The Shawn Ryan Show #271 — Ro Khanna: The Internal Failures Undermining America’s Institutions

Release Date: January 15, 2026
Host: Shawn Ryan
Guest: Congressman Ro Khanna (CA-17)

Episode Overview

This gripping episode features U.S. Representative Ro Khanna in a raw, explicit, and passionate discussion with Shawn Ryan, focusing on the catastrophic failures of American institutions, particularly surrounding the longstanding Epstein scandal and the cover-up of rampant child exploitation among elites. The conversation probes corruption within the FBI, systemic government inaction, and bipartisan resistance to transparency. They also dig into the challenges of tech governance (with Roblox and online child safety), economic inequality, proposals for wealth taxation, deteriorating public trust, and possible solutions for restoring institutional integrity.

Khanna provides insight into legislative efforts to force transparency around the Epstein files, exposes barriers to releasing evidence, and reveals the deep-rooted influence of entrenched power. The conversation is frank, unfiltered, and emotional, with both host and guest repeatedly expressing frustration, disbelief, and urgent demands for accountability.

KEY THEMES AND DISCUSSION POINTS

1. The Epstein Files and Institutional Cover-Up

Main Focus: Why is the government still stonewalling? Who is being protected?

• Survivors and Legislative Efforts:
  • Khanna and Rep. Thomas Massie co-sponsored a bill to force disclosure of Epstein-related files, with nearly unanimous, bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.
  • "You have over 1,200 women, many...purposely targeted because they were vulnerable. Epstein creates a rape island where basically rich and powerful people go..." (Ro Khanna, 00:52)
• Government Obstruction:
  • Resistance to file release from both Republican and Democrat administrations, DOJ obstruction, and FBI denial of complaints.
  • "They're covering it up. Who are the powerful forces that have such influence that they're covering this up?" (Khanna, 07:23)
• Scope of Abuse and Complicity:
  • Abuse by dozens, cover-up by hundreds—it's estimated at least a dozen direct abusers, with hundreds more complicit or enabling the environment.
  • "There was a system of powerful rich men..." (Khanna, 05:52)
• Failure of Justice and Political Resistance:
  • Marginalization and intimidation of lawmakers fighting for disclosure; Marjorie Taylor Greene persecuted for joining the petition.
  • "She was told by Trump: 'You're hurting some of my friends. This is not the right thing.'" (Khanna, 08:51)
• Damning Quotes:
  • Shawn: "Is everybody in government a fucking pedophile now? What the fuck is happening?” (05:47)
  • Khanna: "They're not releasing the memo even though the law explicitly says…This is, I mean—it's, it's—they're covering it up." (07:00)
• Names and Political Fallout:
  • Accusations and references to both Republican and Democratic figures, emphasizing non-partisanship in seeking accountability.

Timestamps:

• Survivor discussion, first call for justice – [00:52]
• FBI/DOJ cover-up – [03:11]
• Both parties’ resistance to transparency – [05:46]
• Congressional vote breakdown – [08:00]
• Marjorie Taylor Greene’s political repercussions – [08:44]

2. Public Outrage, Lack of Trust, and Paths to Action

Main Focus: Why won’t the government act on the clear demands of the public? What can citizens do?

• Pervasive Distrust:
  • "We've got a crisis in this country of trust." (Khanna, 14:50)
  • Public confidence in the government is at a “historic low,” and politicians exploit the perception that citizens only care about 'bread and butter' issues.
• Citizen Advocacy:
  • Khanna urges citizens, especially Trump's MAGA base, to demand release of the files—citing only this group seems capable of swaying the current administration.
  • "The MAGA base needs to demand this often." (Khanna, 41:16)
• Khanna’s Commitment:
  • "I'm going to fight every day I'm in Congress until these files are released." (16:25)
• Obstruction and Excuses:
  • DOJ claims redactions for survivors' safety, but in fact protects abusers.
  • Only a fraction of the files released. "They've released less than 1%." (Khanna, 18:41)
• Enforcement Measures:
  • Proposal to use inherent contempt against DOJ officials (e.g., Bondi)—daily fines.
  • Ultimate accountability may only come under a new president.

