• Former Navy SEAL Ryan hosted Rep. Ro Khanna to discuss delayed Epstein files release
• Justice Department missed December 19 legal deadline to disclose all documents
• Discharge petition led by Khanna and Rep. Thomas Massie forced House vote

WASHINGTON, DC (TDR) — Podcaster and former Navy SEAL Shawn Ryan delivered a scathing rebuke of President Donald Trump’s administration this week, accusing the White House of protecting pedophiles by failing to fully release government documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Ryan, who voted for Trump in 2024, expressed frustration during his podcast with guest Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), one of the lawmakers leading a bipartisan effort to force disclosure of Epstein-related files held by the Department of Justice. The December 19 deadline established by the Epstein Files Transparency Act passed without complete compliance, drawing criticism across the political spectrum.

Ryan Questions Administration Priorities

During the interview, Ryan played footage of Trump lashing out at a reporter asking about the Epstein files, prompting the podcaster to express deep disappointment with the administration’s handling of the issue.

“I fcking voted for this sht,” Ryan said. “I voted to get these damn files released, and it’s like a total 180 just happened.”

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Ryan later escalated his criticism, directly accusing the White House of shielding those involved in Epstein’s criminal network.

“Why is the White House protecting pedophiles? Why is the White House protecting pedophiles? I just don’t understand it, Ro. I can’t f*cking get it through my head, why we would protect pedophiles,” Ryan said.

The former Navy SEAL emphasized that sex trafficking and exploitation should take priority over other policy concerns.

“This country has the biggest fcking problem with sex exploitation and sex trafficking in the world. We can talk about fcking Venezuela and Mexico and Ukraine and Russia and fcking China and waste, fraud, and abuse and fcking liberals this and Democrats this and Republicans and we have a pedophile problem,” Ryan said.

Bipartisan Discharge Petition Forced Vote

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Khanna and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) introduced the Epstein Files Transparency Act in July 2025, which required the Attorney General to publicly release all Justice Department documents related to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell within 30 days of passage. The House passed the bill 427-1 in November after a successful discharge petition gathered 218 signatures.

“This is a moral issue. It’s about standing with survivors. It’s about protecting children,” Khanna said during earlier advocacy for the bill. “I admire Congressman Massie’s courage. I admire Nancy Mace’s courage, Marjorie Taylor Greene’s courage, Lauren Boebert’s courage.”

The discharge petition represented a rare procedural maneuver that allowed lawmakers to bypass House leadership, which had opposed bringing the legislation to the floor. All House Democrats and four Republicans—Massie, Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Nancy Mace (R-SC), and Lauren Boebert (R-CO)—signed the petition.

DOJ Statements Draw Skepticism

The Trump administration’s Justice Department and FBI released statements claiming no evidence existed that Epstein sex trafficked women and children for others, despite Maxwell serving 20 years for sex trafficking done in coordination with Epstein. Those statements faced immediate backlash from lawmakers and advocates.

Khanna argued that basic logic contradicts the government’s position on Epstein operating alone.

“Just use your common sense. There are 1,200-plus survivors. You think one guy raped all of them? You think, one guy abused all of him? Of course not. There was a system of powerful, rich men who either trafficked in these girls or abused them or showed up to Epstein’s rape island,” Khanna said during the podcast.

The congressman noted that victims provided specific names of alleged abusers in FBI 302 statements that remain unreleased. As of January 2026, less than 1% of files have been publicly disclosed, according to Justice Department correspondence.

Greene Claims Trump Cited “Friends”

Ryan referenced Marjorie Taylor Greene’s account that Trump told her releasing the Epstein files could hurt his “friends.” Greene resigned from Congress in January after angering Trump through her support for the discharge petition and criticism on other issues.

“How about the f**king kids? Kids,” Ryan said in response to Greene’s claim. “Hurting your friends? Who gives a sht about your fcking friends? We give a f*ck about kids.”

Khanna told Ryan that Greene initially believed she could convince Trump to embrace full disclosure as a political victory.

“No one had been more loyal to Donald Trump. And when she joined the petition, she says, ‘I’m going to explain to Trump. He actually can be a hero. He’s gonna come on board. I’m telling you, he’s gonna come on board.’ She said, Trump says, ‘Well, you’re hurting some of my friends,'” Khanna recounted.

Partial Release Violates Federal Law

The Justice Department released approximately 30,000 pages in late December, though many contained extensive redactions with hundreds of pages completely blacked out. The partial release violated the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which mandated full disclosure by December 19, 2025.

Trump signed the legislation on November 19, giving the DOJ 30 days to comply. The department cited the need for additional review time, with some estimates suggesting 2 million to 5.2 million documents remain under review as of January 2026.

Epstein died by apparent suicide in federal custody in 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges. He had previously accepted a controversial plea deal in 2008 after initial charges were filed in 2006. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence for crimes related to sexual abuse of minors.

Political Fallout Intensifies

The Epstein files controversy has generated significant political challenges for the Trump administration. A December 2025 Economist/YouGov poll found 55% of Americans disapproved of Trump’s handling of the Epstein investigation, with 91% of Democrats, 78% of Independents, and 74% of Republicans supporting full file release.

“There is something that is rotten in Washington,” Khanna said during earlier advocacy efforts. “We’ve got to stop the partisanship on this issue.”

Trump campaigned in 2024 on promises to release the Epstein files, framing the issue as evidence of government secrecy protecting powerful elites. The administration’s failure to meet the statutory deadline has fueled conspiracy theories and eroded trust among some supporters.

“I don’t understand who they’re trying to protect because I keep saying it’s not about Trump. There’s so many people, Democrats, Republicans who were involved in all of this, just release the files,” Khanna said on Ryan’s podcast.

Will continued pressure from both Trump supporters and opponents force complete disclosure of the Epstein files?

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