The Shawn Ryan Show - Episode #278: Ro Khanna
"Why is Congress Afraid to Subpoena Every Name in the Epstein Files?"
Published: February 9, 2026

Overview

In this powerful and unfiltered episode, Shawn Ryan sits down with Congressman Ro Khanna (CA-17) to dissect the recent partial release of the Epstein files, scrutinize Congressional inaction, and debate the mechanisms upholding America’s “two-tier” justice system. With the conversation pivoting between political courage, child exploitation, elite impunity, and broader cultural rot, Khanna offers an insider’s perspective on why so many names remain hidden, why meaningful accountability is elusive, and what must change for justice to prevail. The episode maintains a raw and direct tone, with both host and guest exasperated at the apparent protection of pedophiles among America’s power elite.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Epstein Files: Partial Release, Redactions, and Obstacles to Justice

• Khanna's Return & Justice Department Release

  • Ro Khanna returns following his prior appearance, during which, coincidentally, the DOJ released 50% of the Epstein files.
  • “I came on your podcast and then two weeks later, the Justice Department decides to release 50% of the files. So I figured maybe if I come back, they'll release the other 50%.” (Khanna, 02:14)

• Hostility to Accountability

  • Congressional and societal reticence to subpoena every name; the biggest abuser names redacted.
  • "That's kind of weird, don't you think? We'd want to know who's ordering hits and burying bodies..." (Ryan, 10:03)

• Narrative Control

  • The establishment’s shifting narrative; media soundbites downplaying the severity ("It’s not a crime to party with Epstein") and channeling inquiries into dead ends.
  • “I'm sorry, it is a fucking crime if you're fucking minors. What the hell is that?” (Ryan, 12:53)

• Protecting the Powerful, Exposing the Survivors

  • Files reveal abuser names redacted while survivor identities and images have been left unprotected.
  • “They didn't redact the survivors…they had nude images for young girls that they released, but they blacked out names of people who've sent Epstein an email saying, I enjoyed the nine year old Brazil...” (Khanna, 13:35)
  • Khanna and Ryan question DOJ’s priorities: protecting the guilty, re-traumatizing the victims.

Who's in the Files? Why Aren’t They Hauled Before Congress?

• Elites’ Names & Denials

  • Numerous prominent figures named: politicians, tech CEOs, billionaires, and influencers (including Clinton, Gates, Musk, Thiel, Jay Z, Reed Hoffman).
  • “Every single person you mentioned, if they are in the files, which many of them are, they need to be hauled in front of Congress.” (Khanna, 21:33)
  • Host and guest note bipartisan nature of implicated names.

• Culture of Elite Impunity

  • Khanna describes peer pressure among elites: “You had to be part of this Epstein network to be in the club.” (Khanna, 26:14)
  • Survivors were told not to report abuse: “We were told you can't call the police, you can't call the FBI because they know too many powerful people.” (Khanna, 26:40)

• No Investigations, No Charges

  • DOJ and FBI have not subpoenaed, questioned, or indicted anyone except Epstein and Maxwell.
  • “Post episode, they said, oh, he's a dead guy, and let's move on. They have not released the names of the coconspirators who they should have indicted.” (Khanna, 64:48)

• Congressional Power and Inaction

  • Congress has subpoena power, as evidenced by Clinton agreeing to testify, but refuses to exercise it broadly.
  • “You don't think that we could exercise that same power with all of these people in the files?” (Khanna, 64:40)

The Broader Culture of Sexual Exploitation and Violence

• Roblox, School Shooting Games, & Online Grooming

  • Discussion of online platforms (Roblox, teen chats) replicating abusive and violent events, sometimes with real victim names.
  • “They have the victims names that were killed in some of these incidents is actual characters in the game that you shoot and kill.” (Ryan, 07:16)
  • Schlep (a previous guest/activist) and Ryan’s team demonstrate how easily predators make contact with minors online (75:17 onward).

• Pornography & Societal Decay

  • Shawn and Ro link mainstream pornographic trends, child abuse, and the normalization of depravity.
  • “Do you know what the number one search thing on porn is? … It's incest. It's brother, mother, really? … That's what the most searched shit is in porn.” (Ryan, 78:40)
  • Both agree on urgent need for regulation to protect children, noting unprecedented accessibility and influence.

Accountability, Political Reform, & Structural Corruption

• Two-Tier Justice System

  • Systemic protection for the rich and powerful versus everyday Americans.
  • “There are two Americas, there are two tiers of justice. If you're rich, if you're powerful, if you fund universities and nonprofits, you can do the most heinous things.” (Khanna, 25:44)

• Why Is Congress Afraid?

  • Donors: Both parties’ donors implicated, causing representatives to tiptoe.
  • Tribalism: Trump discourages focus on issue. Fear of political retaliation.
  • “It's not for the country, it's for themselves. If that's what's fucking happening, every one of these son of a bitches need to be fucking voted out because they're in it for themselves.” (Ryan, 46:44)

• What Should Happen Next?

