BREAKING: Elon Musk, Others Named in Newly Released Epstein Documents

Summary

Bulwark Takes – Episode Summary

Episode Title: BREAKING: Elon Musk, Others Named in Newly Released Epstein Documents
Date: September 26, 2025
Hosts: JVL & Joe Perdicone

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Brief Overview

This special segment of “Bulwark Takes” covers the latest release of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents, specifically flight logs and scheduling materials recently made public by House Democrats on the Oversight Committee. The conversation between JVL and Joe Perdicone dissects key names—such as Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and Steve Bannon—referenced in these documents and places their appearance into current political and cultural context.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Nature and Origin of the Documents

• The released batch consists of six pages of flight logs and scheduling emails from Epstein’s estate, not government records.
• Joe clarifies this reduces the likelihood of recent tampering:
  • “In order for them to have been tampered with, somebody would have had to tampered with them years and years and years ago. So the long game. Yeah, it kind of cancels out the idea that, you know, this could be planted.” (00:53, Joe Perdicone)
• House Democrats are gradually releasing the documents, reviewing carefully to avoid outing victims or sensitive information—a process praised by both hosts for its caution and responsibility.

2. Key Names Surfacing in New Documents

• Peter Thiel: Scheduled for lunch with Epstein.
• Steve Bannon: Scheduled for breakfast.
• Elon Musk: Most notably, a scheduling note:
  • “‘FYI, Elon Musk heading to the island.’ And then in parentheses, ‘Is this still on?’” (02:16, Joe Perdicone)
• Prince Andrew reappears, though this is unsurprising given earlier reports.

3. Timing and Political Dynamics

• The referenced note regarding Musk is from 2014, “a good six years after the sweetheart plea deal that Epstein got.” (02:47, Joe Perdicone)
• The hosts highlight how the document release has become a power play for House Democrats, using committee oversight even from minority status.
• “If [Democrats are] in the majority…they can do things like subpoena Elon Musk to come testify and say, well, what were you doing? Did you go to the island?” (03:11, Joe Perdicone)
• Point made that the Republican members of the committee also have the documents but “aren’t releasing anything.” (04:31, Joe Perdicone)

4. Elon Musk’s Political Transformation and Public Perception

• JVL explores how Musk’s political evolution—from “lib Democrat” in 2014 to modern MAGA icon—may affect partisan reactions:
  • “Does Elon get saved by the fact that six years later…he leaves the Democratic Party and becomes a Trump supporter for 14 months before falling out with Trump? Do you think that gets him immunity? Is that like getting vaccinated?” (03:50, JVL)
• Both hosts muse on how neither party is immune from connection to Epstein, citing earlier document drops involving Bill Clinton.

5. Speculation & Cultural References

• The segment makes light of the ambiguity of these meetings and trips, likening the uncertainty around Musk’s attendance to a classic "Simpsons" moment:
  • “It could be like in the Simpsons…Principal Skinner's like, I only went in there to get directions on how to get away from there.” (02:47, Joe Perdicone)
• Another pop culture reference: the “It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia” defense of going to the island “just for the snorkeling.” (05:30, Joe Perdicone)
• They emphasize the business context but also the mystery:
  • “So what are you going to the island other than to have a good time?” (05:30, Joe Perdicone)

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “FYI, Elon Musk heading to the island. And then in parentheses, is this still on?” — Joe Perdicone (02:16)
• “If [Democrats are] in the majority…they can do things like subpoena Elon Musk to come testify and say, well, what were you doing? Did you go to the island?” — Joe Perdicone (03:11)
• “Does Elon get saved by the fact that six years later…he leaves the Democratic Party and becomes a Trump supporter for 14 months before falling out with Trump? Do you think that gets him immunity? Is that like getting vaccinated?” — JVL (03:50)
• “It could be like in The Simpsons…he only went in there to get directions on how to get away from there.” — Joe Perdicone (02:47)
• “It's always the ones you least. Or is it most expect? I forget how the saying goes. It's impossible to know.” — JVL (05:10)
• “Because the rest of the world may have given up on the Epstein story, but we sure as hell haven’t.” — JVL (06:05)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:30 — JVL introduces the new Epstein document release and hands over to Joe.
• 00:53 — Joe Perdicone explains document origin and vetting process.
• 02:16 — Disclosure of key names: Thiel, Bannon, and the Musk scheduling note.
• 02:47 — Discussion of Musk’s 2014 connection and pop culture analogy.
• 03:11 — Congressional oversight strategies and potential for future subpoenas.
• 03:50 — JVL on Musk’s political switch and expected partisan reactions.
• 05:10 — Reflection on how expected (or unexpected) the names are.
• 05:56 — Foreshadowing further revelations if Democrats take House majority.

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Final Thoughts

This episode delivers a quick but comprehensive breakdown of the latest Epstein file revelations, focusing on the big-name figures newly connected (at least on paper) to Epstein in the early 2010s. The hosts balance skepticism with context, noting both business justifications and the unexplained nature of certain “trips to the island.” The tone is lively, irreverent, and frequently references pop culture to underscore the murky, sometimes absurd, ongoing connections between influential public figures and the late financier. The takeaway is that the Bulwark team has not tired of pursuing the Epstein story and will remain engaged as more details emerge.

