Podcast Summary: IHIP News

Episode: Rep. Drops Bomb on Trump After Seeing Unredacted Files, "The Famous Names are Horrific"

Date: February 13, 2026
Hosts: Jennifer Welch & Angie “Pumps” Sullivan
Guest: Rep. Ro Khanna

Episode Overview

In this charged episode, Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan interview Congressman Ro Khanna about the ongoing battle to unseal the Epstein files. Khanna provides an inside look at the bipartisan effort (with surprising Republican allies) to uncover the truth behind Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking network, the powerful people implicated, and the attempted suppression of those files by both parties. The conversation covers government accountability, disturbing details from the files, high-profile names (including Trump and his circle), institutional failures, and wider implications for democracy and national security. The tone is passionate, darkly comedic, and urgent.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Scope and Horror of the Epstein Files

• Bipartisan push: Khanna describes working with GOP members (including Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene) to force the release of the files [00:49].
  • Quote: “For me and Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene, this became very personal…to see the level of people who are involved...It is just horrifying to me, genuinely horrifying.” — Ro Khanna [01:18]
• Survivor stories: The podcast foregrounds the trauma faced by Epstein's victims, many from vulnerable backgrounds, who were systematically preyed upon by the rich and powerful [00:49–02:23].
  • “One person said it’s like a box. You can push it away, but it comes back up.” — Ro Khanna [01:09]
• Obstruction and limited access: Congress has access to only about 2% of 3 million files, with severe restrictions, and the most crucial documents remain deeply redacted by the FBI and DOJ [02:28].
• The 'Epstein class': Khanna frames the scandal as a story of class warfare and disposable working-class victims at the hands of the elite.

2. Political and Institutional Failures

• Failure across administrations: The hosts and Khanna condemn both Democratic and Republican DOJs for failing to act, emphasizing the cover-up transcends party lines [04:27].
  • Quote: “We have Democratic DOJs and then Trump’s DOJ, where Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide—‘suicide’ in quotes—and then Merrick Garland’s DOJ, where that wasn’t even investigated at all.” — Jennifer Welch [04:27]
• Trump’s deep ties: Rep. Jamie Raskin reportedly found Trump’s name in the files "over one million times" [04:58].
  • “Trump’s all over it, as are...people in his own cabinet and administration…The fact that Lutnick is still in the Cabinet should just be horrifying, regardless of your politics.” — Ro Khanna [05:08]

3. The Culture of Impunity and Elite Collusion

• Cover-ups and accountability: The conversation details how high-profile individuals—including Howard Lutnick, Dr. Oz, and others—are implicated, and points to systematic efforts (including by Trump and allies) to obscure their involvement [06:43–07:59].
  • “Every time I open my phone, a new person from Trump’s orbit has entered the chat. Dr. Oz has entered the Epstein chat.” — Angie Sullivan [07:27]
• Ghislaine Maxwell and immunity deals: The podcast slams Maxwell’s negotiating for clemency in exchange for names, and describes bipartisan complicity [07:37].
• International comparisons: Other countries have shown more willingness to investigate powerful Epstein associates; the US stands out for lack of action [05:56].

4. National Security and Surveillance

• Blackmail and global influence: The hosts and Khanna explore Epstein’s ties to politicians, billionaires, and intelligence assets worldwide—including Peter Thiel, Palantir tech, and Israeli/Russian contacts [10:04–11:12].
  • Quote: “The emails between Jeffrey Epstein and Peter Thiel about these two deciding that democracy is incompatible and they’re cheering on Brexit...is a bombshell for national security.” — Jennifer Welch [10:22]
• Surveillance state: They warn about the use of Palantir and ICE, the surveillance of even congressional colleagues, and Thiel’s desire for an "Ubermensch" oligarchy [24:44–28:24].

5. Direct Accusations Against Trump & Political Fallout

• Testimony of sexual violence: The files contain sworn testimony accusing Trump of sexual violence—details the mainstream press rarely addresses [12:40].
  • Quote: “He [Trump] needs to be investigated and answer questions...he’s literally the first person who should be deposed and asked questions.” — Ro Khanna [12:56]
• Erosion of Trump’s base: Khanna describes how these revelations are “breaking through” even among young MAGA men and conservative influencers [13:50].
  • “Sean Ryan…said, ‘Ro, I would never vote for him again because he’s protecting pedophiles. I’m done.’” — Ro Khanna [13:56]

6. Republican Psychology & Shifts

• “MAGA psychosis”: Hosts critique GOP men as submissive to Trump, despite ‘alpha male’ posturing [15:14].
• Women Republicans as turning point: Congressional women like Nancy Mace, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Lauren Boebert are credited with risking careers and security to support the investigation [16:05].
  • “It was the Republican women who broke Trump...people said, wow, you can stand up to Trump and win.” — Ro Khanna [16:05]
• Threats, donor influence, and fear: Billionaires pressure lawmakers into submission; going against the grain means risking one's career [17:27].
• Cracks in the coalition: Khanna sees fissures in the MAGA base, especially with some male colleagues (Don Bacon, Brian Fitzpatrick, Turner) moving away from Trump as he declines physically and politically [22:55].

