Transcript
Ad Host (0:00)
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Zebra Insurance Narrator (0:01)
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Ad Host (0:28)
Shh. They're here, boss.
Lapsed Fan Host 1 (0:31)
What's the most dreaded question that you can get when you tell people you host a podcast called the Lapsed Fan? Ugh.
Lapsed Fan Host 2 (0:37)
It's. What is it about?
Lapsed Fan Host 1 (0:39)
And why is that, do you think?
Lapsed Fan Host 2 (0:41)
Because to like pro wrestling is to lose the respect of others.
Lapsed Fan Host 1 (0:46)
Now what if we told you there's a podcast that explains exactly why that is and why it's kind of deserved. For over a decade, we've taken fact finding missions through the thicket of half truths that is wrestling history. We watch old matches, call out carnies, laugh at our own jokes, and have so much fun doing it that some people actually can't handle it.
Lapsed Fan Host 2 (1:05)
Think wrestling is an escape from real life? Think again.
Lapsed Fan Host 1 (1:09)
Same power games, same office politics, same people lying to your face. Just with entrance music and absolutely no company health insurance under any circumstances.
Lapsed Fan Host 2 (1:18)
All I offer is opportunity, not benefits.
Lapsed Fan Host 1 (1:21)
As do we, Vince. The Lapsed Fan podcast comes. Come for the wrestling history. Stay for the uncomfortable truth about why it used to be better and why you still care.
Ad Host (1:30)
What's up, everyone? And welcome to another episode of the Epstein Chronicles. So recently, Jamie Raskin got up there and talked to us like we were idiots about Stacy Plaskett. And honestly, it made my skin crawl. He looked into the camera like he was explaining how to use a microwave instead of addressing something very, very serious. Something that should never be minimized. He tried to tell everyone that Stacy Plaskett texting Jeffrey Epstein during a congressional hearing was no big deal. Like we were supposed to hear that and just nod politely, bro. Really expected people to accept that explanation and move on like nothing happened. I sat there thinking, you have gotta be kidding me, because any normal person would react the same way. I felt like he genuinely believed nobody watching had a functioning brain. It felt like he could say whatever he wanted and we just swallow it without question. He didn't even hesitate. He acted like the matter was settled before anyone could respond. The confidence in his tone made it even more insulting, like he felt Untouchable. I couldn't believe the nerve he had, standing there, acting like the whole country was overreacting. That's the kind of attitude that makes people stop listening completely. That's how you lose any respect people might have had left. And the worst part is, he seemed comfortable doing it. Like this is just standard procedure. The whole moment felt gross and disconnected from reality, and it left a bad taste in my mouth. He spoke with that soft, calming voice politicians put on when they try to make you feel like you're being unreasonable. Like the tone alone was supposed to settle the argument. He acted like he was soothing a crowd instead of answering for something that should have never happened in the first place, something that should have been confronted directly. He smiled through it, which was almost the most uncomfortable part. Like it was just some misunderstanding he was gently helping us through. There was nothing uncertain about what happened and no confusion about what it might have meant. A congresswoman was taking instruction from Jeffrey Epstein. That's not a rumor or a theory. That's what occurred, plain and clear. That's the whole story before any spin gets applied, and there's no way to dress it up without lying. And he acted like we're the ones in the wrong for noticing, like we should not be paying attention. The tone told the real story. He thinks the public should shut up and listen, not question him on anything. He really tried to downplay something any normal person would immediately recognize as insane and unacceptable. He acted like Epstein was just some random guy she accidentally texted. And instead of the most infamous sex trafficker the country has ever dealt with, he pretended. Repeating Epstein's wording word for word into the Congressional Record was just an odd coincidence, as if that explanation is even remotely believable. Nobody believes that kind of excuse, and he knows nobody believes it. Nobody with eyes and ears is confused about how serious that is. And the fact that he couldn't admit it was a problem says everything about what side he stands on when things get uncomfortable. It showed what matters to him more than anything he says in speeches. It feels like he'd rather protect his circle and his party than tell the truth to the country. And in that moment, everything he pretends to stand for fell apart. Watching his face as he spoke was honestly unbearable, because everything about it screamed arrogance. That little smirk like he thought he was clever, like he thought he was playing