Transcript

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[JVL]

Hello, everyone. This is JVL here with my bulwark colleague Joe Perdicone. And we got some more Epstein files news for you. Buckle up. Gotten some crazy names coming out, Joe. We had House Democrats releasing some more Epstein files today. Tell me what's in them. Was it like Christmas?

[Joe Perdicone]

So I'll start by saying, like this was. There was only about six pages. These are all from Epstein's estate. They're not from the government, which means in order for them to have been tampered with, somebody would have had to tampered with them years and years and years ago. So the long game. Yeah, it kind of cancels out the idea that, you know, this could be planted. The original drop, we saw the birthday book, we got that earlier this month. And this was part of the effort that House Democrats on the Oversight Committee, you know, managed to get this thing passed. So. And then Mike Johnson was like, we're not doing this anymore. Cancel votes. Everybody come back in six weeks. Now, he probably doesn't want to return votes this coming week. We're already seeing whispers for that. And basically, they're getting all these documents in phases. And they just got another, you know, several thousand. And what they have to do is they have to go through them line by line to make sure there's no reveal of the victims or private information. Because, A, that's the right thing to do, but B, if they did do that, that could risk the investigation. People could say, it's not worth it hurting these victims. So they're being very meticulous about this. So this latest little batch we got, it was flight logs and scheduling emails from Jeffrey Epstein, basically saying, like, hey, like, you gotta, like, meet at the breakers with so and so.

[JVL]

Who are the so and so's, Joe?

[Joe Perdicone]

So the first one, I was, like, scrolling really fast, and I see Peter Thiel. Oh, lunch with Peter Thiel. Yeah. And I'm like, oh, that's not that surprising. Then you see Breakfast with Steve Bannon. And then there's this really kind of funny line where it's like, FYI, Elon Musk heading to the island. And then in parentheses, is this still on? And so we don't know.

[JVL]

Elon Musk heading to Jeffrey Epstein's island.

[Joe Perdicone]

Yeah.

[JVL]

And this is what.

[Joe Perdicone]

This is in 2014. So a good six years after the sweetheart plea deal that Epstein got. So we don't know if he did. It could be like in the Simpsons when they find out there's the brothel in town and Principal Skinner's like, I only went in there to get directions on how to get away from there. So it, like, we don't know. Yeah, we don't know if he went.

[JVL]

Somebody should ask Elon about this.

[Joe Perdicone]

Yeah. And for example, if you look at, like the, how the House would shape up, like the, the Oversight Committee has been really smart about this. The Democrats have, they've been able to use this very well because Oversight Committee can't really do much, especially when you're in the minority. And the fact that they've gotten these documents and they're going to get a lot more hats off to them because if they're in the majority, if that's possible in the next Congress, they can do things like subpoena Elon Musk to come testify and say, well, what were you doing? Did you go to the island? Oh, and another person named, but not surprising at all, Prince Andrew is on Jeffrey Epstein's flight. We all, we all know that, though not, not great.

[JVL]

So I'm sort of curious as to where Maga would be on this, because 2014, Elon is still very much a lib Democrat. And so the idea that 2014, Elon Musk would have been cozy with Jeffrey Epstein and going to the island actually fits with the MAGA view. Does Elon get saved by the fact that six years later, seven or eight years later, he leaves the Democratic Party and becomes a Trump supporter for 14 months before falling out with Trump. Do you think that gets him immunity? Is that like getting vaccinated?

[Joe Perdicone]

Maybe? I think, like, because the names are Bannon, Teal Musk, and it's only six pages out of thousands. But these are, you know, obviously the House Democrats are being very deliberate with, like, what they reveal, but also we, we still haven't, you know, for. In the birthday book we saw there is notes from Bill Clinton. So it's not like they're playing favorites entirely, but like, you can't doubt that they saw these names and were like, we gotta, we gotta get these ones out. And, and first of all, the Republicans on the committee have these documents too. They're just not releasing anything. So it just comes out from the Democratic side.

[JVL]

You know what they say, Joe? It's always the ones you least. Or is it most expect? I forget how the saying goes. It's impossible to know. All right, so there you have it, guys. Peter Thiel, Steve Bannon, and Elon Musk showing up in the latest batch of Epstein files. Elon with the, hey, bro, you still coming to the Island?

[Joe Perdicone]

Him getting lunch with Steve Bannon or breakfast with Peter Thiel? Like, he was in finance, he was in business, Epstein was. So that kind of makes sense. But, like, when it's just like, Musk's still going to Ireland, is it still on? Like, there's that It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia episode where Danny DeVito's like. Like, no, no, I just went. Because of the. They're snorkeling there. And it's like, so what are you going to the island other than to have a good time?

[JVL]

Boy, it's going to be fun to find that out In January of 2027, when the Democratic majority in the House has sworn in. Don't you think, Joe?

[Joe Perdicone]

Maybe. If it happens.

[JVL]

All right, guys, hit, like, hit. Subscribe, follow the channel. Because the rest of the world may have given up on the Epstein story, but we sure as hell haven't. We're going to keep banging away at this until something breaks. Good luck, America.

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