Timestamps:

• Citizen action: What can parents do? – [11:14]
• Polymarket betting on transparency – [14:30]
• Legal obstructions and redactions – [19:00]
• Types of files unreleased (FBI, DOJ, memos) – [29:25]
• Accountability mechanisms if the law is ignored – [33:34]

3. The Depth and Breadth of the Epstein Blackmail Operation

Main Focus: Was Epstein's ring a blackmail operation? What foreign interests were potentially involved?

• Blackmail Allegations:
  • Substantial evidence and survivor accounts suggest the operation aimed to entrap the powerful (honeypot system) for leverage.
  • "Do you think that this was a blackmail operation?" Shawn asks. Khanna: "I suspect that it was." (25:34)
• Foreign Involvement:
  • Allegations of ties to Israeli and Russian intelligence, possibly suggesting state involvement or facilitation.
  • "I have reason to believe that foreign governments were involved and that the names that have come up have been Russia and Israel." (37:17)
• Financial Networks:
  • Questions about Epstein's wealth suggest money laundering, foreign financing.
  • "How does Epstein as a schoolteacher end up with half a billion dollars?" (20:54)
• Why No Action?
  • Hypothesis: the forces protecting the files may be even more influential than major donors or politicians.

Timestamps:

• Blackmail line of questioning – [25:34]
• Evidence of foreign (Israel, Russia) ties – [20:26], [37:17], [46:21]

4. Roblox, Tech, and Child Exploitation Online

Main Focus: How tech platforms like Roblox become vectors for child exploitation; government and corporate responsibility

• Schlep, the Whistleblower:
  • Khanna the only Congressman to explicitly defend Roblox whistleblowers; whistleblower (Schlep) banned for exposing predators.
  • "As a guy from Silicon Valley, I said, this is crazy because the company is in my area. And I said, I'm going to come to this 21-year-old kid's defense." (56:44)
• Predatory Behavior:
  • Alarming specifics: children exposed to grooming, self-harm, suicide incitement, and coerced exploitation.
  • "He just doesn't want a 12-year-old girl to be exploited sexually and have to carve slut into her forehead with razor blades." (58:39)
• Broader Tech Responsibility:
  • "You can't have exploitation, you can't have pedophilia, you can't have pornography...I'm the guy who represents Silicon Valley. I'm for innovation, I'm for technology, but...you protect kids on these platforms." (60:55)

Timestamps:

• Roblox and tech predators – [56:44]
• Specific online harms and whistleblower retaliation – [58:39], [58:54]

5. Economic Inequality, Wealth Tax, and Spending Priorities

Main Focus: Can we fund “American renewal” with a wealth tax, and how do we build trust that government won’t waste it?

• Khanna’s Wealth Tax Pitch:
  • 1% annual wealth tax on billionaires to fund health care, child care, and education.
  • "You can't have a nation where you've got some places with $18 trillion [Silicon Valley]...and then where I grew up in Pennsylvania...all going over to China or Mexico...That's not a country that works." (70:13)
• Pushback (Shawn):
  • Waste, fraud, abuse, and endless overseas spending (“Why would any business owner want to pay more tax just to have it shipped out of the fucking country?” 65:23).
• Mutual Respect:
  • Both agree on values—public education, healthcare, opportunity—it’s the roadmap and trust that diverges.
  • "[We] all want the same fucking thing. We just have different roadmaps how to get there." (Shawn, 106:42)

Timestamps:

• Wealth tax discussion – [61:40]
• Where does the money go? – [64:28]
• Public trust, fraud, and government waste – [65:23], [68:53]
• Shared values, different roadmaps – [106:42]

6. The Collapse of Institutional Trust & The Two-Tiered System

Main Focus: American despair about justice, accountability, and the erosion of national purpose

• Universal Cynicism:
  • Both guest and host lament the breakdown in trust of politicians and institutions (“It's so bad now, I don't even think I'm going to vote the next time.” – Shawn, 75:27).
• Need for a Reckoning:
  • Khanna: “There needs to be a reckoning, a sense of justice before we can have people moving on and healing.” (53:57)
• Class War & the 'Epstein Class':
  • Not just about sexual crimes—“rich, powerful people...figuring out, well, who's vulnerable, who doesn't have a father, who doesn't have a lot of money.” (09:45)
• Military vs. Political Culture:
  • "Politics is ego first. Mission secondary...I'm tired of the charismatic politicians. How about courage is the new charisma?” (86:01 – 87:24)