some winning hand, that fake calm confidence that politicians practice and mirrors. For moments exactly like this, he looked like he really believed he was pulling one over on everyone, like he assumed nobody would say anything Back, like he thought the whole country was too dumb to notice what he was doing. And the worst part is, he looked proud of the performance, proud of pushing something he knows is garbage, proud of defending something he'd destroy anyone else for doing. It was hard to watch because you could see the disconnect in real time. And look, the hypocrisy is impossible to ignore because it's so obvious and so loud. This man has spent years, years, shouting about accountability and corruption and fairness like he's allowed his voice, fighting for justice. He's made speeches about transparency, like he's the one person in Washington who actually means what he says. He loves the spotlight when it's aimed at someone on the other side and loves to play the role of moral referee. He gets worked up and emotional and demands consequences and says everything should be investigated thoroughly. But now, when it's someone standing right beside him, suddenly he wants people to calm down. Suddenly it's not a big deal anymore. Suddenly he's allergic to the standard he expects everyone else to meet. And the double standard is so obvious that it's embarrassing to witness. If a Republican had taken instruction from Epstein during a hearing, Raskin would have turned it into a national scandal. Before lunchtime, he'd be on every news channel, yelling as loudly as possible and demanding accountability. He'd be calling for resignations and formal inquiries and emergency meetings. He would say it proves every point he's ever made about corruption and danger and power imbalance. He would not shut up about it for weeks. But this time he just shrugs because it involves someone close to him and he doesn't want to deal with the fallout. My friends, that's not leadership, and. And it sure as hell isn't integrity. He acted like the public should feel weird for being angry, like the problem wasn't what happened, but the reaction to it. That kind of thinking is insulting because it tries to flip reality upside down. This man is talking down to people like their children, telling them that their reaction shouldn't exist. And that kind of attitude doesn't change minds. It just makes everything worse and makes people more angry. You don't get to dismiss something serious and blame the country for caring. That's not how respect works. Nobody appreciates being told they're wrong for paying attention. And, yeah, I thought about the survivors while he was saying all of this, because how could you not? People who have lived with the trauma for decades and struggled to be heard, people ignored and doubted and pushed aside for years, people who watched Epstein walk around freely while their Lives fell apart. And then they watch a congressman defend someone. One of his colleagues taking instruction from Epstein like it means nothing. Can you imagine what that feels like in real time? Hearing someone treat something so serious like it's inconvenience. It's cruel. It's heartless. And nobody with compassion would have spoken the way he spoke. Look, nobody's pretending that this means Plasket's about to go to prison tomorrow, and nobody's acting like there are charges ready to file. That's not the point, and it never was. The point is that saying it's no big deal is completely insane and completely unacceptable. It should matter. It does matter. It should be talked about. Honestly. It should have real consequences. And brushing it off like spilled coffee is not something any responsible adult would do, let alone someone in congress. He could have handled it in the simplest way possible without causing chaos. He could have said, yeah, it was wrong, and. And we need to figure out what happened and address it. It's not complicated. It's not dramatic. That's basic decency and basic responsibility. But he didn't do any of that. He chose to act smug and superior Instead. He chose to defend something that clearly shouldn't be defended. He chose the easy lie instead of the hard truth. And that tells us everything we need to know. And you could tell that he was more concerned about protecting his side than telling the truth. It was obvious in every expression and. And every sentence and every hesitation. He wasn't thinking about the country or their survivors or the integrity of congress. He was thinking about optics and the Democratic party and saving face and keeping the team image clean. It's disgusting to watch someone pretend they're doing something righteous when they're really covering for a friend. It's insulting to anyone paying attention and anyone trying to take this seriously. The look he gave when people pushed back, said everything without needing words. He looked annoyed that anyone dared question him, like, how dare the public not just accept what he says, like his word should be enough and we shouldn't want anything more. That's the kind of attitude