7. Path Forward & Institutional Resistance

• Strategies for accountability: Khanna advocates for a special committee, survivor-led lawsuits, aggressive congressional investigations, and (eventually) a trusted figure to access and explain classified Epstein intelligence [18:52–20:24].
• Obstruction by GOP leadership: Speaker Mike Johnson is criticized as weak and submissive, failing to use his power to investigate [21:35].
• Election integrity concerns: The coming midterms are perceived as pivotal in breaking the apparatus of cover-up and restoring accountability—both through oversight and winning a large House majority [22:27–24:44].
  • “We’ve got to win by decisive margins, because they're going to kick people off the rolls. They're going to have ICE intimidate...Mike Johnson gets to determine in a close race whether to seat someone. That's the place where we have a constitutional crisis.” — Ro Khanna [23:49]

8. American Oligarchs and Their Weaknesses

• Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley elite: Thiel and others are described as anti-democratic “would-be conquerors,” cheered on for using money, surveillance, and backdoor deals to gain power rather than standing for election [25:57–28:24].
  • “Peter Thiel literally says that democracy and innovation are not compatible...they view themselves as these civilizational builders and…politicians as people who get in the way.” — Ro Khanna [27:01]
• Oligarchs as ‘puss boys’: The hosts roast Thiel, Musk, and other billionaires for lacking political courage, needing to pay proxies like J.D. Vance rather than running themselves [29:39].
  • “You have to pay your way to try to get power?...Peter Thiel is not going to run against Ro Khanna because you’d kick his ass.” — Jennifer Welch [29:06]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On class and power:
  “This is the Epstein class...people, for their own gratification, treated these folks as disposable for years.” — Ro Khanna [01:43]

• On bipartisan cover-up:
  “I heard Jamie Raskin say that he thinks Trump's name is in the files over 1 million times.” — Jennifer Welch [04:56]

• On American double standards:
  “In Sweden and Austria, they're investigating anyone who had any correspondence with Epstein. Yet in our country, there isn't this sense of accountability.” — Ro Khanna [05:56]

• On Maxwell and Trump/Clinton:
  “Maxwell’s there saying, I'm going to tell you that Trump and Clinton didn't do anything wrong. It is a club. That's why they fought so hard to cover this up.” — Ro Khanna [07:51]

• On the collapse of Trump’s support:
  “This has broken through. And it’s broken through, particularly...with a lot of young men who see the world as good and bad...and now [Trump’s] part of the corruption.” — Ro Khanna [13:56]

• On the Republican women’s courage:
  “...It was a Nancy Mace and Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert that stood with Thomas Massie and me...and we passed it in the House, and we passed it in the Senate, and Donald Trump caved.” — Ro Khanna [16:05]

• On billionaire’s anti-democratic impulse:
  “Some of these people in Silicon Valley...say, well, we would have been conquerors in a different age. We are ubermensch...They view people like me...as like a Peter Keating fellow, like one of these bureaucrats...” — Ro Khanna [27:14]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:49] Ro Khanna on the “personal” horror of hearing survivors’ stories and the class aspect of the Epstein scandal.
• [02:28] Limitations on congressional access to the files; the magnitude of the cover-up.
• [04:58] Jamie Raskin’s claim: Trump’s name in the files “over 1 million times.”
• [07:59] Ghislaine Maxwell, elite immunity deals, and bipartisan complicity.
• [10:22] Epstein’s ties to global intelligence, blackmail, and national security implications.
• [12:40] Sworn testimony of sexual violence against Trump.
• [13:56] MAGA influencers turning on Trump; breakdown of his base.
• [16:05] The role of Republican women in breaking Trump’s legislative grip.
• [18:52] Possible legal strategies for survivors and steps for congressional accountability.
• [22:27] Growing cracks among Republican men as Trump’s authority wanes.
• [27:01] Khanna’s critique of Silicon Valley oligarchs’ disdain for democracy.
• [29:39] Hosts’ mockery of billionaires’ unwillingness to stand for election.

Tone and Takeaways

This episode brings together biting humor and righteous anger. The hosts and Khanna vent their frustration at elite impunity, government inaction, and the corrupting influence of money in politics—but also evoke hope in the power of survivor activism, bipartisan pressure, and public exposure. The conversation is explicit, unvarnished, and takes aim at both left and right, urging listeners to demand accountability and transparency, especially as the 2026 midterms approach.

This summary omits ads, intro, and outro. For part two (focused on midterms, ICE, billionaire tax), stay tuned to IHIP News.