  • Khanna’s three-step plan:
    1. Congressional Hearings: Subpoena everyone in the files for questioning under oath.
    2. Unredacted Release: Push DOJ for the unredacted files; refuse to protect abusers.
    3. Public Accountability: Shame and sideline implicated individuals from positions of social power.
  • Calls for a 9/11 Commission–style inquiry to examine Epstein as a national security threat.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Masculinity & Courage:

  • “To me, being a man means standing up and respecting… what you believe in, no matter what the fucking consequences are. That's what being a man is. Being a man is not keeping your fucking mouth shut because daddy's got a thumb on you.” (Ryan, 04:43)

• On the Incestuous Elite Club:

  • “It's a club. And they don't want that club to be pierced, to be broken. People who have power in this country and people who don't.” (Khanna, 66:17)

• Societal Decay and Desensitization:

  • “They're desensit… They're taking real events… They're reenacting active shooter events…” (Ryan, 84:12)

• On Accountability and Reform:

  • “Get money out of politics and term limits… These things were never designed to be lifelong pursuits.” (Khanna, 94:31)

• On National Security & Epstein’s Mystery:

  • “There should probably be a commission. The president… should appoint a commission to understand who Jeffrey Epstein was and what his motives were and why he was operating. That's a national security question.” (Khanna, 43:59)

• On Fatigue, Anger & Hope for Change:

  • “I don't even fucking see left or right anymore. I just see good and evil and that is it.” (Ryan, 29:51)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Epstein Files Released & Redactions — 03:18–16:42
• Political Failure & Donor Influence — 16:45–34:12
• Who’s in the Files; Specific Powerful Names — 21:18–23:36
• Why Elite Impunity Endures — 24:08–27:50
• Comparison to UK Accountability — 29:07–29:51
• National Security & Epstein as Potential Asset — 38:13–45:28
• Online Child Exploitation, Roblox, Pornography — 06:36–10:53, 75:17–87:00
• Psychology & Cycle of Abuse — 79:47–87:00
• Concrete Steps for Accountability — 34:12–37:25, 43:59–44:05
• Patreon Q&A: Accountability, Reforms, Nuclear Energy, Politics — 89:30–99:41

Notable Quotes (with Attribution)

• Ryan (04:43):

  "Being a man is not keeping your fucking mouth shut because daddy's got a thumb on you. That's what's happening. And it's fucking pissing me off. And it's pissing all of the American people off."

• Khanna (13:35):

  "They didn't redact the survivors…they had nude images for young girls that they released, but they blacked out names of people who've sent Epstein an email saying, I enjoyed the nine year old Brazil..."

• Khanna (21:33):

  "Every single person you mentioned, if they are in the files, which many of them are, they need to be hauled in front of Congress."

• Ryan (25:36):

  "There is a two tier justice system. … The elites and political elites do not fall under same Justice Department that the rest of us do."

• Khanna (26:14):

  "You had to be part of this Epstein network to be in the club."

• Khanna (34:12):

  "Congress... should start a committee, a subcommittee… announce hearings… subpoena everyone."

• Khanna (43:59):

  "There should probably be a commission. The president… should appoint a commission to understand who Jeffrey Epstein was and what his motives were and why he was operating. That's a national security question."

• Ryan (46:44):

  "If anybody is against that because of going to their donors, they do not have what's best for the country in their heart… every one of these son of a bitches need to be fucking voted out because they're in it for themselves."

• Khanna (64:48):

  "They have not indicted a single person."

• Khanna (66:17):

  "It's a club. And they don't want that club to be pierced, to be broken."

• Ryan (84:12):

  "They're desensit… They're taking real events… They're reenacting active shooter events…"

• Khanna (94:31):

  "Get money out of politics and term limits… These things were never designed to be lifelong pursuits."

Patreon Questions & Khanna’s Responses

• Accountability for Taxpayers (89:53):
  Biggest fraud is in the Defense Department. Federal and state governments must be audited for waste and fraud; homelessness in California is cited as an example of business, not charity.

• Restoring Congress’ Original Purpose (94:31):
  “Get money out of politics and term limits.”

• Nuclear Energy (93:54):
  Khanna and Ryan both support nuclear as part of the energy mix, challenging the left’s orthodoxy.

• Preferential Treatment in Prosecution (101:17):
  Solution: Remove big money from politics and rigorously prosecute interference in justice.

• Will this Fade into the Background? (102:59):
  Khanna is hopeful; the issue has entered popular culture and cannot be as easily buried as before.

Final Thoughts / Calls to Action

• Accountability is Non-Negotiable:
  Without prosecutions and real investigations, trust in American justice is impossible to restore.

• Desensitization and Cultural Decline:
  Both Ryan and Khanna warn of a culture that glorifies violence and sexualizes children, with tech platforms exacerbating harm.

• Podcasts & Alternative Media as New Gatekeepers:
  Ryan’s platform seen as bypassing elite-controlled media and connecting with a broader audience.

• Next Steps:
  Potential for a roundtable with survivors, reformers, and courageous politicians as part of ongoing pressure for reform and public truth-telling.

Conclusion

This episode is a scathing and heartfelt plea for justice, transparency, and moral clarity. Ro Khanna emerges as a rare Congressional voice for broad, bipartisan accountability and describes the structural mechanisms shielding America’s most powerful abusers. Shawn and Ro agree: the only way to rebuild trust is to end elite impunity, bring every name into the daylight, and rekindle the nation’s moral backbone—even if it means challenging the entire system.

For a deeper dive, listeners are encouraged to watch the full episode or follow up on proposed initiatives and hearings discussed herein.

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