that drives people away from politics entirely. You can't talk to people like that and expect them to trust you ever again. Trust doesn't work that way. Look, this isn't that complicated. A congresswoman should not take instruction from Jeffrey Epstein under any circumstance. End of story. No gray area. No. No political spin. No excuses about timing or context or misunderstanding. It's wrong. Plain wrong. And pretending it isn't is a choice, not an accident. And what's so crazy Is that he wasted a chance to do something decent and honest. He wasted a chance to show he actually believes any of the things he likes to say in his speeches. He wasted a chance to prove he's not just another empty suit reading prepared lines. And instead he. He showed the exact opposite. He showed that he's only interested in accountability when it benefits him and his party. And that's pathetic from someone who claims to be different. Everybody watching saw exactly what he was doing, and nobody was fooled. There was nothing clever about it and nothing strategic about it. It was obvious and sloppy and weak. Just another politician trying to dodge responsibility. Just another person hoping the public will forget if they say the right words slowly enough. And he thought nobody would notice how hollow it all sounded. Look, people are tired. People are sick of being spoken to like they're stupid. People are sick of watching politicians pretend problems don't exist when they clearly do. People want honesty. People want accountability. That doesn't depend on party loyalty. People want someone in power to act like a real adult once in a while, and we're surely not getting it from him. It becomes harder every day to trust any of these people when they behave like this. They all talk like heroes and act like they're fighting for everyone. But the second something real is at their door, everything changes and they fold. They talk down to the public. They brush off obvious wrongdoing. They act like consequences are for other people. These people think they're untouchable, and that's the real issue. They think speeches fix everything and tone changes reality. They think nobody sees through them. They think all they have to do is say a few polished lines and everyone calms down. It's insulting. It's embarrassing. And that got old fast. And look, at some point, disappointment stops being shock and becomes expectation. They show you who they are every time. They protect their own and lie to everyone else. They show you every time. They choose convenience over truth. They show you every time. They talk like the public doesn't matter. And they do it willingly and consistently. Nothing changes until people like that step out of the way. Because if you can't say something is wrong when it clearly is, you don't belong anywhere near power. It's not complicated. You defend garbage behavior. You're part of the garbage. And people see it whether you like it or not. And at the end of the day, Jamie Raskin showed everyone exactly who he is. He's not some fearless truth teller. He's not some brave defender of justice. He's just another politician who folds the second the problem lands on his own doorstep. He opened his mouth and proved he'll throw every value he claims to believe straight into the trash if it means protecting his own party. And he thought nobody would notice. He thought he could smooth talk his way through it and walk clean away. He thought the public would sit quietly and take it because he's used to people treating him like he's smarter than everyone else in the room. If Raskin can't say something is wrong when everyone with a functioning brain can see it's wrong, then he doesn't belong anywhere near a microphone, let alone a congressional seat. If he can't look at his own side in the eye and demand consequences the same way he demands them from everyone else, then he's not fighting for justice, he's fighting for his career. And if he really thinks people are going to sit there and swallow that weak performance, he's already lost the room. This isn't complicated. You either stand for the truth all the time, or you don't stand for it at all. And Raskin showed which side he's on. He can save the speeches. He can save the moral grandstanding. He can save the bullshit tone about unity and accountability and transparency, because after this, nobody buys it. So if Jamie Raskin wants to talk about accountability ever again, he better start by looking in the mirror and cleaning up his own house first. Because nobody is taking lectures from a guy who can't tell the truth when it matters. Not anymore. He lost the right to act like someone's moral compass the second he tried to gaslight the entire country over something this obvious. If he wants respect back, he can earn it the same way everyone else has to, by owning his bullshit and fixing it instead of pretending nothing happened. Until then, he's just another politician hiding behind a microphone. And people are done bowing to that. All of the information that goes with this episode can be found in the description box.
