stuff, okay, then show us.
02:35Release that content.
02:36Then the American people can get mad at the people that were creating the false narratives, right?
02:41But at the end of the day, I work for the district.
02:45I work for my constituents and the American people.
02:48And I think we owe it to the American people to remind – to stand up and let them, you know, make clear that they own this government, not the other way around.
02:58So do you think the president is handling this the right way?
03:01You know, I think that the president is doing an amazing job.
03:06He's got so much going on.
03:09And so for him, I think that this is probably – it seems minuscule.
03:14But I think that while it might not be a top priority for him, it certainly is a top priority for a lot of people.
03:22Can I ask you just quickly, do you hear from constituents on this?
03:25Like, do people care that people are calling?
03:27Number one – it's the number one thing that people are calling my office on.