Timestamps:

• Trust in institutions melts down – [75:27], [78:11]
• Two-tiered justice system – [80:32]
• Elite impunity detailed – [80:55]

7. How to Fix America: Accountability, Systemic Reform, and Next Steps

Main Focus: Solutions—term limits, campaign finance reform, bipartisan courage

• System Reforms:
  • Khanna for 12-year House limit, 2-term Senate limit.
  • Ban members becoming lobbyists; eliminate PAC money.
  • "You do those three things and you would clean up so much of our country.” (86:31)
• New Blood Needed:
  • Celebrate courage, take on entrenched power, seek national mission akin to WWII, the moon landing, or the Marshall Plan.
  • “Courage is the new charisma.” (87:24)
• Bipartisan Action Possible:
  • Reference to his bipartisan work with Thomas Massie and others who “stuck their neck out” on the Epstein issue.

Timestamps:

• Reforms for a cleaner system – [86:04]
• The need for public mission – [89:38], [91:40]
• Bipartisanship in action – [41:16], [108:36]

NOTABLE, MEMORABLE QUOTES

• “They're covering it up...Who are the powerful forces that have such influence that they're covering this up?” — Ro Khanna [07:00]
• “Is everybody in government a fucking pedophile now? What the fuck is happening?” — Shawn Ryan [05:47]
• “[Survivors] just want the sense that they’re not being just labeled a hoax. They want the people who abused them or stayed quiet to be publicly exposed and to be held accountable.” — Ro Khanna [52:51]
• “Courage is the new charisma.” — Ro Khanna [87:24]
• “We've got a crisis in this country of trust.” — Ro Khanna [14:50]
• “Either Massie and I and the survivors are telling the truth, or we're lying. So expose us.” — Ro Khanna [27:30]
• “We all want the same fucking thing. We just have different roadmaps how to get there.” — Shawn Ryan [106:42]
• “This Epstein class needs to go.” — Ro Khanna [22:35]
• “If we're going to allow rich and powerful people to do whatever they want in this country, and what's more elite impunity than abusing a young girl—then you don't have a country, you don't have values, you don't have a democracy.” — Ro Khanna [22:08]

TIMESTAMPS FOR MAJOR SEGMENTS

| Time | Topic / Segment | |------------|--------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:52–13:31| Survivor stories, government cover-ups, scope of abuse | | 13:34–20:08| Efforts to release files, White House obstruction, public trust crisis | | 20:25–27:29| Foreign involvement, blackmail theory, systemic corruption | | 29:25–33:34| Nature of files, barriers to disclosure, legal recourse | | 41:16–47:48| Tactics for citizen advocacy, foreign power speculation | | 56:44–62:48| Roblox & tech exploitation, whistleblower Schlep, online dangers | | 64:28–80:55| Wealth tax, waste, public trust, confidence in government | | 86:04–91:40| Term limits, campaign finance reform, military vs. politics | | 106:42–110:06| Closing reflection on bipartisanship, listener recommendations |

CONCLUSION

Tone and Takeaway:
This episode is a blistering, honest critique of America’s broken institutions, delivered in real-time by two men at war with elite impunity. Ro Khanna emerges as a rare reformist, willing to risk his own seat and reputation to drag institutional failures into the light, while Shawn Ryan channels the righteous fury and disbelief of the public. Their debate, infused with shared concern for children, public trust, and the American dream, is a clarion call to demand justice—and a must-listen for anyone seeking an unvarnished look at the rot, and the hope, still possible in U.S. democracy.

RECOMMENDED GUESTS (per Khanna):

• Thomas Massie
• Marjorie Taylor Greene
• Jensen Huang (Nvidia)
• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
• Bernie Sanders
• Dario Amodei (Anthropic)

For further action and updates, Khanna suggests following and engaging on social media, amplifying calls for accountability, and maintaining relentless pressure on elected officials.